- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, when considering awarding contracts, what importance its procurement process attaches to whether a company has signed the Business Pledge.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2018
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by James Wolffe QC on 21 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14954 by James Wolffe QC on 1 March 2018, what assessment the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is making of systems and experiences in other UK nations and countries.
Answer
The protocol being developed by COPFS is designed to support effective consultation between pathologists instructed by the Crown and the Defence. The focussed nature of the protocol is such that reference to other jurisdictions is not relevant. The work has involved consulting with Forensic pathologists, who are the relevant expert witnesses, and will be further informed by consultation with the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates. The consultation protocol is designed to reflect the views of victims which have been received by COPFS and to reduce not only the number of required defence examinations but also delays in return of deceased persons to their family. Once agreed, the consultation protocol will be published on the COPFS website.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 20 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 to allow for persons over the age of 18 to be legally adopted.
Answer
The current legislation is designed to protect and safeguard children and provides a range of routes to allow any family composition to permanently claim a child. In Scotland family stability is gained through kinship care orders, permanence orders for foster care and residential care, as well as adoption - which is open to step parents and single or coupled adults.
Whilst the legislation does not extend to the adoption of individuals over 18 , there is in place legislation to allow for individuals to change their names on birth certificates and for adults to make provision in wills for the sharing of property to non biological members of their family.
We are constantly improving the procedures, services and support around adoption and permanence for children to ensure that Scotland has a modern, responsive and child-centred adoption system. There are no plans currently to extend the age of a child beyond 18 for this purpose.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 20 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether its forthcoming review of family law will cover adoption and fostering.
Answer
The Family Law Team will be launching a consultation paper around April 2018 covering a wide range of issues affecting family law such as parental rights and responsibilities, contact and residence and various related matters.
The Supreme Court In the matter of EV 2017 clarified the way that courts should apply the tests set out in the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 Following consultation in November 2017 with stakeholders legislative change to the tests for adoption or permanence orders is considered unnecessary.
Separately from this consultation, Scottish Government continually reviews the procedures, services and support around adoption and fostering.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by James Wolffe QC on 20 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14954 by James Wolffe QC on 1 March 2018, whether the conclusion and results of the review will be reported to the Parliament.
Answer
The protocol being developed by COPFS is designed to support effective consultation between pathologists instructed by the Crown and the Defence. The focussed nature of the protocol is such that reference to other jurisdictions is not relevant. The work has involved consulting with Forensic pathologists, who are the relevant expert witnesses, and will be further informed by consultation with the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates. The consultation protocol is designed to reflect the views of victims which have been received by COPFS and to reduce not only the number of required defence examinations but also delays in return of deceased persons to their family. Once agreed, the consultation protocol will be published on the COPFS website.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 20 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of there being no single-site alternative training facilities for the elite athletes who previously used Meadowbank Sports Centre, what steps it can take to mitigate the impact that this might have on their training schedule.
Answer
I am aware of some concerns regarding alternative facilities whilst Meadowbank is under redevelopment. Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Leisure, who manage this facility, have been liaising with all users to help find them an alternative venue.
I understand that the majority of clubs have secured alternative training venues and discussions are on-going with the remaining clubs. Whilst performance athletes will continue to receive support through the sport scotland Institute for Sport as well as their governing body, I have asked sport scotland to support the discussions with clubs if required.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by James Wolffe QC on 20 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14954 by James Wolffe QC on 1 March 2018, what consideration will be given to the views of victims and witnesses as part of this process and how they are being consulted.
Answer
The protocol being developed by COPFS is designed to support effective consultation between pathologists instructed by the Crown and the Defence. The focussed nature of the protocol is such that reference to other jurisdictions is not relevant. The work has involved consulting with Forensic pathologists, who are the relevant expert witnesses, and will be further informed by consultation with the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates. The consultation protocol is designed to reflect the views of victims which have been received by COPFS and to reduce not only the number of required defence examinations but also delays in return of deceased persons to their family. Once agreed, the consultation protocol will be published on the COPFS website.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 20 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to help meet any increased travel and training costs faced by elite athletes due to the redevelopment of Meadowbank stadium.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Leisure, but I have asked the Chief Executive of sportscotland to respond to you to explain what support could be offered to support elite athletes.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to establish a commissioner for victims and witnesses.
Answer
This issue was considered during the passage of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 and was not widely supported. We remain of the view that the provision of funding for victim support organisations, which represent and provide frontline services for victims and witnesses, is a more effective use of resources.
In this regard, we are providing £17.9 million in 2018-19, to third sector organisations whose work supports victims of crime.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 15 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what target has been set to increase the number of businesses that have signed the Scottish Business Pledge.
Answer
The Scottish Business Pledge is a values-led partnership between Government and business and is based on a voluntary commitment. We continue to promote the Pledge through the Pledge website, our partners Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Business Gateway. I have written to over 300 companies this month to promote the Pledge and we will build on that moving forward.
