Chamber and committees

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.

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Question reference: S5W-01204

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 4 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many public representations in (a) support of and (b) opposition to the application to construct and operate the Strathy South windfarm it has received.

Question reference: S5W-01203

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to make a decision on the application to construct and operate the Strathy South windfarm.

Question reference: S5W-01214

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 2 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to evaluate and improve the experience for victims reporting rape to the police.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01213 on 22 July 2016. We have also legislated, through the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014, to ensure that those who report sexual offences should be able to choose the gender of their police interviewer. Additionally, last year, we awarded just under £2 million to Rape Crisis centres to enhance the support available for survivors of sexual violence (including advocacy), and in June the Equalities Secretary announced £844K of support for Rape Crisis Scotland and local centres.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S5W-01215

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 2 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what training is available to police officers regarding the handling of rape cases, including officers carrying out first response.

The training of police officers is a matter for the Chief Constable. Police Scotland’s policing response is victim focused at all times and every police officer is given 'First Responder Training' during their initial course at the Police College of Scotland, this includes training which highlights the issues a victim faces when reporting sexual crime to the police. Police Scotland also has a cadre of experienced and dedicated Sexual Offences Liaison Officers who are specially trained to interview victims of sexual crime and provide the critical link between the victim and the enquiry team.

Question reference: S5W-01209

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for implementation of the governance review of the Scottish Police Authority, which was published earlier in 2016.

Question reference: S5W-01208

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an assessment of Police Scotland's estate and, if so, when and whether it will provide details.

<>The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of Police Scotland's estate. Assessment and maintenance of the police service are matters for the Scottish Police Authority.

In June 2015, the Scottish Police Authority approved an estate strategy for Police Scotland, to support improved service delivery by transforming the police estate into one which was modern, flexible and fit for future policing across Scotland.

Work continues to implement this strategy, a key element of which is an evaluation of the current police estate. The evaluation is built upon an assessment of service demand. The supply of premises from the existing estate is considered to assess whether it matches that demand and whether buildings are the right size, in the right place and in the right condition to support the effective and efficient delivery of police services to the communities of Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-01213

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 22 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct research into police response to rape at a national level.

Rape is a heinous crime, and the Scottish Government is committed to supporting victims and tackling perpetrators. The police prioritise a strong response to rape; Police Scotland, after its creation in 2013, established the National Rape Task Force and Domestic Abuse Task Force to target the most prolific perpetrators, as well as ensuring there are Divisional Rape Investigation Units in every local policing division in Scotland.

As the First Minister advised in response to your question at FMQs on 2 June 2016, the Scottish Government has prioritised the allocation of resources to review how health boards undertake forensic medical examinations of sexual offence victims. This work will shortly be underway so as to help understand the current provision including in relation to the locations of the examinations in different parts of Scotland and also the gender of the examiner in different parts of Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-01205

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government for what activities consent is determined by Marine Scotland.

Marine Scotland issues a variety of consents, licences and other permissions relating to a wide range of marine activities including;

Sea Fisheries:

Sea fisheries licences

Authorisations following requests for fishing vessels to change the country of administration

Derogations issued for research purposes

Marine Licensing:

Licences under the marine (Scotland) Act 2010

A range of activities including;

Construction

Dredging

Marine Farms

Marine Sediment Removal

Moorings

Renewables construction

Scientific Deployment

Wellboat discharges

Cables

Seal licences

Consents under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for which Scottish Ministers determine applications for offshore electricity generating stations

Over 1 MW in size within Scottish territorial waters (between 0 and 12 nautical miles) and over 50 MW in the offshore region (between 12 and 200 nautical miles).

Licences under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 and the Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 2007 in relation to disturbance of Marine European Protected Species.

Freshwater:

Consents to introduce fish to Scottish inland waters

Consents to fish using otherwise illegal methods/ during the close season

Consents to fish for/take eels.

Aquaculture:

Planning permission made through the Scottish Government Audit and Review process, managed by Marine Scotland

Aquaculture production and processing business in Scotland

Permissions to move live or dead fish, personnel and equipment from sites subject to movement restrictions

Licences to deposit lobsters

Further information can be found on our website pages:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Licensing

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Fish-Shellfish/18716

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Licensing/fishintros

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Licensing/marine/guidance/EPSbackground

Question reference: S5W-01202

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 July 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for consent have been determined by Marine Scotland since 2010, how many (a) were refused, (b) required environmental impact assessment and (c) required appropriate assessment of their effect on European wildlife sites.

Marine Scotland issues a variety of consents, licences and other permissions relating to a wide range of marine activities.

The following table summarises those issued by Marine Scotland Sea Fisheries, Licensing Operations Team , Science and Aquaculture divisions from 2010 to date.

	Total since 2010	(a) were refused	(b) required environmental impact assessment	(c) required appropriate assessment of their effect on European wildlife sites
Sea fisheries licences	0	0	0	0	No new sea fisheries licences have been issued since 1990
Authorisations to fishing vessels to enter Scottish administration	106	0	0	0	From 2013 when the official application process was introduced
Authorizations to fishing vessels to leave Scottish administration	80	4	0	0	From 2013 when the official application process was introduced
Fishing Derogations	192	0	0	0	Derogations are issued for research purposes: Records start September 2010. Derogations are generally issued once an applicant has provided sufficient detail of the proposed trial.
Licences under the Marine Scotland Act (includes FEPA licences issued between 01/01/2010 and 31/01/2011 which are deemed marine licences)	3143	12	30	60	Details are held on the Marine Licence Register
Consents under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989	15	0	15	15
Licences under The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 and the Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 2007	101	0	0	1	Disturbance of marine European Protected Species (EPS)
Consent to introduce Fish, Fry or Ova to Scottish Inland waters	2838	6	0	4
Consent to fish using otherwise illegal methods/during the close season/fishing for eels	887	6	0	9	Licences are issued on an individual basis rather than per application (one application can cover multiple licences)
Fish farms consented through the Audit and Review process since 2010	364	0	4	23	Copies of permissions issued are available on the Audit and Review webpages No farms have been refused permission through this process but 57 applications have been withdrawn or not been progressed
Authorisations of aquaculture production businesses	176	0	0	0	The register of Aquaculture Production and Processing Business in Scotland is available to view on line
Authorisations of processing establishments	2	0	0	0
Permissions to move live or dead fish, personnel and equipment from sites subject to movement restrictions	426	9	0	0
Licences to import from third countries	5	0	0	0	The issue of licences to import ceased during 2010 due to harmonisation of EU legislation
Licences to deposit lobsters	13	0	0	0	Annual licence renewal

Question reference: S5T-00022

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle hate crimes against LGBTI people.