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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: S6W-20401

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been distributed through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme for energy efficiency measures in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-20402

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been distributed through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme for secondary improvements in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-20482

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 30 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to create a specific Deaths in Custody unit within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Question reference: S6W-20490

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it (a) can take and (b) is taking to secure the reclassification of naloxone through the amendment of the Medicines Act 1968.

The Medicines Act 1986 is governed by the UK Parliament. This means that any legislative changes in relation to the act are fully reserved to the UK Government and its ministers.

However, continuing the work done to make naloxone more widely available during the COVID-19 pandemic, Scottish Government officials are engaged with both COPFS and colleagues in the UK Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to ensure that those changes remain in place in Scotland. Following the 2021 consultation carried out by the UK Government into expanding the access to naloxone, Scottish Government officials are working with UK Government colleagues to push for amendments in current legislation at a UK level to ensure those changes introduced in Scotland are made permanent.

Question reference: S6W-20485

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland or Public Health Scotland have been asked to provide any additional information to it on its proposals for safe drug consumption facilities.

The proposal currently with COPFS officials was developed by Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) not the Scottish Government

Police Scotland have been involved in discussions about the establishment of a safer drug consumption facilities (SDCF) for a number of years, since Glasgow HSCP first proposed establishing one.

The Lord Advocate, in a statement to the Justice Committee in November 2021, was clear that any new proposal for an SDCF would, before it could be brought to the Lord Advocate, need to be, amongst other things, supported by those who would be responsible for policing such a facility, and by Police Scotland Official Report (parliament.scot) .

The initial proposal that was submitted to COPFS officials in June 2022 included a paper from Police Scotland. Scottish Government officials understand that COPFS and Police Scotland officials have had further discussions since then.

Public Health Scotland were not involved in discussions around the current proposal for an SDCF.

Question reference: S6W-20484

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which organisations had input into its proposal for safe drug consumption facilities that was sent to the Lord Advocate.

Question reference: S6W-20486

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether its proposals for safe drug consumption facilities include further facilities outside the one proposed for Glasgow.

The Lord Advocate provided specific parameters, which were set out in a statement on 3 November 2021, it stipulated in order for a new proposal to be considered it would need to be precise, detailed and specific, which was underpinned by evidence and supported by those who would be responsible for policing such a facility, and by Police Scotland.

The current proposal, as developed by Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership, is only for a site within Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-20483

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it sent its proposal for safe drug consumption facilities to the Lord Advocate.

Question reference: S6W-20488

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to expand access to drug paraphernalia within a harm reduction framework.

Further to the recommendation of the Drug Death Taskforce we are continuing to work with the UK Government and other devolved administrations regarding the expansion of access to drug paraphernalia.

This includes the provision of smoking inhalation devices which have been seen as an essential harm reduction tool for those smoking crack cocaine. The distribution of these devices would require an amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. As this legislation is reserved, such an amendment is not within the competence of the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-20487

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to investigate the legal framework required for a network of drug testing facilities.

The current legal framework for Drug Checking facilities comes under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and an amendment to the act in relation to ‘Controlled Drugs’ which provides authorisation via the use of a license. The license can be applied for through the UK Home Office.

Scottish Government Officials will continue to work with Home Office colleagues as license applications from the proposed pilot cities progress. Police Scotland have also been involved in this work, alongside Crown Office.