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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-14728

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to advise and support prisons to ensure that they provide appropriate medical treatment when dealing with the use of psychoactive substances, and that prison staff are adequately protected.

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

SPS has issued operational advice to all staff in order to support them to conduct their duties safely when working in any area where any unknown substance is thought to be present. This operational advice sets out guidance on management arrangements, workplace control measures and procedures to be followed by all staff in order to reduce the risk of any potential exposure.

SPS has also established a Working Group, involving key partners, which will explore further options to maintain the health, safety and well-being of all those who live, work and visit our prisons.

Question reference: S5W-14727

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what level of private sector involvement there is in Scottish Police Authority forensic services, and what the reasons are for this.

Question reference: S5W-14736

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress with each stage of the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), including dates for completion.

The first section of the project, at Aberdeen International Airport (between Craibstone and Dyce) opened to traffic on 29 August 2016, with many new junctions and side roads opened throughout 2017. This brought immediate benefits to those travelling to and from the airport. The intention remains to open the project roads in the coming months, in line with the initial timescale announced by Ministers in 2012. Notwithstanding the Carillion announcement, this is a challenging target and will depend upon many factors including favourable weather. We are continuing to work closely with Aberdeen Roads Limited to identify any impacts on project delivery following Carillion’s announcement, however, the contractor is not in a position to provide an exact opening date at this time.

Question reference: S5W-14712

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 27 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter from the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, which called on ministers to take action to reform the personal injury discount rate.

The Scottish Government responded to the letter from the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, which called on ministers to take action to reform the personal injury discount rate, stating that it is refining its policy in light of the responses to the 2017 joint consultation with the UK Government, Personal injury discount rate: how it should be set in future and that it would bring forward a Damages Bill before the end of June 2018.

Question reference: S5W-14711

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 27 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in bringing forward a Damages Bill, which it referred to in its Programme for Government, and whether it remains its position that it plans to amend the law on the personal injury discount rate applying in personal injury litigation.

Question reference: S5O-01814

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to recruit additional staff into early learning and childcare.

Question reference: S5O-01766

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much financial assistance has been given to businesses through the Scottish Growth Scheme, and whether this was in the form of loans, guarantees, equity or another form of assistance.

Question reference: S5O-01746

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 31 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it will engage with local services to implement its social isolation and loneliness strategy.

As I said when I published our draft social isolation strategy A Connected Scotland: Tackling social isolation and loneliness and building stronger social connections on 16 January we are actively organising a number of events – including in the member’s area – to ensure we are engaging with local communities and organisations and enabling them to have their say.

While Government can create the conditions, it is communities themselves that are best placed to tackle these issues and lead on ensuring those at risk of becoming lonely or isolated have access to the right support networks, so I want to hear from them what they need to do that. Local services are a vital part of this work, and I would encourage any organisation with an interest to respond. Following this period of consultation, we will consider carefully how we can practically implement this strategy to make a real difference for people and communities across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-13838

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason no minute was taken of the meeting of 9 November 2017 between the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and the chair of the Scottish Policy Authority.

Scottish Ministers are routinely involved in a range of stakeholder meetings as part of normal Government business. Decisions about whether a record of a meeting is required are a matter of official judgement. On this occasion senior officials were clear that the actions were for the Chair of the Scottish Police Authority to take forward, so no record was taken. A full account was given to Parliament by me on 10 and 24 January, as well as in a follow up letter to the Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee from Paul Johnston, Director General, Education, Communities & Justice. Going forward, the Government is committed to ensuring that appropriate records are kept of meetings between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Police Authority.

Question reference: S5W-13704

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether a business planning exercise was carried out to consider each of the available options regarding how it would oversee the British Transport Police following its functions being devolved and, if so, who carried this out and whether it will publish the findings.

The integration of BTP in Scotland into Police Scotland is the long-standing policy of the Scottish Government. The case for integration was submitted to the Smith Commission in 2014 with subsequent all party agreement for the devolution of railway policing. Ministers set out during Stage 1 evidence on the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill why alternative options to full integration were discounted.