- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to create new formal flood protection schemes, and whether these are part of any future Flood Risk Management Strategies.
Answer
Flood Risk Management Plans for the period 2022-2028 were approved by Scottish Ministers in December 2021 and published by SEPA in January 2022. They coordinate the efforts of all organisations that tackle flooding to where the risk of flooding and benefits of investment are greatest. They state the objectives, as agreed by responsible authorities, for tackling floods in areas at risk of flooding. Actions that will then deliver these objectives are described and prioritised in six-year planning cycles.
The plans contain proposals for a number of new flood protection schemes. Local authorities are now in the process of preparing Local Flood Risk Management Plans (LFRMPs) which are due to be published by the end of December 2022. The LFRMPs will provide more detail on how, and when, the actions set out in the Flood Risk Management Plans for 2022-2028 will be delivered.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05146 by Mairi McAllan on 12 January 2022, which of the 42 formal flood protection schemes or engineering works have been removed from the list of proposed works since January 2022, broken down by the (a) number of properties that were expected to be protected, (b) reason for removal and (c) (i) initial forecast cost of and (ii) amount that was spent on each.
Answer
No further flood protection schemes or engineering works have been removed from the list of the 42 formal flood protection schemes since the answer to question S6W-05146.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the prevention of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) escape incidents.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12543 on 13 December 2022. 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
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve reporting of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) escape incidents.
Answer
We are currently reviewing the F-gas Regulation jointly with the UK and Welsh Governments. We will publish an assessment report on the efficacy of the Regulation in the coming weeks.
Following the report, we will jointly consider policy options to ensure our regulations continue to support our ambitious Net Zero targets. As part of this, we will also consider other important issues including leakage incidents. We expect to publish a joint consultation on these future policy proposals in due course.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether Crown Estate Scotland has powers to issue a Compulsory Purchase Order, and, if this is the case, how these powers can be exercised.
Answer
Crown Estate Scotland does not have powers to issue a Compulsory Purchase Order.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 12 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it will report the findings of its consultation on improving victims' experiences of the justice system.
Answer
The independent analysis of responses to the consultation on improving victims' experiences of the justice system was published on 12 December 2022. The report can be accessed at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805253235 .
Responses to the consultation, where permission to publish them has been given, can be accessed at Improving victims' experiences of the justice system: consultation - Scottish Government - Citizen Space .
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 12 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will accept recommendation 7 of HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland’s report, Inspection of COPFS practice in relation to sections 274 and 275 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.
Answer
The Scottish Government is currently giving consideration to recommendation 7 of the Inspectorate’s report as part of its work on the planned Criminal Justice Reform Bill and proposals in relation to Independent Legal Representation in respect of section 275 applications.
The Bill will look to deliver reforms building on the Scottish Government’s recent consultation on Improving Victims’ Experiences of the Justice System and recommendations from Lady Dorrian’s Review on Improving the Management of Sexual Offence Cases.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 12 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09636 by Keith Brown on 19 July 2022, whether it will provide an update on the findings of the Single Judge Trial Pilot Working Group.
Answer
The Single Judge Rape Trial Pilot Working Group has concluded its consideration of the recommendation of Lady Dorrian’s Review to give further consideration to a time-limited pilot of single judge rape trials. The Working Group’s findings have now been considered and endorsed by the Lady Dorrian Review Governance Group and will be published in December 2022.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 12 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made by the Lord Justice Clerk's Review Governance Group.
Answer
The Lady Dorrian Review Governance Group has met on six occasions since it was established in December 2021 facilitating cross justice sector consideration of the Review's recommendations. The Governance Group established four working groups to conduct detailed consideration of a number of recommendations made by the Review. Three of the working groups have now concluded and their findings have been considered and endorsed by the Governance Group. The findings and recommendations of those working groups will be published in December 2022.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 12 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are to progress the introduction of judge-only trials, and what its proposed timescale is for doing this.
Answer
The proposal for a time-limited pilot of single judge rape trials as recommended by the Lady Dorrian Review continues to be considered. Stakeholders have been engaged through a short life Working Group which brought together partners from across the justice system to give detailed consideration to proposals for implementing any pilot. Broader views on the proposal have also been sought through recent public consultation.
An independent analysis of the consultation responses and the Working Group’s findings will be published in December 2022. This material will be considered along with responses to the earlier consultation on Not Proven and associated reforms. To ensure the package of reforms maintains balance in the system and supports complainers to give their best evidence, the potential reforms will be considered together.