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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: S5W-07934

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of unpaid fixed penalties have resulted in a court case, in each year since 2010.

Question reference: S5W-08034

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report from Plantlife, We need to talk about nitrogen, which suggests that, because of air pollution, one third of flowering plants is under threat, and whether it will introduce measures to help build the plants' resilience.

The Scottish Government notes the conclusions of the report and recognises the impact air pollution can have on the natural environment. The sensitivity of individual plant species to nitrogen pollution is variable and the critical loading is not known for all species.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is currently undertaking a project, in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage and others, to gain a better understanding of the contributions from different sources of air pollution to enable us to develop a more strategic approach to minimising the impacts of air pollution on sensitive habitats.

Question reference: S5W-07809

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in developing its Circular Economy and Zero Waste Bill; what issues it has explored; what stakeholders have been engaged, and what the timeline is for its introduction.

We will work closely with business, industry and other stakeholders to develop ideas and proposals for the Bill during the course of 2017. As set out in the Programme for Government 2016-7, we intend to introduce the Bill in the second half of the parliamentary session.

The Bill will build on the priorities set out in our circular economy strategy 'Making Things Last' which identifies the areas in which we can make the biggest impact.

Question reference: S5W-07966

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of (i) male and (ii) female prisoners who began serving a prison sentence of less than 12 months in each year since 2010 had dependant children.

Question reference: S5W-07970

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-07139 by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2017, what the timeline is for (a) the process of identifying the sites, (b) community consultation and (c) providing an update on this matter.

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

The timeline will be dependent on the availability of suitable sites and planning permission being obtained. Community consultation will also form part of the planning process.

The SPS is currently working towards timescales to achieve the opening of community custody units from 2019 onwards and an update will be provided once the sites have been identified.

Question reference: S5W-07794

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service in relation to how much money it expects to save through the implementation of the digital case management process, and when it expects this to be implemented.

Question reference: S5W-07793

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) financial support, (b) expert assistance and (c) guidance it will provide to assist the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service with its expanded use of technology in pre-trial procedures in summary criminal proceedings.

Question reference: S5W-07792

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases it expects the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service will process through the digital case management process in (a) its first 12 months and (b) subsequent years.

The Scottish Government welcomes the recent publication of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) report “Evidence and Procedure Review: A New Model for Summary Criminal Procedure”, which outlines a model underpinned by a digital case management process. We have been working with the senior judiciary, courts, Crown, and other key partners to consider the recommendations made in the earlier Evidence and Procedure Review and we welcome this paper as the next step in that process. The SCTS report makes a case for change and puts forward ambitious and far-reaching proposals for a new, modernised summary criminal court procedure. Further work is needed to evaluate and develop these proposals before decisions are taken about implementation.

To inform policy development SCTS is planning a programme of public consultation events in relation to the report during spring 2017. SCTS will evaluate the evidence on whether the propositions outlined in the paper are viable, assess the business, resourcing, financial and technological impacts, and what further analysis is necessary to help shape the way forward. Following this further development work SCTS will report back to the Justice Board with recommendations.

Question reference: S5W-07910

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the modern apprentices hired by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) each year completed their apprenticeship, and how many were subsequently hired by the SPS on a (a) part- and (b) full-time basis.

Question reference: S5W-07912

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprentices have been hired by Scottish Prison Service each year, and what the annual cost has been.

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

The SPS does not currently employ modern apprentices. This is because the Civil Service Recruitment Principles determine that appointments to the Civil Service, including apprentices, must be made on the basis of fair and open competition. Modern apprenticeships have an age criteria, therefore competition for these apprenticeships would not be deemed fair and open.

The SPS does however appoint staff who may, as part of their initial training, undertake an apprenticeship award but such employees are not deemed to be modern apprentices. In each year since 2013, 10 individuals have been recruited to the Estates function under this initiative.

To build on existing apprenticeship routes, SPS is currently working with Skills Development Scotland, to examine how apprenticeships can legitimately be part of our recruitment strategy to appoint apprentices to schemes that support Scottish Government targets and remain compliant with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.