- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 December 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to (a) ensure that private COVID-19 test providers on its approved supplier list are legitimate businesses, (b) conduct regular due diligence of and review of the regulations that govern the private providers on its approved supplier list, (c) remove private suppliers from its approved supplier list if they do not fulfil their contractual obligations, and (d) inform customers on how to report unscrupulous private providers that do not provide PCR tests within the two-day required time period.
Answer
The list of private providers is owned by the UK Government. All providers included on the list must complete or be working towards full United Kingdom Accreditation Service accreditation. If a provider does not complete this or fails the accreditation then they are removed from the list.
Officials continue to work with UK Government to monitor performance of private tests providers. This is done at the private testing provider working group with the Department of Health and Social Care and the devolved administrations, which meet every 2 weeks.
The providers have various standards to meet, which are defined in our regulations and the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are set on turnaround times, customer service and sequencing requirements. Any provider not achieving these standards or engaging in unethical practices are removed from the list.
If individuals are having or have had an issue with a private test provider, they should first report this back to the provider. If they are not satisfied with this then they can submit a complaint here: https://enquiries.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/s/enquiries where the complaint will be investigated.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10494 by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 August 2017, which of the 42 formal flood protection schemes or engineering works are (a) under construction and (b) at the planning or other stage of development, broken down by (i) the expected completion date, including the reason for any date being beyond 2021, (ii) the number of properties that will be protected and (iii) the (A) initial forecast and (B) final expected cost of each.
Answer
The 2015 - 2021 Flood Risk Management Strategies included 42 formal flood protection schemes. Local authorities are expected to start work on development of these schemes by 2021. However as flood protection schemes can have significant impacts on individuals, communities and the environment, and so require careful and detailed planning and consultation, it is recognised that construction work may not be completed within the 2015-2021 timeframe.
Schemes (a) under construction are as follows:
Scheme | (ii) Properties protected | (i) Completion Date | (iii A) Initial cost (£ million) (1) | ( iii B) Estimated final cost (£ million) (2) |
Broughty Ferry | 450 | 2022 | 10.0 | 16.3 |
Upper Garnock | 600 | 2022 | 15.5 | 18.5 |
Kirkintilloch - Park Burn | 70 | Not held | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Hawick | 970 | 2023 | 37.4 | 78.6 |
Drumnadrochit | 24 | Not held | 3.4 | 5.7 |
Stonehaven | 376 | 2023 | 19.9 | 27.5 |
Schemes (b) under development are as follows:
Scheme | Stage | (ii) Properties protected | (iii A) Initial cost (£ million) (1) | ( iii B) Estimated Final Cost of Scheme (2) |
Kilmacolm – Glenmosston Burn | Confirmed (3) | Not held | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Comrie | Confirmed (3) | 200 | 15.7 | 28.4 |
Millport Coastal | Confirmed (3) | 657 | 12.1 | 27.5 |
Campbeltown | Confirmed (3) | 770 | 9.3 | 10.6 |
Arbroath | Confirmed (3) | 530 | 11.4 | 13.5 |
Caol and Lochyside | Confirmed (3) | 296 | 8.4 | 15.7 |
Dumbarton - Gruggies Burn | Confirmed (3) | 370 | 14.5 | 20.0 |
Quarrier’s Village | Confirmed (3) | 60 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
Dumfries - Whitesands | Confirmed (3) | 166 | 18.9 | 30.8 |
Water of Leith (Coltbridge, Gorgie, Saughton) Phase 3 | Confirmed (3) | 75 | Not held | Not held |
Mill Burn Millport | Confirmed (3) | 124 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
Grangemouth FPS | Under development | 2980 | 111.5 | 420 (4) |
St Andrews - Kinness Burn | Under development | 133 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
Musselburgh | Under development | 2500 | 8.9 | 42.1 |
South Fords | Under development | 58 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
Milnathort | Under development | 79 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
Stranraer | Under development | 350 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
Langholm | Under development | 200 | 2.0 | 9.9 |
Newton Stewart/ River Cree | Under development | 270 | 7.5 | 12.5 |
South Kinross | Under development | Not held | 3.2 | 3.8 |
Scone | Under development | 44 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
Bridge of Allan | Under development | Not held | 4.4 | 5.8 |
Haddington | Under development | 320 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
Stirling | Under development | 810 | 26.2 | 42.6 |
Callander | Under development | 30 | 2.4 | 4.7 |
(1) Note: Initial costs as provided by local authorities in 2016-17.
(2) Note: Final Scheme costs are the latest estimates provided by local authorities. Differences between these latest estimates and initial cost estimates arise because flood protection schemes are put forward for prioritisation at various stages of their development to fit with Flood Risk Management Planning cycle set out in the FRM Act. Costs are revised over time as designs are finalised and more detailed investigations are carried out (e.g. site investigation, utility investigation, hydraulic modelling), and as new information emerges (e.g. new flood mapping, climate projections, new source of risk, landownership challenges). Outcomes from community engagement and changes to price and supply of materials may also require revisions to cost estimates.
Schemes will only be taken forward for construction if they receive the necessary statutory and regulatory approvals (e.g. Confirmation under the FRM Act (2009), Planning Permission, Licensing under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) Regulations (2011)) so the expected completion date is not yet known.
More detailed information on each of the schemes can be obtained from the relevant Local Authorities whose responsibility it is to develop and deliver flood protection schemes and who are best placed to answer specific questions on each of the schemes.
The Scottish Government guarantees £42m a year to flood risk management through the general capital grant and has committed to an additional £150 m over the next 5 years. This is a 70% increase to the flood risk management budget.
Local Authorities may also provide additional funding from their own budgets or seek funding from other sources, for example the private sector.
(3) Note: Formally confirmed under Flood Risk Management Act (2009).
(4) Note: The reasons for cost variations set out in Note 2 also apply to Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme. The presence of critical national infrastructure (port, refinery and fuel distribution) and the scale of the overall project (27km of defences) means that the variation may be larger than other flood protection schemes.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government by what date the phone number provided on the COVID-19 passport exemption form will be live, so that disabled people who are unable to have a COVID-19 vaccine can request an exemption certificate.
Answer
Vaccination is the best way to keep you, your friends, family, and community safe and we encourage everyone to consider getting the vaccine.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice changed on 15 November 2021. In the vast majority of cases a successful route to safe vaccination can now be found, a disability would not necessarily mean that an individual cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
It is exceptionally rare to withhold vaccination, however, if vaccination is not straightforward support is available to help people achieve the benefits of protection from the Covid-19 vaccines. Local vaccination centres can help answer questions about the vaccine and can advise what arrangements may be put in place to enable safe vaccination.
In the rare cases where that support is provided and does not lead to vaccination then this will result in the person being identified as either able to safely receive the vaccine but decides not to do so and in this circumstance they will not be eligible for a medical exemption certificate; or they will be identified as clinically unable to safely receive the vaccine and in which case they will receive a secure paper exemption certificate in the post. All vaccine status certificates, including medical exemptions certificates, are time limited.
Further information on COVID-19 Status Certificates and about medical exemptions from them is available from NHS Inform , the COVID Status Helpline on 0808 196 8565 , or local vaccination centres.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10494 by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 August 2017, which of the 42 formal flood protection schemes or engineering works have been completed, broken down by (a) the number of properties being protected, (b) the completion date and (c) the (i) initial forecast and (ii) final cost of each.
Answer
The following formal flood protection schemes are complete.
Scheme | (a) Properties Protected | (b) Completion Date | (c)(i) Initial Cost (£ million) (1) | (c) (ii) Estimated Final Cost (£ million) (2) |
Huntly | 63 | 2017 | 4.9 | 3.8 |
Newmill | 18 | 2017 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
Dundee | 200 | 2018 | 6.2 | 6.9 |
Kirkwall | 750 | 2018 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
White Cart Water Phase 3 | 100 | 2019 | 5.9 | 7.2 |
Camlachie Burn | 410 | 2019 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
Smithton and Culloden | 129 | 2021 | 15.2 | 13.0 |
Bouvrie Burn | Not held | 2020 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Broxburn (Liggat Syke) Phase 1 | Not held | P1 2019 | Not held | Not held |
New Cumnock Phase 1 Complete Phase 2 Under construction | 95 | P1 2018 P2 July 2022 | 3.3 | 7.3 |
(1) Note: Initial costs as provided by local authorities in 2016-17.
(2) Note: Final Scheme costs are the latest estimates provided by local authorities. Differences between these latest estimates and initial cost estimates arise because flood protection schemes are put forward for prioritisation at various stages of their development to fit with Flood Risk Management Planning cycle set out in the FRM Act. Costs are revised over time as designs are finalised and more detailed investigations are carried out (e.g. site investigation, utility investigation, hydraulic modelling), and as new information emerges (e.g. new flood mapping, climate projections, new source of risk, landownership challenges). Outcomes from community engagement and changes to price and supply of materials may also require revisions to cost estimates.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 December 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 23 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, during court proceedings on (a) divorce and (b) child custody or arrangement cases, whether one party can be punished for making false accusations about the other party, and, if not, whether it will review existing legislation to enforce punishment should any accusation be found to be false.
Answer
The Scottish Government is not able to provide legal advice. However, the making of a false statement on oath may involve the common law offence of perjury or a contravention of a statutory offence under section 44 of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 .
Conducting proceedings in a manner amounting to an abuse of process may also involve contempt of court and result in the person responsible incurring a penalty. There is provision on penalties for contempt of court in section 15 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981.
The Scottish Government does not intend to review existing legislation in this area at the present time.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water will provide compensation for customers who were without supply as a consequence of Storm Arwen.
Answer
Storm Arwen was one of the most significant weather events we have experienced in decades and, unfortunately, the impact of Storm Arwen on Scottish Water’s infrastructure was very significant and widespread due to the loss of normal power supply to a substantial number of their sites as well as challenging conditions which caused delays and difficulty accessing some areas. Scottish Water worked round the clock to prepare for the storm, to restore water supplies and to support customers impacted by the storm.
Scottish Water has confirmed that they have issued apology letters, which include an offer of compensation, to those customers who had their water supply interrupted for greater than 24 hours. The payments being offered vary depending on how long a property was without water. They have also asked for feedback from these customers on the service provided during storm Arwen with a view to learning from this event and supporting future emergency responses.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when it will place oil and gas workers returning from Angola, who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a negative PCR test, on the quarantine exemption list, in line with the rest of the UK, and whether it will do this in time for the Christmas holiday season.
Answer
The COVID(O) committee met on 14 December (attended by myself, and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer) and all 4 nations agreed to remove all 11 nations (including Angola) from the red list. This came into effect from 0400 on Wednesday, 15 December. Thus there is no requirement for an exemption being arranged
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government which (a) companies and (b) sectors have taken on the largest numbers of modern apprentices in each month since April 2019.
Answer
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has operational responsibility for our Modern Apprenticeship (MA) programme. Official MA statistics are published quarterly by SDS, including the number of starts, however a breakdown by month is not available.
The total number of MAs recruited by each occupational grouping is published at the end of each year, as recruitment of apprentices is carried out throughout the year. The MA 202-/22 Q4 (Year End) statistics are expected to be published in May 2022.
There are a large number of Small and Medium Enterprise businesses who take on smaller numbers of cohorts each year. The table below shows the top three employers who have recruited the largest number of MAs each year since 2019 and the volume of MA starts each year:
2019-20 | 2020-21 | Q2 2021-22 |
Arnold Clark – 402 | KFC – 154 | KFC - 159 |
Asda Stores – 219 | BT – 102 | BT - 141 |
BT - 214 | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - 85 | City of Edinburgh Council - 134 |
The top two occupational groupings over the last three years have consistently been Construction and Sport, Health and Social Care. Prior to the pandemic, Hospitality & Tourism had the third highest level of starts but this has been overtaken by IT & Other Services.
The MA quarterly starts numbers are cumulative, the Q4 statistics are year-end. The tables below show MA starts each quarter since 2019, broken down by occupational grouping:
Occupational Groupings | 2019-20 Q1 | 2019-20 Q2 | 2019-20 Q3 | 2019-20 Q4 |
Administration & Related | 236 | 714 | 1170 | 1558 |
Animal Care, Land & Water Based | 11 | 101 | 197 | 238 |
Automotive | 92 | 613 | 925 | 1159 |
Chemicals & Biotechnology Related | 6 | 10 | 30 | 31 |
Construction & Related | 691 | 3737 | 5221 | 6417 |
Creative & Cultural Skills | 15 | 75 | 101 | 161 |
Engineering & Energy Related | 61 | 1031 | 1463 | 1604 |
Financial Services | 114 | 347 | 521 | 663 |
Food & Drink | 280 | 574 | 927 | 1217 |
Hospitality & Tourism | 472 | 1077 | 1692 | 2388 |
Management | 133 | 276 | 457 | 723 |
Other Manufacture | 29 | 62 | 97 | 152 |
IT & Other Services | 442 | 1038 | 1684 | 2352 |
Personal Services | 83 | 242 | 416 | 606 |
Retail & Customer Service | 369 | 819 | 1325 | 1708 |
Sport, Health & Social Care | 1031 | 2387 | 3994 | 5446 |
Transport & Logistics | 271 | 616 | 1020 | 1452 |
| | | Annual Total | 27875 |
Occupational Groupings | 2020-21 Q1 | 2020-21 Q2 | 2020-21 Q3 | 2020-21 Q4 |
Administration & Related | 28 | 93 | 253 | 581 |
Animal Care, Land & Water Based | * | 16 | 62 | 164 |
Automotive | * | 51 | 260 | 510 |
Chemicals & Biotechnology Related | - | - | 19 | 41 |
Construction & Related | 236 | 843 | 3057 | 5033 |
Creative & Cultural Skills | * | 8 | 17 | 52 |
Engineering & Energy Related | 5 | 215 | 733 | 1074 |
Financial Services | 32 | 82 | 147 | 268 |
Food & Drink | 6 | 208 | 472 | 846 |
Hospitality & Tourism | 5 | 176 | 633 | 904 |
Management | 27 | 121 | 303 | 531 |
Other Manufacture | * | 5 | 19 | 74 |
IT & Other Services | 319 | 629 | 1028 | 1783 |
Personal Services | - | 50 | 195 | 284 |
Retail & Customer Service | 7 | 69 | 288 | 520 |
Sport, Health & Social Care | 224 | 934 | 2584 | 4880 |
Transport & Logistics | 14 | 133 | 534 | 1110 |
| | | Annual Total | 18655 |
Occupational Groupings | 2021/22 Q1 | 2021/22 Q2 |
Administration & Related | 133 | 416 |
Animal Care, Land & Water Based | 14 | 85 |
Automotive | 51 | 351 |
Chemicals & Biotechnology Related | 6 | 18 |
Construction & Related | 675 | 2702 |
Creative & Cultural Skills | 7 | 24 |
Engineering & Energy Related | 48 | 748 |
Financial Services | 42 | 168 |
Food & Drink | 145 | 445 |
Hospitality & Tourism | 202 | 572 |
Management | 91 | 237 |
Other Manufacture | 16 | 52 |
IT & Other Services | 568 | 1524 |
Personal Services | 114 | 311 |
Retail & Customer Service | 183 | 396 |
Sport, Health & Social Care | 786 | 2237 |
Transport & Logistics | 309 | 773 |
Multiple Occupational Groups | 12 | 45 |
| Total at end of Q2 2021-22 | 11104 |
(Note: Starts have been marked with “*” where figures are less than 5 or where such small numbers can be identified through differencing.)
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04030 by Graeme Dey on 17 November 2021, whether it will provide the data that is illustrated in the regular feedback from Border Force that “has suggested that Scotland sees a higher number of seafarers travelling in and out of the country compared to other parts of the UK.”
Answer
Detailed data on the use of exemptions at a UK level is held by the Home Office and we are therefore unable to publically share this for other parts of the UK. However, we are able to confirm that in Scotland in the period between 26 November - 13 December there were a total of 217 people entering managed isolation after arriving from a red list country. In that same period, 123 seafarers have come to Scotland from red list countries using the seafarer exemption. This is a disproportionate number of travellers compared to the total entering managed isolation, which they are exempt from thanks to the sectoral exemption.
We continue to review our international travel restrictions and associated exemptions and health measures and will consider appropriate changes where clinical and scientific advice allow it. With the recent removal of the countries from the red list, we expect the vast majority of seafarers to be covered under the inbound vaccinated traveller scheme for the purposes of travel to Scotland for non-work related purposes.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33611 by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2020, whether it will provide the information for (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22 to date regarding the number of offences recorded by Police Scotland under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.
Answer
Information on the number of offences recorded by Police Scotland under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 is provided in the following table.
Table 1. Offences of Protection of livestock from dogs, by local authority, 2012-13 to November 2021.
| 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | April-Nov 2021* |
Aberdeen City | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Aberdeenshire | 24 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 6 |
Angus | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
Argyll & Bute | 11 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 8 |
Clackmannanshire | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 5 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 21 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 16 |
Dundee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
East Ayrshire | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
East Dunbartonshire | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
East Lothian | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
East Renfrewshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Edinburgh City | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
Falkirk | 8 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Fife | 9 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
Glasgow City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Highland | 15 | 10 | 15 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 16 | 8 |
Inverclyde | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Midlothian | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 2 |
Moray | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | 7 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
North Ayrshire | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
North Lanarkshire | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 2 |
Orkney Islands | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Perth & Kinross | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
Renfrewshire | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Scottish Borders | 4 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 13 | 9 |
Shetland Islands | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
South Ayrshire | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
South Lanarkshire | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 2 |
Stirling | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 8 |
West Dunbartonshire | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
West Lothian | 3 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
Scotland | 125 | 98 | 109 | 174 | 175 | 170 | 168 | 151 | 163 | 103 |
Note:
* Data for 2012-13 to 2020-21 inclusive is sourced from the annual Recorded Crime in Scotland National Statistics. Data for April to November 2021 does not cover a full year and is sourced from monthly Recorded Crime in Scotland Official Statistics, and is therefore not directly comparable. The full 2021-22 reporting year will be published in 2022.