Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-23362

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 8 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether any evidence was provided by Michael Matheson to prove the parliamentary nature, rather than a personal or governmental nature, of his reported expense claim for over £10,000 for cellular data in Morocco.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body announced on 23 November that it will undertake an investigation in line with its duties under the MSP code of conduct.

As stated then, in the interests of fairness to all, and to avoid prejudicing our investigation, the Corporate Body will not comment on any matters that could have a bearing on the process. It is important to stress, however, that the Corporate Body remains wholly committed to openness and transparency and will release all material that it can, when it can, in line with its legal obligations.

Question reference: S6W-21590

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being listed as the current site owner on its Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey – site register publication, what plans it has to develop the site of the former social club at The Crescent, Upperton, Airdrie.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21592 on 4 December 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-21592

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being listed as the current site owner on its Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey – site register publication, what plans it has to develop the site of the former remand centre car park at Avonhead Road, Upperton.

Question reference: S6W-21594

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being listed as the current site owner on its Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey – site register publication, what plans it has to develop the site of the former Carnbroe Mains Farm in Bellshill.

Question reference: S6W-21591

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being listed as the current site owner on its Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey – site register publication, what plans it has to develop the site of the former Braehead Brickworks in Bargeddie.

Question reference: S6W-23007

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has made available to public sector bodies, including local authorities, for staff welfare in the last two years; what any such funding has been used for, and how it will assess the outcomes.

Our Pay Strategy contains wellbeing measures including encouraging employers to standardise to a 35-hour working week and to implement a Right to Disconnect policy. Employers under the Pay Strategy are required to actively look at how they can promote wellbeing in their workplace to support a positive and healthy work-life balance.

Many employers have introduced more flexible working practices. We are also progressing our four-day working week pilot to assess the benefits of a shorter working week to staff.

The Scottish Budget does not designate funding specifically for staff welfare, but annual funding for public bodies is informed by their delivery priorities and commitments, including for pay and conditions.

For Local Government employees, pay and other employment matters are delegated to Local Authorities.

Question reference: S6W-22518

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been arrested in relation to violence at railway stations in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-22526

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been admitted to A&E in relation to violence on trains in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-22525

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of an offence in relation to violence on trains in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-22510

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been charged with selling cannabis in each year since 2016.

A total of 13,697 accused were reported to COPFS for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2023 with charge(s) which fall within the Scottish Government Classification of "Drugs – Supply, and where it can be identified that cannabis was the relevant controlled drug.

This can be broken down as follows:

		Financial Year Reported
2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
2,096	2,143	2,011	1,915	2,085	1,767	1,680

The information is provided under the caveat that: COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis, and the information within it is structured accordingly.

The numbers were arrived at following an interrogation of relevant charges however a manual review was not conducted to confirm accuracy.

Chamber and committees