- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the future of the (a) Inverness and (b) other disease surveillance centres.
Answer
Any update on the future of the Inverness and other disease surveillance centres would be from Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) who are responsible for their operation.
The Scottish Government provides support for SRUC to deliver education, advisory and research activities in the rural sector. Part of this support enables SRUC to deliver the Scottish Government's Veterinary Disease Surveillance Programme. As a private company, SRUC are free to determine how their disease surveillance centres operate provided they can satisfy to the Scottish Government that the objectives of the Veterinary Disease Surveillance Programme are met.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09355 by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2017, whether it will provide a breakdown of the information for offences of (a) possession and (b) possession with intent to supply.
Answer
The requested information is provided in the table titled 'Drug possession convictions by crime, selected drug types and disposal, 2010-11 to 2015-16' which is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 58824).
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 14 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the provision of educational support in mainstream schools.
Answer
The duty to provide education in a mainstream school, unless certain exceptions apply, rests with education authorities. Education authorities must identify, provide and review the additional support that their pupils need to overcome barriers to their learning.
To support this, the Scottish Government has developed, and will shortly publish for consultation, guidance on mainstreaming.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how many people convicted of possessing (a) heroin, (b) cocaine, (c) cannabis, (d) amphetamines, (e) ecstasy and (f) other drugs in each year since 2010-11 received a (i) custodial sentence, (ii) community payback order, including a requirement to carry out a drug treatment programme, (iii) drug treatment and testing order, (iv) fine and (v) other disposal.
Answer
The requested information for the offences of "possession" and "possession with intent to supply" is presented in the following table.
Drug possession convictions by selected drug types1 and disposal, 2010-11 to 2015-16
|
|
Custody
|
Community payback order
|
Drug treatment and testing order
|
Other community sentence
|
Monetary
|
Other
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All drug possession convictions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
1,325
|
14
|
138
|
885
|
3,606
|
1,095
|
7,063
|
|
2011-12
|
1,200
|
443
|
119
|
388
|
3,185
|
994
|
6,329
|
|
2012-13
|
1,020
|
801
|
108
|
108
|
2,780
|
922
|
5,739
|
|
2013-14
|
949
|
849
|
97
|
72
|
3,087
|
941
|
5,995
|
|
2014-15
|
831
|
931
|
79
|
62
|
3,272
|
1,073
|
6,248
|
|
2015-16
|
924
|
945
|
70
|
123
|
3,235
|
1,219
|
6,516
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heroin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
542
|
5
|
99
|
296
|
792
|
385
|
2,119
|
|
2011-12
|
484
|
82
|
71
|
102
|
598
|
354
|
1,691
|
|
2012-13
|
377
|
173
|
64
|
19
|
478
|
286
|
1,397
|
|
2013-14
|
355
|
156
|
65
|
20
|
418
|
215
|
1,229
|
|
2014-15
|
354
|
208
|
50
|
15
|
486
|
249
|
1,362
|
|
2015-16
|
394
|
208
|
52
|
25
|
550
|
310
|
1,539
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cocaine
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
182
|
1
|
2
|
111
|
915
|
79
|
1,290
|
|
2011-12
|
181
|
68
|
5
|
54
|
851
|
88
|
1,247
|
|
2012-13
|
196
|
125
|
4
|
27
|
853
|
95
|
1,300
|
|
2013-14
|
174
|
142
|
3
|
14
|
920
|
91
|
1,344
|
|
2014-15
|
141
|
164
|
7
|
6
|
1,016
|
111
|
1,445
|
|
2015-16
|
160
|
177
|
4
|
20
|
949
|
116
|
1,426
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cannabis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
176
|
1
|
8
|
186
|
1,043
|
266
|
1,680
|
|
2011-12
|
170
|
131
|
6
|
100
|
848
|
235
|
1,490
|
|
2012-13
|
182
|
215
|
3
|
25
|
697
|
241
|
1,363
|
|
2013-14
|
193
|
305
|
8
|
20
|
1,006
|
341
|
1,873
|
|
2014-15
|
133
|
318
|
6
|
19
|
982
|
417
|
1,875
|
|
2015-16
|
167
|
328
|
1
|
43
|
1,026
|
484
|
2,049
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
37
|
1
|
2
|
44
|
112
|
30
|
226
|
|
2011-12
|
46
|
8
|
3
|
20
|
85
|
23
|
185
|
|
2012-13
|
41
|
19
|
3
|
10
|
53
|
19
|
145
|
|
2013-14
|
41
|
34
|
1
|
2
|
74
|
14
|
166
|
|
2014-15
|
34
|
44
|
2
|
2
|
84
|
15
|
181
|
|
2015-16
|
41
|
29
|
1
|
7
|
82
|
26
|
186
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ecstasy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
15
|
74
|
16
|
109
|
|
2011-12
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
6
|
141
|
16
|
173
|
|
2012-13
|
11
|
21
|
1
|
2
|
136
|
17
|
188
|
|
2013-14
|
12
|
28
|
-
|
2
|
161
|
40
|
243
|
|
2014-15
|
17
|
36
|
-
|
4
|
190
|
19
|
266
|
|
2015-16
|
16
|
39
|
-
|
5
|
190
|
37
|
287
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010-11
|
384
|
6
|
27
|
233
|
670
|
319
|
1,639
|
|
2011-12
|
314
|
149
|
34
|
106
|
662
|
278
|
1,543
|
|
2012-13
|
213
|
248
|
33
|
25
|
563
|
264
|
1,346
|
|
2013-14
|
174
|
184
|
20
|
14
|
508
|
240
|
1,140
|
|
2014-15
|
152
|
161
|
14
|
16
|
514
|
262
|
1,119
|
|
2015-16
|
146
|
164
|
12
|
23
|
438
|
246
|
1,029
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Criminal Proceedings database
|
|
|
|
|
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the length of custodial sentences by drug type in each year since 2010-11.
Answer
The following table presents the average custodial sentences for all drug offences by the type of drug involved. This includes the offences of "illegal importation of drugs", "production, manufacture or cultivation of drugs", "possession with intent to supply drugs", "possession", "drugs, money laundering relating offences" and "bringing drugs into prison".
Average custodial sentence (days) for drugs offences by type of drug, 2010-11 to 2015-16
|
|
2010-11
|
2011-12
|
2012-13
|
2013-14
|
2014-15
|
2015-16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All drug offences
|
575
|
542
|
578
|
604
|
517
|
476
|
|
Heroin
|
496
|
523
|
641
|
678
|
571
|
539
|
|
Cocaine
|
781
|
789
|
834
|
796
|
676
|
602
|
|
Cannabis
|
531
|
503
|
427
|
485
|
458
|
389
|
|
Amphetamines
|
442
|
495
|
610
|
865
|
514
|
439
|
|
Ecstasy
|
372
|
273
|
622
|
578
|
477
|
366
|
|
Other drugs
|
632
|
475
|
420
|
411
|
343
|
344
|
Source: Criminal proceedings database
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce the first pilot schemes for the management of the seabed.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2017
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to deliver inclusive growth for Orkney.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2017
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what performance indicators have been implemented to measure the efficiency of courts since the publication of the Audit Scotland report, Efficiency of prosecuting criminal cases though the sheriff courts.
Answer
As a result of the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report to which the question refers, the Scottish Government publishes, on a monthly basis, a measurement of the average sheriff court summary waiting period, which is the time between a plea of not guilty being recorded and the first trial diet in a summary case. Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service has a target of 16 weeks for this period, which it is presently meeting on a national basis.
This information, together with other additional statistical information about the performance of the summary criminal justice system, is available at
http://www.gov.scot/About/public-bodies/SheriffdomCriminalJusticeBoards/SummaryCriminalJusticePerformanceStatistics
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence given by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to the Justice Committee on 10 January 2017 (Official Report, c. 30), whether the Inspectorate of Prosecutions for Scotland is considering introducing alternative approaches to staffing and, if so, what external advice it has (a) commissioned and (b) received.
Answer
Both the Scottish Government and the Inspectorate of Prosecution will reply formally to the recommendations within the Justice Committee’s recent report on its Inquiry into the role and purpose of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, published on 25 April, including with reference to the staffing of the Inspectorate.
The Inspectorate currently employs a permanent business Inspector from the Scottish Government and has previously recruited associate inspectors from different backgrounds where the subject matter of the inspection programme warrants different skill sets. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector has confirmed that she takes account of future programmes of inspection when recruiting inspectors to ensure that the Inspectorate has the requisite skills for that programme.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage criminal defence lawyers to use video-conferencing technology when dealing with clients who are (a) serving a custodial sentence and (b) being held on remand.
Answer
Action is being taken to increase up-take of video-conferencing including piloting the video-links system with advocates. Visits to Polmont and Barlinnie prisons are planned to engage with solicitors attending the prisons to provide information on the benefits of the video-links system and identify any barriers, perceived or otherwise, to usage. In addition the Video Conferencing Project Board recently met and agreed to some targeted communication activity to promote the use of video-conferencing. 415 Agents to Prisons Video-links were conducted during February to April 2017.
