Seòmar agus comataidhean

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 422 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-36221

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect (a) it and (b) public bodies from any internal activism that seeks to influence outward-facing policy, including through staff networks.

Question reference: S6W-35701

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders participated in the Caledonian System rehabilitation programme in 2022-23, and how many local authorities currently deliver the Caledonian System.

On 1 April 2022 there were 134 men actively participating in the Caledonian System, and between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 a further 482 were given a Caledonian requirement. Currently 20 Local Authorities deliver the Caledonian System within Scotland, with another two areas, Moray and Shetland preparing to roll out this year. The Scottish Government is actively working with and encouraging those remaining local authority areas to consider adopting the Caledonian System over a phased period.

Question reference: S6W-35700

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per offender was of (a) in-prison rehabilitation programmes and (b) the Caledonian System programme, in 2022-23.

There are many factors that influence the average cost per offender for in-prison rehabilitation programmes, meaning that it is not possible to provide an average cost. These factors may include but are not limited to: the duration of the Offending Behaviour Programme (OBP), grades of staff involved in delivery/treatment management, training costs involved for staff to be able to deliver the OBP, and materials involved for delivery.

The current funding distributed by the Scottish Government to local authorities for the purpose of delivery of Caledonian includes: £2,557,547 for the Men's Programme and £1,910,119 for the Women and Children’s Service. For 2025-26 the total budget is £4,467,666. It is not possible to quantify an average cost per man on the Caledonian System, or that of women and children being supported, due to several varying factors. This includes: variation in cost to run the Men’s programme, as mentioned above, along with the intensity of the programme required which is equated to individual need. The Women and children’s service again will vary in cost per client, as support is very much tailored to individual needs.

Question reference: S6W-35695

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were convicted of aggravated offences under section 1(1)(a) of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 in 2022-23; of those convicted, how many (a) were given (i) prison sentences of 12 months or longer and (ii) community payback orders and (b) are subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) notification requirements.

Data sourced from the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2022-2023 data set shows that 7807 people were convicted of aggravated offences under section 1(1)(a) of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 in 2022-2023. Of those convicted, 251 were given prison sentences of 12 months or longer and, of those convicted, 2407 were given community payback orders. The remaining 5149, are made up of other disposals which may include: fines, short-term prison sentences (under 12 months) and admonishments.

Sentencing is of course a matter for the independent courts.

We have interpreted part (b) of the question as relating to sex offender notification requirements (SONR). Section 1(1)(a) of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 does not create an offence. It creates an aggravator which is something that is applied to an existing offence. Section 1(1)(a) (or section 1 as a whole) is not listed in Schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (offences which trigger SONR).

Therefore, whether the offender would be subject to SONR would depend on the offence they were convicted of and whether that was on the list in Schedule 3. Schedule 3 of the 2003 Act does also contain paragraph 60 which is a provision which allows the court to trigger SONR where the offence is not on the list in Schedule 3 but the court determines that there was a significant sexual element in the offender’s behaviour.

Data on the numbers of those with this aggravator who are also subject to SONR is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-35696

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was in 2022-23, per offender, of multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA).

This information is not centrally held.

The Scottish Government funds a number of organisations including Police Scotland, local authorities, NHS Boards and the Scottish Prison Service. The published Scottish Budget for 2022-23 sets out the funding levels of those organisations and is available here:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2022-23/

It is for each organisation to determine how they allocate their funding to deliver their broad responsibilities, recognising that in terms of wider public protection, including MAPPA, those responsibilities may be more intensive for managing some individuals than for others.

Question reference: S6W-35697

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per member of staff was in 2022-23 to support multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) in each relevant public body, including Police Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service, NHS boards and local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-35698

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per member of staff was in 2022-23 to manage registered sex offenders in each relevant public body, including Police Scotland and local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-35707

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote the health and safety of retail employees who may be subject to retail crime.

Question reference: S6W-35708

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) create simpler reporting systems for retail staff and (b) improve coordination with police, for the reporting of retail crime.

Question reference: S6W-35702

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding was provided in 2022-23 to deliver work in schools as part of the Equally Safe at School programme, and to which organisations any such funding was allocated.

Between 2022-23 Rape Crisis Scotland were funded £408,675 through the Delivering Equally Safe fund. This funding supports the implementation of the Equally Safe at School whole school approach to preventing GBV and the continued delivery of the national sexual violence prevention programme.

Additionally, Rape Crisis Scotland was funded £43,000 in 2022-23 to fund a prevention and training post which oversees the effective implementation of the Equally Safe at Schools programme.

The Scottish Government also funds and supports other education-based programmes and initiatives aimed at tackling violence against women and girls and the attitudes which perpetuate it such as; the Mentors in Violence peer education programme, the preventing and responding to gender based violence: a whole school framework and Rape Crisis Scotland’s national sexual violence programme for secondary schools.