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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

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Question reference: S6O-00994

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on its Covid Recovery Strategy of its decision to end the universal provision of lateral flow tests.

Question reference: S6F-01011

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 April 2022

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to bring down the cost to tenants of private rent in the coming year.

Question reference: S6W-07525

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Community Safety, during a debate in the Parliament on 10 February 2022, that “an independent Scottish Government analysis is under way to look at lessons that have been learned internationally about implementing laws to challenge men’s demand [for prostitution]”, who is carrying out this independent analysis, and whether that individual or organisation has previously publicly expressed views as to their preferred model for implementing such laws.

An evidence review on international approaches to challenging demand is being carried out by Scottish Government’s Justice Analytical Services (JAS), and will be published later this year as an official social research report.

As is the case with all Analytical Services Divisions within the Scottish Government, JAS provide impartial evidence-based advice to support policy development - with all social research needing to comply with the Scottish Government’s ethical principles. These principles specifically require researchers to consider and address ethical risks to protect against distortion and bias in the interpretation of findings.

This analysis will support the development of a model for Scotland which effectively tackles and challenges men’s demand for prostitution, whilst taking into account Scotland’s unique legal and societal landscape.

Question reference: S6W-07527

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many suppliers were approached under the Quick Quote process to bid for the contract to produce national lived experience research relating to the current support service provision and needs of service users with lived experience of prostitution in Scotland (Contract reference no: JAN438058); how many suppliers submitted bids for the contract, and whether it will publish the criteria by which bids were assessed.

In November 2021, 10 organisations were invited to submit a bid to tender through the Public Contract Scotland website, to undertake lived experience engagement relating to the current support service provision and needs of service users who are engaged with, or have lived experience of prostitution in Scotland, to better inform future service design. From those invites, one supplier responded with a tender for this work.

The evaluation criteria applied included the quality questions set out in the invitation to tender. These included an understanding of the current policy context regarding prostitution and the proposed approach to delivering a service mapping exercise and lived experience engagement. The invitation also asked for CVs of staff, setting out relevant experience, qualifications, and examples of recent relevant commissions in order to demonstrate the capability to deliver requirements. The criteria also assessed value for money, the price of the tender was evaluated against the value of the contract, this included a review of the costs submitted.

Following the review of the tender received, there was consensus from the evaluation panel (comprising of Scottish Government officials) that the criteria for awarding the contract had been met, and to award the contract.

Question reference: S6W-07528

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it took to determine whether LKJ Research, which is reportedly the successful bidder for the contract to produce national lived experience research relating to the current support service provision and needs of service users with lived experience of prostitution in Scotland (Contract reference no: JAN438058), is a registered company or charity in Scotland or the UK.

The contract has been awarded to sole trader Laura Jones, trading under LKJ Research. As outlined in the response to S6W-07527 on 19 April 2022, following the review of the tender received, there was consensus from the evaluation panel (comprising of Scottish Government officials) that the criteria for awarding the contract had been met.

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-07526

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the reference group that is advising the short life working group on tackling prostitution has met, and whether it will provide an update on the reference group’s activities.

Recognising the range of interests and experience related to the work of the short life working group (SLWG) considering fundamental principles which will underpin a model for Scotland to effectively tackle and challenge men’s demand for prostitution, a reference group was established. The reference group receives regular updates on this work and has the opportunity to input through e-mail. It does not hold meetings.

Following meetings of the SLWG which considered how support services should be reflected in the principles and how local and national approaches should be considered within the model, the reference group were contacted with questions related to these themes, seeking their views. The feedback from the reference group will be taken into account when developing the principles.

The final meeting of the SLWG will take place in April 2022, with further stakeholder engagement taking place on the draft principles, prior to their finalisation. This will include further opportunities for engagement with the reference group.

Question reference: S6W-07877

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) and the Article 11 Trust on the policing operation at COP26.

It is testament to the hard work and planning of Police Scotland that fewer than 100 COP26-related arrests were made while the event was taking place.

The Netpol/Article 11 report has been carefully considered by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), who now await a report from Independent Advisory Group on the policing of COP26 which is chaired by John Scott QC.

While Police Scotland are operationally independent of ministers, the service continues to learn from their activities on an ongoing basis.

Once the IAG findings are presented, all observations and recommendations will be for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority to consider and act upon where appropriate.

Question reference: S6O-00953

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Department for Work and Pensions regarding proposed changes to its office estate that could result in job losses in the north east and elsewhere in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-07030

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the non-commercially sensitive copy of the 2020-28 Northern Isles Ferry Services contract with Serco.

Question reference: S6W-07029

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the 2020-28 Northern Isles Ferry Services contract with Serco since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.