Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-18139

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to discuss with the UK Government the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre project in Aberdeen Bay and its potential contribution to meeting Scottish and UK renewables targets.

Question reference: S4O-02606

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Sir Ian Wood's recent report on developing Scotland's young workforce, what it is doing to support collaboration between schools and colleges.

Question reference: S4O-02579

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support the development of a major new performance venue in the city as part of a new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Question reference: S4W-17350

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16847 by Keith Brown on 23 September 2013, what cycling projects it has supported in each of the other regional transport partnership areas and how much funding it has provided for these in each year since 2007.

The following grants have been made to local authorities within regional transport partnerships (RTPs) under the Cycling Walking Safer Streets programme:

Grant £millions	2007-8	2008-9	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	RTP Total
Aberdeen City	0.365	0.365	0.365	0.365	0.307	0.252
Aberdeenshire	0.412	0.412	0.412	0.412	0.350	0.286
NESTRANS Total	0.777	0.777	0.777	0.777	0.657	0.538	4.797
Argyll and Bute	0.163	0.163	0.163	0.163	0.129	0.104
Eilean Siar	0.045	0.045	0.045	0.045	0.038	0.030
Highland	0.374	0.374	0.374	0.374	0.317	0.258
Moray	0.154	0.154	0.154	0.154	0.126	0.102
Orkney	0.034	0.034	0.034	0.034	0.029	0.023
HITRANS Total	0.770	0.770	0.770	0.770	0.639	0.517	4.711
Angus	0.191	0.191	0.191	0.191	0.158	0.129
Dundee City	0.249	0.249	0.249	0.249	0.206	0.168
Perth and Kinross	0.247	0.247	0.247	0.247	0.209	0.172
Stirling	0.160	0.160	0.160	0.160	0.127	0.104
TACTRAN Total	0.847	0.847	0.847	0.847	0.700	0.573	5.187
City of Edinburgh	0.818	0.818	0.818	0.818	0.686	0.565
Clackmannanshire	0.086	0.086	0.086	0.086	0.073	0.059
East Lothian	0.170	0.170	0.170	0.170	0.139	0.113
Falkirk	0.267	0.267	0.267	0.267	0.219	0.178
Fife	0.639	0.639	0.639	0.639	0.522	0.424
Midlothian	0.149	0.149	0.149	0.149	0.116	0.094
Scottish Borders	0.196	0.196	0.196	0.196	0.162	0.131
West Lothian	0.303	0.303	0.303	0.303	0.246	0.200
SESTRAN Total	2.628	2.628	2.628	2.628	2.163	1.764	16.062
Grant £millions	2007-8	2008-9	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	RTP Total
East Ayrshire	0.212	0.212	0.212	0.212	0.173	0.140
East Dunbartonshire	0.191	0.191	0.191	0.191	0.150	0.122
East Renfrewshire	0.165	0.165	0.165	0.165	0.128	0.104
Glasgow City	1.021	1.021	1.021	1.021	0.845	0.689
Inverclyde	0.146	0.146	0.146	0.146	0.115	0.093
North Ayrshire	0.241	0.241	0.241	0.241	0.195	0.157
North Lanarkshire	0.579	0.579	0.579	0.579	0.468	0.379
Renfrewshire	0.304	0.304	0.304	0.304	0.244	0.198
South Ayrshire	0.199	0.199	0.199	0.199	0.160	0.130
South Lanarkshire	0.544	0.544	0.544	0.544	0.446	0.362
West Dunbartonshire	0.164	0.164	0.164	0.164	0.130	0.105
SPT Total	3.766	3.766	3.766	3.766	3.054	2.479	22.874
Dumfries and Galloway	0.262	0.262	0.262	0.262	0.213	0.172
SWESTRANS Total	0.262	0.262	0.262	0.262	0.213	0.172	1.591
Shetland	0.040	0.040	0.040	0.040	0.032	0.026
ZETTRANS Total	0.040	0.040	0.040	0.040	0.032	0.026	0.242
TOTAL	9.090	9.090	9.090	9.090	7.458	6.069	55.464

Total Sustrans Scotland funding (broken down by programme and area over page):

Grant £millions	2008-9	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	Total
Sustrans Scotland projects	2.782	1.817	2.001	3.970	5.788	16.358

Details of the individual projects funded would be held by the relevant local authority.

The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) is the statutory regional transport partnership covering Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Orkney, Highland, Moray and most of the Argyll and Bute area (Helensburgh and Lomond is covered by SPT). These figures include Helensburgh and Lomond within

Argyll and Bute Council as it is not possible to separate these projects.

The SPT area comprises of the following council areas: East Dunbartonshire, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire and the Helensburgh and Lomond area of Argyll and Bute. These figures omit the Helensburgh and Lomond area of Argyll and Bute.

Scottish Government funded Sustrans Scotland to deliver the following projects:

Year 2008-9
Local Authority/Partner	School Travel Hard measure Funding awarded (match funded 50% with Local Authorities)	School Travel soft measures Funding awarded	NCN Development Funding awarded (match funded 50% with Local Authorities)	Cycle parking funding awarded	Total
Aberdeen City Council	£40,000.00	£11,000.00			£51,000.00
Aberdeenshire	£40,000.00	£6,170.00	£120,000.00		£166,170.00
Angus Council		£9,681.00	£75,000.00		£84,681.00
Argyll and Bute Council	£100,000.00	£10,500.00	£150,000.00	£23,500.00	£284,000.00
British Waterways Scotland			£87,500.00		£87,500.00
Changing Pace		£17,680.00			£17,680.00
City of Edinburgh Council	£30,000.00	£18,474.00	£100,000.00		£148,474.00
Clackmannanshire Council		£10,920.00	£57,500.00		£68,420.00
Dumfries and Galloway Council	£40,000.00	£14,100.00	£150,000.00	£6,002.00	£210,102.00
Dundee City Council	£40,000.00	£8,000.00		£7,000.00	£55,000.00
East Ayrshire Council		£2,500.00			£2,500.00
East Dunbartonshire Council	£40,000.00	£9,400.00	£88,450.00		£137,850.00
East Lothian Council		£2,180.00	£7,500.00		£9,680.00
East Renfrewshire Council	£25,000.00	£5,250.00			£30,250.00
Edinburgh Greenspace Trust		£10,897.40	£5,000.00		£15,897.40
Falkirk	£40,165.00	£17,263.48			£57,428.48
Fife Council	£100,000.00	£15,603.00	£162,500.00	£10,439.64	£288,542.64
Glasgow	£45,000.00	£7,474.00	£70,000.00	£93,000.00	£215,474.00
Highland Council	£40,000.00	£8,474.50		£7,240.00	£55,714.50
Inverclyde Council		£12,000.00			£12,000.00
Northern STC Partnership		£10,000.00			£10,000.00
Scottish Borders Council		£10,702.00	£20,000.00		£30,702.00
Living Streets					£0.00
Midlothian		£10,998.00	£27,000.00		£37,998.00
Moray Council	£100,000.00	£18,000.00	£15,000.00		£133,000.00
North Ayrshire		£12,600.00	£12,500.00		£25,100.00
North Lanarkshire	£60,000.00	£10,000.00			£70,000.00
Orkney Islands Council	£47,000.00	£10,800.00			£57,800.00
Perth and Kinross Council	£40,000.00	£18,000.00		£16,952.00	£74,952.00
Renfrewshire Council		£8,484.00	£7,500.00		£15,984.00
Shetland Council	£12,025.00	£11,400.00			£23,425.00
South Ayrshire	£11,500.00	£6,000.00	£25,000.00		£42,500.00
South Lanarkshire Council	£40,000.00	£10,000.00			£50,000.00
Stirling Council	£15,000.00	£11,000.00	£66,500.00		£92,500.00
TACTRAN			£25,000.00		£25,000.00
West Dunbartonshire Council	£20,000.00	£10,700.00			£30,700.00
West Lothian Council	£40,000.00	£11,000.00			£51,000.00
Western Isles		£0.00	£12,500.00		£12,500.00

Subtotal	£965,690.00	£367,251.38	£1,284,450.00	£164,133.64	£2,781,525.02
Year 2009-10
Local Authority/Partner	School Travel Hard measure Funding awarded	School Travel soft measures Funding awarded	NCN Development Funding awarded	Cycle parking funding awarded	Total
Aberdeen City Council		£9,500.00		£22,450.00	£31,950.00
Aberdeenshire		£6,000.00			£6,000.00
Angus Council		£2,700.00			£2,700.00
Argyll and Bute Council	£46,000.00			£13,000.00	£59,000.00
British Waterways Scotland					£0.00
Changing Pace		£6,000.00			£6,000.00
City of Edinburgh Council	£40,000.00	£6,000.00	£34,616.00	£85,950.00	£166,566.00
Clackmannanshire Council			£35,100.00		£35,100.00
Dumfries and Galloway Council		£6,000.00		£1,800.00	£7,800.00
Dundee City Council				£6,000.00	£6,000.00
East Ayrshire Council					£0.00
East Dunbartonshire Council		£13,900.00			£13,900.00
East Lothian Council	£20,000.00	£2,500.00	£6,500.00	£9,000.00	£38,000.00
East Renfrewshire Council		£8,750.00			£8,750.00
Edinburgh Greenspace Trust		£6,000.00			£6,000.00
Falkirk	£55,000.00	£3,750.00		£9,000.00	£67,750.00
Fife Council	£85,100.00	£9,000.00	£65,200.00	£18,800.00	£178,100.00
Forestry Commission			£20,000.00		£20,000.00
Glasgow	£45,000.00	£6,000.00		£34,000.00	£85,000.00
Highland Council		£6,000.00			£6,000.00
Inverclyde Council		£6,000.00			£6,000.00
Northern STC Partnership					£0.00
Scottish Borders Council		£8,000.00			£8,000.00
Living Streets					£0.00
Midlothian		£7,100.00			£7,100.00
Moray Council	£55,000.00	£8,000.00			£63,000.00
North Ayrshire		£12,100.00		£29,000.00	£41,100.00
North Lanarkshire	£50,000.00	£6,500.00		£16,000.00	£72,500.00
Orkney Islands Council		£12,200.00			£12,200.00
Perth and Kinross Council	£50,000.00	£6,000.00	£30,000.00	£52,000.00	£138,000.00
Renfrewshire Council	£10,000.00	£11,000.00		£5,000.00	£26,000.00
Scot Borders			£188,150.00		£188,150.00
Shetland Council		£6,000.00			£6,000.00
South Ayrshire		£10,000.00	£79,060.00	£7,500.00	£96,560.00
South Lanarkshire Council	£35,000.00	£29,000.00	£150,000.00	£12,500.00	£226,500.00
Stirling Council	£45,000.00	£5,000.00		£8,500.00	£58,500.00
TACTRAN					£0.00
West Dunbartonshire Council			£65,100.00		£65,100.00
West Lothian Council			£32,250.00	£18,750.00	£51,000.00
Western Isles				£7,000.00	£7,000.00

Subtotal	£536,100.00	£219,000.00	£705,976.00	£356,250.00	£1,817,326.00

Year 2010-11
Local Authority/Partner	School Travel Hard measure Funding awarded	School Travel soft measures Funding awarded	NCN Development Funding awarded	Cycle parking funding awarded	Short Link Projects (match funded 50% with Local Authorities )	Total
Aberdeen City Council	£1,289.00		£0.00	£6,000.00		£7,289
Aberdeenshire	£1,800.00	£5,000.00	£166,900.00	£5,611.00	£53,053.00	£232,364
Angus Council	£1,165.00		£77,225.00			£78,390
Argyll and Bute Council		£792.00	£0.00	£12,084	£162,189	£175,065
British Waterways Scotland			£257,834.00			£257,834
Changing Pace
City of Edinburgh Council	£16,120.00	£7,200.00	£62,868.00	£9,928.00	£196,107	£292,223
Clackmannanshire Council			£182,058.00		£80,176.00	£262,234
Dumfries and Galloway Council	£4,445.00		£46,625.00	£652.00		£51,722
Dundee City Council	£13,920.00	£2,529.00			£35,050.00	£51,499
East Ayrshire Council		£3,522.00				£3,522
East Dunbartonshire Council	£9,580.00				£2,125.00	£11,705
East Dunbartonshire Cycle Co-operative	£5,063.00					£5,063
East Lothian Council		£3,708.00	£21,763.00			£25,471
East Renfrewshire Council				£4,800.00	£35,400.00	£40,200
Falkirk	£11,553.00			£16,254	£12,285.00	£40,092
Helix Project Falkirk					£306,967	£306,967
Fife Council	£7,500.00			£56,806	£262,425	£326,731
Forestry Commission
Glasgow	£5,852.00			£17,070		£22,922
Highland Council	£900.00				£70,813.00	£71,713
Highland Perthshire Cycling	£5,590.00					£5,590
Inverclyde Council	£900.00			£9,400.00	£13,787.00	£24,087
Northern STC Partnership
Scottish Borders Council
Living Streets
Midlothian	£5,597.00	£1,000.00	£115,579.00	£2,668.00	£9,635.00	£134,479
Moray Council	£10,654.00	£6,317.00			£129,300	£146,271
North Ayrshire	£8,008.00			£6,427.00	£163,275.00	£177,710
North Lanarkshire	£7,783.00			£10,000	£71,737.00	£89,520
Outward Bound Trust		£4,790.00				£4,790
Orkney Islands Council	£2,994.00					£2,994
Perth and Kinross Council	£1,091.00	£3,500.00	£41,451.00	£4,933.00	£81,469.00	£132,444
Renfrewshire Council	£9,999.00			£10,000.00	£12,825.00	£32,824
Scot Borders	£13,830.00		£101,675.00			£115,505
Shetland Council	£3,500.00	£1,644.00		£14,665.00	£2,638.00	£22,447
South Ayrshire	£10,822.00	£1,999.00			£128,300	£141,121
South Lanarkshire Council			£101,993.00		£66,375.00	£168,368
Stirling Council	£1,720.00	£1,937.00	£167,051.00	£3,000.00	£41,593.00	£215,301
TACTRAN
West Dunbartonshire Council	£2,450.00		£30,750.00	£506.00	£63,650.00	£97,356
West Lothian Council			£155,067.00			£155,067
Western Isles
ibike (various locations in Perth and Edinburgh)				£45,210.00		£45,210
Subtotal	£164,125	£43,938	£1,528,839	£236,014	£2,001,174	£3,974,090

Year 2011-12	School Travel soft measures Funding awarded	NCN Development Funding awarded	Cycle parking funding awarded	Community Links Projects	Street Design (Elgin & Kirkcaldy)	Total
Aberdeen City Council	£1,910		£30,695.00	£21,551.76		£54,156.76
Aberdeenshire			£15,270.00	£30,000.00		£45,270.00
Angus Council			£7,200			£7,200.00
Argyll and Bute Council		£70,000	£5,312.40	£168,300.00		£243,612.40
Scot Canals		£192,000.		£118,505.00		£310,505.00
City of Edinburgh Council			£16,527.00	£424,704.75		£441,231.75
Clackmannanshire Council				£145,000.00		£145,000.00
Dumfries and Galloway Council			£1,350.00	£42,138.67		£43,488.67
Dundee City Council			£21,364.00			£21,364.00
East Ayrshire Council	£1,170.85		£20,825.00			£21,995.85
East Dunbartonshire Council			£1,466.00	£15,115.00		£16,581.00
East Lothian Council	£7,977.08		£5,500.00	£14,860.24		£28,337.32
East Renfrewshire Council	£6,556.00			£132,500		£139,056.00
Falkirk			£5,165.00	£19,134.95		£24,299.95
Helix Project Falkirk				£7,500.00		£7,500.00
Fife Council					£154,857	£154,857.00
Forestry Comission
Glasgow			£1,902.00	£110,000		£111,902.00
Highland Council	£1,952.50	£700,000.	£6,754.00	£119,000		£827,706.50
Highland Perthshire Cycling	£9,910.00					£9,910.00
Inverclyde Council			£5,815.00			£5,815.00
Midlothian	£3,806.27		£1,379.00	£109,672.00		£114,857.27
Moray Council	£3,025.00		£16,122.00	£68,115.04	£137,253	£224,515.04
North Ayrshire	£3,800.00		£2,592.60	£117,500.00		£123,892.60
North Lanarkshire	£2,000.00		£4,000.00			£6,000.00
Orkney Islands Council	£4,370.00					£4,370.00
Perth and Kinross Council			£2,989.00	£48,000.00		£50,989.00
Renfrewshire Council			£10,000.00	£24,000.00		£34,000.00
Scot Borders			£2,100.00	£2,480.00		£4,580.00
Shetland Council	£3,000.00					£3,000.00
South Ayrshire				£58,116.36		£58,116.36
South Lanarkshire Council			£4,991.50	£121,716.00		£126,707.50
Stirling Council	£992.98	£369,920.00				£370,912.98
West Dunbartonshire Council			£3,441.00	£50,051.00		£53,492.00
West Lothian Council				£134,978.13		£134,978.13
Western Isles

Subtotal	£50,470.68	£1,331,920	£192,760.50	£2,102,938.90	£292,110	£3,970,200.08

Year 2012-13	NCN Development Funding awarded	Cycle parking funding awarded	Community Links Projects	Total
Aberdeen City Council		£5,484.35	£95,962.00	£101,446.35
Aberdeenshire			£163,500.00	£163,500.00
Angus Council		£9,150.00		£9,150.00
Argyll and Bute Council	£280,000.00	£11,147.00	£120,848.00	£411,995.00
Scot Canals
CSFT			£110,419.00	£110,419.00
City of Edinburgh Council	£100,000.00		£826,679.00	£926,679.00
Clackmannanshire Council			£40,000.00	£40,000.00
Dumfries and Galloway Council		£585.00	£67,940.00	£68,525.00
Dundee City Council			£495,000.00	£495,000.00
East Ayrshire Council		£8,000.00		£8,000.00
East Dunbartonshire Council		£3,227.80	£167,700.00	£170,927.80
East Lothian Council		£12,362.00	£29,886.00	£42,248.00
East Renfrewshire Council		£2,538.00	£22,982.00	£25,520.00
Falkirk		£2,000.00		£2,000.00
Fife Council		£14,154.62	£247,229.00	£261,383.62
Forestry Comission
Glasgow		£26,419.00	£1,601,719.00	£1,628,138.00
Highland Council	£400,000.00	£28,435.00	£21,839.00	£450,274.00
Inverclyde Council
Midlothian		£1,850.00	£46,450.00	£48,300.00
Moray Council			£48,564.00	£48,564.00
North Ayrshire		£3,301.00	£280,000.00	£283,301.00
North Lanarkshire		£10,000.00		£10,000.00
Orkney Islands Council
Perth and Kinross Council			£170,500.00	£170,500.00
Renfrewshire Council		£20,750.00	£15,000.00	£35,750.00
Scot Borders			£62,500.00	£62,500.00
Scot Canals			£265,740.00	£265,740.00
Shetland Council
South Ayrshire			£19,731.00	£19,731.00
South Lanarkshire Council	£100,000.00	£3,500.00	£140,336.00	£243,836.00
Stirling Council		£4,499.99	£244,409.00	£248,908.99
Transform Scotland			£50,000.00	£50,000.00
West Dunbartonshire Council		£567.00	£83,373.00	£83,940.00
West Lothian Council			£130,303.00	£130,303.00
Western Isles		£950.00	£50,710.00	£51,660.00

Subtotal	£880,000.00	£168,920.76	£5,619,319.00	£6,668,239.76

The information for 2007-8 is not readily available in this format.

Scottish Government has also funded Cycling Scotland to deliver the following projects

2007
Project	NESTRANS Total £	Scotland Total £
Cycle to School Campaign	4,330	16,489.50
2008
Cycle to School Campaign (Aberdeenshire)	30,202	102,000
Cycling Action Plan for Scotland	1,844	182,736
Community Cycling Innovation Fund for Scotland		49,817
Cycle Trainer and Cycle Trainer Assistant Courses costs	2,100	20,353
TOTAL	34,146	354,906

2009
Give Me Cycle Space	27,044	180,000
Cycle Friendly and Sustainable Community Grant	4,670	19,205
Cycle Trainer and Cycle Trainer Assistant Courses costs		15,719
Cycle Friendly Employer Grants		10,282
TOTAL	31,714	225,206
2010
Bikeability Scotland Grant Fund		61,544
Cycle Trainer and Cycle Trainer Assistant Courses costs		40,000
Cycle Friendly Communities Fund		148,593
Give Me Cycle Space		180,000
Cycle Friendly Employer Grants		13,564
TOTAL	Nil	443,701

2011
Bikeability Scotland grant (Aberdeen City)	1,440	171,084
Cycle Trainer, Cycle Trainer Assistant and Cycle Patrol Instructor Courses costs	1,725	38,549
Cycle Friendly Employer workplace grant (Aberdeen City)	549	14,543
Give Me Cycle Space	21,844	256,000
Bikeability Scotland resources (2010-11 school year)	5,716	36,595
TOTAL	31,274	516,771
2012
Give Me Cycle Space	84,416	729,000
Cycle Friendly and Sustainable Community Grant	6,000	84,668
Cycle Trainer and Cycle Trainer Assistant Courses costs	1,800	38,549
Bikeability Scotland resources (2011-12 school year)	4,087	95,934
Bikeability Scotland Grant Fund		£50,010
TOTAL	96,303	998,161
2013
Give Me Cycle Space	65,563	175,000
Bikeability Scotland resources (2012-13 school year)	4,859	17,950
Bikeability Scotland Support Plus grant (for 2012-13, Aberdeen City)	9,405
Bikeability Scotland Support Plus grant (for 2012-13, Aberdeenshire)	20,000	146,888
Bikeability Scotland Support Plus grant (for 2013-14, Aberdeenshire)	20,000
Bikeability Scotland Support Plus grant (for 2013-14, Aberdeen City)	35,000	303,843
Cycle Trainer and Cycle Trainer Assistant Courses costs	450	14,984
TOTAL	155,277	658,665

It has not been possible to separate the other RTPs.

Note that Cycling Scotland assumed responsibility for children’s cycle training from October 2010. Prior to that, Road Safety Scotland has supplied Resources for the Scottish Cycle Training Scheme until it was handed over to Cycling Scotland during 2010-11. Since 2007, Road Safety Scotland provided road safety educational and campaign resources to all LAs in the amounts below. It is not possible to break down these by regional transport partnership areas so these figures relate to the whole of Scotland:

2007-08 £49,391.55

2008-09 £59,703.50

2009-10 £58,967.32

2010-11 £4,843.82

Additionally, £7.2 million has been invested by Transport Scotland in the NCN75 Airdrie to Bathgate network. This was a fixed price contract with Network Rail where construction costs for the cycle path were estimated at £3.6m. On top of this would be Network Rail project management costs and significant land costs. This investment benefitted SPT and SESTRAN but cannot accurately be split into these RTP areas without incurring significant costs.

The NCN78 in the HITRANS area received additional funding by Transport Scotland which involved no match funding over the following years:

NCN78	2007-8	2008-9	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	Total
£m	2.9	1.302	2.135	0.675	0.675	7.687

Question reference: S4O-02495

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what public consultation there will be on the proposed closure of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service control rooms.

Question reference: S4W-17394

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to take action to progress the plans of the Expert Group on Prostitution to investigate indoor prostitution.

Question reference: S4W-17228

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Lesley Thomson on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders in each trial area of the Fiscal Work Order Pilot Scheme whose fiscal work orders were (a) not completed and (b) returned to the Procurator Fiscal (i) had their case marked for court proceedings and (ii) subsequently appeared in court in relation to their original charge in each year since 2008.

Question reference: S4W-17393

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to tackle indoor prostitution.

Scots criminal law provides for offences which target those who seek to profit from the prostitution of others, whether this occurs on the streets or indoors.

The Scottish Government legislated through the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 to increase the maximum penalties for the offences of “brothel-keeping” and “living on the earnings of prostitution” to seven years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. The 2010 Act also made provision to assist the police by providing explicit powers for the closure of premises associated with human exploitation, which includes prostitution.

We fully support our police, prosecutors and courts in using their powers to deal with those who have committed these types of offences.

Question reference: S4W-17392

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 2 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not reconvened the Expert Group on Prostitution and when the decision was made.

The Expert Group on Prostitution was established by the previous administration in 2003 and produced the report Being Outside: Constructing A Response to Street Prostitution in December 2004. The group produced no further reports. In 2007, the Scottish Parliament passed the Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act which criminalises soliciting or loitering in a public place for the purpose of obtaining the services of someone engaged in prostitution.

The Scottish Government continues to keep under review any relevant specific issues relating to prostitution.

Question reference: S4W-17227

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Lesley Thomson on 1 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders there were in each trial area of the Fiscal Work Order Pilot Scheme in each year since 2008.

The information is provided in the following table. Fiscal Work Orders have been available in West Lothian, West Dunbartonshire, South Lanarkshire and Highland since 2008. Their availability was extended to Edinburgh City, Dundee City and Aberdeen City in 2011.

Fiscal Work Orders Issued
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13
West Lothian	53	122	56	48	32
West Dunbartonshire	89	91	22	108	73
South Lanarkshire	73	56	46	118	78
Highland	71	29	68	48	70
Edinburgh City	0	0	0	88	70
Dundee City	0	0	0	34	56
Aberdeen City	0	0	0	84	111
Total	286	298	192	528	490

Chamber and committees