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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-08313

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies there are for independent prison monitors.

Question reference: S5W-08316

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of prison monitoring visits have been carried out as part of a pre-arranged rota.

Question reference: S5W-08312

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many independent prison monitors are in post.

Question reference: S5W-08319

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Independent Prison Monitoring Advisory Group has met.

Question reference: S5W-08314

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the average frequency of monitoring visits per prison is by (a) independent prison monitors and (b) prison monitoring coordinators.

HMP Open Estate – 1.09 per week

HMP Glenochil – 1.3 per week

HMP and YOI Grampian – 1 per week

HMP Inverness – 1.07 per week

HMP Perth – 1.14 per week

HMP Addiewell – 1.17 per week

HMP and YOI Cornton Vale – 1.14 per week

HMP Edinburgh – 1.20 per week

HMP and YOI Polmont – 1.09 per week

HMP Shotts – 1.20 per week

HMP Barlinnie – 1.37 per week

HMP Low Moss – 1.17 per week

HMP Kilmarnock – 1.20 per week

HMP Greenock – 1.29 per week

HMP Dumfries – 1.04 per week

Rota visits were carried out by Prison Monitoring Co-ordinators at a frequency of one a month or less up to 30 December 2016:

Question reference: S5W-08321

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how visits by independent prison monitors are publicised to prisoners.

Neither prisons nor prisoners are routinely made aware of the times and dates that Independent Prison Monitors will be attending prisons. Prisoners are informed of the following through information about monitoring at Induction, in leaflets and in posters:

IPMs attend prisons every week.

Prisoners can ask to see an Independent Prison Monitor by:

Calling the Freephone number

Putting a request form in the request box

Direct approach

Question reference: S5W-08315

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much independent prison monitoring cost in its first year of operation.

Question reference: S5W-08296

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) publish a record of all phone calls, (b) release all (i) written and (ii) electronic correspondence and (c) publish details of all meetings, including all formal and informal minutes and notes, between ministers and (A) the Scottish Police Federation and (B) other police staff representative bodies regarding the proposed merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-08304

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) publish a record of all phone calls, (b) release all (i) written and (ii) electronic correspondence and (c) publish details of all meetings, including all formal and informal minutes and notes, between ministers and (A) Police Scotland and (B) the Scottish Police Authority regarding the proposed merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-08288

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) publish a record of all phone calls, (b) release all (i) written and (ii) electronic correspondence and (c) publish details of all meetings, including all formal and informal minutes and notes, between ministers and rail operators regarding the proposed merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with a range of stakeholders regarding the integration of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland. Details of Ministerial meetings and correspondence have previously been released under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act and are available on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Justice/policies/police-fire-rescue/police-scotland/BTP/FoIResponses

The Scottish Government has also published responses to a 2016 consultation on this subject, which include those from a wide range of relevant stakeholders. There are no plans to publish minutes or notes of relevant Ministerial meetings.