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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.

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Question reference: S5W-08269

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on making the electric vehicle charge point scheme, Charge Place Scotland, a free service when its network experiences problems, and what assessment it has made of what the cost of this would be.

Question reference: S5W-08188

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding in the report, HMP Kilmarnock Full Inspection 7-18 November 2016, that “there were no HMP Kilmarnock staff appointed or funded to be Throughcare Support Officers”, and what discussions it has had with the Scottish Prison Service regarding this.

Question reference: S5W-08186

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were homeless (a) when entering and (b) on release from prison in each year since 2010.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service does not hold this information.

Scottish Government’s Homelessness statistics show that the number of people leaving prison and completing homeless applications has reduced by 13% over the last 5 years. SPS’ Prisoner Survey (2015) showed that 29% of respondents did not know where they would be living on release. This compares to 35% in 2011.

Question reference: S5W-08187

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many throughcare support officers there have been in each prison in each year since 2010.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The following table shows the staffing complement of throughcare support officers (TSOs) in each prison since their introduction in 2012.

Establishment	2012	2013	2014	2014 (Area Manager)
Addiewell
Barlinnie		1.00	6.00
Cornton Vale		2.00	4.00
Dumfries		2.00	2.00
Edinburgh			5.00	1.00
Glenochil			2.00
Grampian			4.00	1.00
Greenock	2.00	2.60	4.00
Inverness			2.00
Kilmarnock
Low Moss	2.70	2.70	5.20	1.00
Open Estate
Perth			4.00
Polmont			3.00
Shotts
TOTAL	4.70	10.30	41.20	3.00

Question reference: S5W-08090

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Audit Scotland report, i6: a review, whether Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority will pursue another contract for a single police IT system and, if so, when the call for procurement will be published, and whether this will be issued in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Question reference: S5W-08087

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-02280 by Michael Matheson on 7 September 2016, in light of the publication of the Audit Scotland report, i6: a review, when it will provide an update on the appointment of an independent review panel for the i6 programme.

Question reference: S5W-08089

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Audit Scotland report, i6: a review, which IT system Police Scotland is now using.

Question reference: S5W-08088

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Audit Scotland report, i6: a review, what the estimated cost to police operations will be in each year up to 2021 of there continuing to be no single police IT system.

Question reference: S5W-08209

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that prisoners across the prison estate have equity of access to care and services, including throughcare support.

Since 2011 the responsibility for the provision of healthcare in prison settings changed from the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to NHS Scotland. NHS standards for health care therefore apply to the provision of care within the prison setting and the Scottish Government expects Health Boards to act appropriately to meet these standards.

Health boards advise that all prisoners in Scotland with sentences of less than six months retain any registration they hold with their community General Practice and are registered as temporary residents with the prison healthcare centre. Prisoners with a sentence of six months or more are registered permanently with the prison health centre. Upon release these prisoners are required to re-register with their community General Practice to ensure continuity of care. The process of re-registration is encouraged and assisted by prison healthcare staff and others involved in the prisoner’s liberation and throughcare planning. Guidance has been issued by Practitioner Services Division, National Services Scotland to General Practices on the re-registration of liberated prisoners.

Question reference: S5W-08185

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, what its response is to the comment in the report, HMP Kilmarnock Full Inspection 7-18 November 2016, that “It was unsatisfactory that prisoners in HMP Kilmarnock were being denied the same level of throughcare support that they would have received if they had been located in a different prison”, and what action the Scottish Prison Service has taken to ensure that prisoners at HMP Kilmarnock can now access the same level of support as elsewhere.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

Whilst HMP Kilmarnock does not employ Throughcare Support Officers (TSOs), throughcare support is offered by TSOs attached to public sector establishments. For example, HMP Barlinnie provides throughcare support for those returning to Glasgow, and HMP Dumfries has provided support to an individual returning to their area. Gap in provision exists in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. Turning Point Scotland work in HMP Kilmarnock with prisoners who will be returning to these areas to offer similar levels of pre and post release support.

The introduction of TSOs in public sector managed prisons was created through the re-aligning of resources and achieving efficiency. SPS did not seek or receive any additional monies. It is entirely open to the contractor to undertake a similar process.