Questions and answers

Question reference: S4O-00883

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when the decision was taken to relocate post-production staff in the forensic services.

Question reference: S4W-05510

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to prevent cyberbullying.

The Scottish Government funds the national anti-bullying service, Respectme, that works with organisations across Scotland, including schools and local authorities, to give them the practical skills and confidence to deal with any bullying behaviour including cyberbullying. Respectme offers free training at events across Scotland for any adult who has a role to play in the lives of children and young people, including a training programme on cyberbullying.

Online safety is monitored by the Scottish Government-led Stakeholder Group on Child Internet Safety which includes representatives from the police, Young Scot, Respectme, Education Scotland, local authorities and Scottish Government policy leads. Cyberbullying is an action area identified by the stakeholder group. The group works with Respectme, to support those working in schools, local authorities and children’s services to build capacity to prevent and tackle bullying effectively, including cyberbullying, through training, policy development and making publications and information available through their website.

In partnership with the Scottish Anti-Bullying Steering Group, the Scottish Government published “A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People” in November 2010. The purpose is to communicate and promote a common vision and aims, and to make sure that work across all agencies is consistently and coherently contributing to a holistic approach to all types of anti-bullying work in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-05509

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with organisations regarding cyberbullying in the last five years and, if so, what organisations.

The Scottish Anti-Bullying Steering Group is co-ordinated by the Scottish Government and meets three to four times per year. The group aims is to steer, co-ordinate and promote developments in anti-bullying work, including cyberbullying.

The group includes representatives from Scottish Government; Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; Association of Directors of Education in Scotland; Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People; Education Scotland; Care Commission; Equality and Human rights Commission; Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland; Community Learning and Development Managers Scotland; respectme; CHILDREN 1ST; Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland; LGBT Youth Scotland; Scottish Association for Mental Health; Children’s Parliament, and Youth Scotland.

Through its membership of the United Kingdom Council for Child Internet Safety, the Scottish Government has also had discussions with internet organisations, including representatives from social network providers, about cyberbullying.

Question reference: S4W-05513

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to assist schools in protecting pupils from cyberbullying.

The Scottish Government funds the national anti-bullying service, respectme, that works with organisations across Scotland, including schools and local authorities, to give them the practical skills and confidence to deal with any bullying behaviour including cyberbullying. Respectme offer free training at events across Scotland for any adult who has a role to play in the lives of children and young people, including a training programme on cyberbullying.

In partnership with the Scottish Anti-Bullying Steering Group, the Scottish Government published “A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People” in November 2010. The purpose is to communicate and promote a common vision and aims, and to make sure that work across all agencies is consistently and coherently contributing to a holistic approach to all types of anti-bullying work in Scotland.

To support implementation of Curriculum for Excellence, Education Scotland provides information to teachers, parents and young people on all aspects of internet safety and responsible use.

Question reference: S4W-05508

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to support victims of cyberbullying.

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended) places a duty on education authorities to identify, meet and provide for the additional support needs of all children for whose school education they are responsible, and to tailor provision according to the child’s individual needs. This includes children whose additional support needs relate to incidents of bullying.

In addition, the Scottish Government provides funding to Childline to provide the bullying helpline which provides confidential advice, information and support to children and young people affected by any type of bullying.

Question reference: S4W-05511

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government in the last five years regarding the prevention of cyberbullying.

The UK Council for Child Internet Safety was established in September of 2008 and brings together over 170 organisations and individuals from government, industry, law enforcement, academia and charities – including groups representing parents and children. Through its membership of the United Kingdom Council for Child Internet Safety, the Scottish Government has had discussions with internet organisations, including representatives from social network providers, about cyberbullying.

The Scottish Government sits on the executive board of UKCCIS which is responsible for identifying priority areas of work and setting strategic direction. The executive board meets every six weeks.

Question reference: S4O-00766

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects work to begin on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the A90/A96 Haudagain junction.

Question reference: S4W-05715

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with any organisations regarding the establishment of the Scottish Sentencing Council.

The judicially-led independent Sentencing Commission examined the issue of consistency in sentencing in our criminal courts. The central recommendation of the commission’s 2006 report, The Scope to Improve Consistency in Sentencing, was the creation of a procedure for giving effect to sentencing guidelines. In September 2008, we published our consultation paper Sentencing Guidelines and a Scottish Sentencing Council: Consultation and proposals to invite views on our proposals for a new system of sentencing guidelines and a Scottish Sentencing Council to develop that system.

We are committed to the establishment of a Scottish Sentencing Council and brought in provisions in the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, which paves the way for the new body to be set up.

We have entered into discussions with the Judiciary of Scotland to consult on options for the establishment of the Scottish Sentencing Council. Discussions are ongoing with a decision to be made in due course.

Question reference: S4W-05713

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit of the Scottish Sentencing Council will be.

Question reference: S4W-05712

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Sentencing Council will be established.

Chamber and committees