Chamber and committees

The number of dwellings in receipt of the single occupant discount is presented in the following table.

Businesses are liable for water, sewerage and drainage charges when the property benefits from these services. A business will not be liable for charges only if the property has no connection to any services.

In all criminal cases where an offender is sentenced to a period of imprisonment, victims have a right to be told about the release of the relevant prisoner.

In cases where the offender has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment or more, victims and their families can register with the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS).

The VNS is in two parts and victims and their families can opt into either, or both. Part One of the scheme provides registered victims with information about a prisoner’s release, death or if they abscond. Part Two of the scheme, allows the victim to make representations to the Scottish Prison Service in advance of a prisoner being considered for temporary release, release on Home Detention Curfew or consideration by the Parole Board. Further information about the VNS can be found here: https://www.mygov.scot/after-the-verdict/victim-notification-schemes/ .

We want to do more to support victims to navigate the parole system. That is why we will consult on measures to improve the openness and transparency of the parole process before the end of this year. This consultation will also seek views on how to strengthen the voice of victims in relation to parole and improve the provision of support and information. These issues and other Programme for Government commitments to improve support for victims will be considered by the Victims Taskforce, which will be co-chaired by the Justice Secretary and the Lord Advocate and will meet for the first time on 12 th December.

Legal aid budget in Scotland is demand led. Those who meet the eligibility criteria for both civil and criminal legal aid will have access to it. If it is a matter of Scots Law (including UK law that applies in Scotland) and could be heard in a Scottish Court, an application can be made to the Scottish Legal Aid Board (via a solicitor). Legal aid in Scotland is provided for more areas of law than in England and Wales, for example, in family law and housing.

The Bus Service Operators Grant is payable only on a local bus service as defined in section 2 of the Transport Act 1985 or a community transport service possessing section 19 or 22 permits. The services must also meet the further requirements detailed in the Bus Service Operators Grant (Scotland) Regulations 2002, as amended. The Bus Service Operators Grant does not require a service to meet any particular accessibility standards, however all local services are required to comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000.

The legislation relating to the accessibility of public transport is reserved to the UK Parliament and is set out in the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) 2000. Since 1 January 2017 all buses (single and double deck) are required to be fully accessible and coaches will be fully accessible from 1 January 2020. Within this framework, the design and layout of individual vehicles are the responsibility of operators and manufacturers.

There is no specific legislation to prevent a motorist parking a caravan on a public road. However, if the caravan is causing an obstruction or is dangerously parked then the motorist would be in breach of Regulation 103 of the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 (SSI 1986/1078), and Police Scotland will be able to investigate and, where necessary arrange for its removal.

The mechanism for appealing in cumulo sentences is the same as for other appeals that may be made against sentence. The legal framework providing for appeals against sentence is contained in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 as well as any associated court rules that have been made by Act of Adjournal.

The relevant appeal court determining an appeal against sentence has the power to set aside the original sentence, whether in cumulo or otherwise, and substitute another in its place. Any such decision is entirely a matter for the discretion of the court.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the Welsh Government on a range of matters, which has in the past included discussions regarding WEDINOS.

There are no current plans to introduce a system similar to WEDINOS. Scotland already has excellent intelligence and data sharing mechanisms through a network of local drug trend monitoring groups. This network will be further supplemented by a national drug trend monitoring group which has recently been established by Scottish Drugs Forum.

The Scottish Government recognises concerns about the antisocial use of fireworks and has put in place restrictions on when fireworks can be set off. We continue to keep under review the effectiveness of the current regulations. I will be launching a consultation on the use and regulations of fireworks early next year to better understand their impact on communities. This consultation will inform any actions that the Scottish Government could take to reduce the negative impact of fireworks. This could include, for example, increased restrictions on where and when fireworks can be used, improved access to advice and support to reduce the anti-social impact of fireworks, and new national guidance to support local partner agencies.