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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-25098

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will establish an independently-chaired group to ensure that police powers allow for the use of technology to make policing more effective and efficient, and when its terms of reference will be set.

On 13 June 2019 I announced to the Scottish Parliament Justice Sub-Committee on Policing my intention to form an independently-chaired reference group to scope the possible legal and ethical issues arising from emerging technological developments in policing. I can confirm that preparatory work is currently being undertaken including consideration of the terms of reference and membership. I will provide an update on progress to the sub-committee in due course.

Question reference: S5W-25104

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has made available for bail supervision.

Local authorities have flexibility to use the ring-fenced funding for Justice Social Work of just over £100 million, which is protected in the 2019-20 budget, for bail supervision. This includes investment of £1.5 million annually since 2015-16 specifically for the development of bail services and early intervention schemes for women.

From April 2019-20, Scottish Government has made available an additional £550,000 per annum (£1.65 million over 3 years) of funding to bolster existing provision for supervised and supported bail as an alternative to the use of remand.

This funding is intended to double capacity for bail supervision services, but take up of this funding with be subject to the use of this alternative to remand by the judiciary.

Question reference: S5W-25102

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the fire service's Youth Engagement Scheme has replaced the Cadet Scheme.

Question reference: S5W-25100

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will invest to upgrade facilities for child witnesses, and over what time period.

At the end of 2018, the Scottish Government committed over two million pounds of capital and associated revenue costs to enable the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to provide new and upgraded state of the art evidence suites to allow children and vulnerable witnesses to give their evidence in criminal trials in a safe, sensitive and secure environment. It is anticipated that the new facilities in Glasgow will be operational from October 2019, in Inverness by March 2020 when the new Justice Centre is due to open, and the upgraded facilities in Edinburgh and Aberdeen by March 2020.

Question reference: S5O-03587

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to initiatives in the north east that aim to tackle climate change.

Question reference: S5W-24882

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the new cancer unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is scheduled to open.

The Project Team are currently reviewing the design specification, assessing logistical arrangements with their supply chain and confirming timelines for the project. That work continues and results are expected shortly.

The Scottish Government remain fully committed to the Baird Family Hospital and The ANCHOR Centre Project and looks forward to the submission of the Full Business Case to the NHS Capital Investment Group when that work is complete.

Question reference: S5W-25056

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has set up a restorative justice stakeholder group and, if so, what its terms of reference are.

Question reference: S5W-24915

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government to which projects it will allocate the remaining £500,000 of its £2 million fund to encourage people to come forward if they have been a victim of domestic or sexual abuse and to support those who do.

Programme for Government 2018 committed the Scottish Government to investing an additional £2 million over the next three years to ensure that support can be provided for victims and survivors of gender based violence. Of this £2 million, Rape Crisis Centres have been allocated additional £1.5 million over 2018-21 to improve access to support and ensure that these services plan for the future. The remainder of the funding will be allocated from the next financial year onwards, and further details will be made available about this in due course.

Question reference: S5W-24912

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 12 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what investment it has made in Scottish Fire and Rescue Service digital technology since September 2018.

The Scottish Government provides the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) with a Capital Budget of £32.5m. It is for the SFRS to decide how that money is spent. In 2018-19 SFRS reported spending £4.255m on IT and Digital and in 2019-20 SFRS has allocated £5.17m.

For 2019-20, the Scottish Government has increased the budget of SFRS by £5.5 million to invest in service transformation. This is in addition to increasing the spending capacity of the service by £15.5 million in 2018-19. We continue to press the UK Government for return of the £50 million paid in VAT since 2013.

Question reference: S5W-24922

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 12 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service cadet scheme will begin operation.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Youth Volunteer Scheme (YVS) will become the first consolidated youth programme which will create opportunities to improve life chances and empower young people to work together for a safer Scotland.

Its main objective is to provide a safe environment in which young people can learn as individuals, develop positive relationships and actively support their community by volunteering and transferring key safety messages including first aid, fire safety, road safety, water safety and home safety.

The scheme will demonstrate various roles within the SFRS increasing capacity for further learning and employability whilst encouraging young people to make positive choices as they emerge into adulthood.

The YVS will engage with a range of young people which reflects the diversity of the local community. 10 schemes will be implemented across Scotland from November 2019 to April 2020.