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-07964

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in light of the briefing paper, Why focus on reducing women's imprisonment in Scotland? by the Prison Reform Trust, which notes that (a) the number of women imprisoned increased by 46% in the 10 years since 2003–04, growing at a faster rate than men’s prison population, (b) this growth can be attributed to the increasing use of custodial sentences by courts rather than changes in the pattern of offending, and (c) 85% of pregnant women in prison in 2015 were there on remand or serving sentences of 12 months or less, it will accelerate its consideration of raising the presumption against short-term sentences to 12 months.

The number of women in custody in Scotland has gone down in recent years - the average daily female prison population has in fact fallen by over 6% since 2013-14 in line with similar reductions in the overall prison population - and we are working hard to continue that trend.

The proposal to extend the presumption against short sentences is one part of this Government's wide ranging work to reduce the use of short-term imprisonment - for both men and women - in favour of more robust community sentences. As previously noted, we continue to discuss with the relevant stakeholders how best to take this proposal forward.

Question reference: S5W-07966

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of (i) male and (ii) female prisoners who began serving a prison sentence of less than 12 months in each year since 2010 had dependant children.

Question reference: S5W-07794

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service in relation to how much money it expects to save through the implementation of the digital case management process, and when it expects this to be implemented.

Question reference: S5W-07970

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-07139 by Michael Matheson on 8 March 2017, what the timeline is for (a) the process of identifying the sites, (b) community consultation and (c) providing an update on this matter.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The timeline will be dependent on the availability of suitable sites and planning permission being obtained. Community consultation will also form part of the planning process.

The SPS is currently working towards timescales to achieve the opening of community custody units from 2019 onwards and an update will be provided once the sites have been identified.

Question reference: S5W-07793

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) financial support, (b) expert assistance and (c) guidance it will provide to assist the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service with its expanded use of technology in pre-trial procedures in summary criminal proceedings.

Question reference: S5W-07792

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases it expects the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service will process through the digital case management process in (a) its first 12 months and (b) subsequent years.

The Scottish Government welcomes the recent publication of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) report “Evidence and Procedure Review: A New Model for Summary Criminal Procedure”, which outlines a model underpinned by a digital case management process. We have been working with the senior judiciary, courts, Crown, and other key partners to consider the recommendations made in the earlier Evidence and Procedure Review and we welcome this paper as the next step in that process. The SCTS report makes a case for change and puts forward ambitious and far-reaching proposals for a new, modernised summary criminal court procedure. Further work is needed to evaluate and develop these proposals before decisions are taken about implementation.

To inform policy development SCTS is planning a programme of public consultation events in relation to the report during spring 2017. SCTS will evaluate the evidence on whether the propositions outlined in the paper are viable, assess the business, resourcing, financial and technological impacts, and what further analysis is necessary to help shape the way forward. Following this further development work SCTS will report back to the Justice Board with recommendations.

Question reference: S5W-07912

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprentices have been hired by Scottish Prison Service each year, and what the annual cost has been.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The SPS does not currently employ modern apprentices. This is because the Civil Service Recruitment Principles determine that appointments to the Civil Service, including apprentices, must be made on the basis of fair and open competition. Modern apprenticeships have an age criteria, therefore competition for these apprenticeships would not be deemed fair and open.

The SPS does however appoint staff who may, as part of their initial training, undertake an apprenticeship award but such employees are not deemed to be modern apprentices. In each year since 2013, 10 individuals have been recruited to the Estates function under this initiative.

To build on existing apprenticeship routes, SPS is currently working with Skills Development Scotland, to examine how apprenticeships can legitimately be part of our recruitment strategy to appoint apprentices to schemes that support Scottish Government targets and remain compliant with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

Question reference: S5W-07910

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the modern apprentices hired by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) each year completed their apprenticeship, and how many were subsequently hired by the SPS on a (a) part- and (b) full-time basis.

Question reference: S5W-07911

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans the Scottish Prison Service has to change its modern apprenticeship programme.

Question reference: S5W-07965

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether, following reported comments by Michael Matheson on October 2015, that "short sentences do nothing to stop reoffending in our communities and only result in offenders going in and out of prison time and time again and reoffending upon release", it will provide an update on the actions that it has taken since then to reduce reoffending.