- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 December 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what matters were discussed at its EU justice summit on 24 November 2016; what new information from experts it obtained, and whether it will publish the minutes.
Answer
The discussion followed 4 high level themes of Law Enforcement and Criminal Law; Civil Law and its impact on participation in the Single Market; EU law and the Role of the Court of Justice of the EU; and engagement with the UK government.
Contributions were welcomed from the wide range of experts in attendance from both a civil and criminal perspective, including Police Scotland, The Faculty of Advocates, the Law Society of Scotland, the Crown Office and the Scottish Human Rights Commission. It was suggested that losing access to the European Arrest Warrant and law enforcement co-operation measures would require the Scotland’s justice system to fall back on international agreements from the late 1950s. There was uncertainty about whether such arrangements could be effective in modern times. Arrangements for the mutual recognition of judgments, provisions to prevent multiple cases in different countries, and other civil law arrangements are currently vital to the effective operation of the Single Market. There was discussion of the need to maintain security and stability in the law and consistent concerns about the risk of Scotland’s justice system being ‘left behind’ across all of the themes.
A summary of the discussion will be produced and published later this month.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to enable prisoners to participate in outdoor education programmes, such as the John Muir Award.
Answer
I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
SPS delivers an outdoor education programme in conjunction with the John Muir Trust at HMP Open Estate, Castle Huntly. Over the last 5 years, SPS has supported prisoners to attend the John Muir Trust on 19 separate occasions. This has resulted in 133 prisoners attaining Award status with the John Muir Trust.
SPS also delivers the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Bronze Award and part of the Silver Award in partnership with Barnardos at HM YOI Polmont. This initiative has been delivered on a continuous basis since 2011 with 150 young men participating. To date, 115 young men have achieved sectional Bronze Awards and the remaining 35 have completed the full Bronze Award and sectional Silver Awards.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2016
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to reduce the number of “near misses” that are being recorded by police control rooms.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2016
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 December 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many civilian jobs it expects to be lost as a result of Police Scotland's budget for 2016-17.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
The Policing 2026 project being led by the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland is looking to identify the future demands of Scottish policing, as well as the shape and size of the workforce needed to meet the challenges of the next 10 years.
They are committed to ensuring that the right people - with the right skills and experience are in the right place to deliver a flexible, modern and sustainable police service.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 December 2016
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03129 by Michael Matheson on 5 October 2016, whether it will provide (a) a breakdown of the funds that Police Scotland is investing and (b) further information on the progress of the hubs it is introducing in to tackle cybercrime.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Police Scotland and I have asked the Chief Constable to write to the member with the information requested.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 1 December 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide additional support to help develop innovation in the tidal and wave energy sectors.
Answer
The Scottish Government has a long and proud history of supporting the development of marine energy technologies and we remain strongly committed to the wave and tidal energy sectors.
In a year when the marine energy sector has made outstanding progress, it is extremely disappointing that no budget has been ring-fenced for marine energy projects by the UK Government in the next Contracts for Difference allocation round.
The Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy and his officials are having discussions with the UK Government to consider what additional support can be provided to the industry. He is also convening a round table of representatives from the marine energy sector in December to understand their priorities.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on an independent review being undertaken into the cancellation of the Police Scotland i6 project.
Answer
The results of the independent review being undertaken by Audit Scotland into the cancellation of the Police Scotland i6 project will be a matter for the Scottish Police Authority.
It is important that the Scottish Police Authority carefully considers how best to deliver cost effective, efficient and fit for purpose systems for Police Scotland to ensure that our police officers have access to modern technology to support the important work that they do.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to minimise the number of police officers and civilian staff experiencing mental ill-health.
Answer
The wellbeing of police officers and staff is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. Police Scotland are currently embarking on the delivery of its largest ever training programme for police officers and police staff which will be focused on how they can better assist members of the public, as well as colleagues and partners who may be suffering from mental ill health.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to civilian staff working in Police Scotland control rooms, in light of reports that a third of them took long-term sick leave during 2015-16.
Answer
The overall absence rate for all civilian staff, as reported to the SPA Board in August 2016, was 4.8%, which is a 0.1% reduction in comparison with quarter one last year.
The welfare of police staff and police officers is taken very seriously by Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority and they provide a range of support to help manage their health and wellbeing in the workplace.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 November 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted each year under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
Answer
The number of people prosecuted and convicted in Scotland under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 is shown in the following table
People prosecuted under Computer Misuse Act 1990¹, 2007-08 to 2014-15
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2007-08
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2008-09
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2009-10
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2010-11
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2011-12
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2012-13
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2013-14
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2014-15
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COMPUTER MISUSE ACT 1990 SECTION 3
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1
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-
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-
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1
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1
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-
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1
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-
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COMPUTER MISUSE ACT 1990 SECTION 1
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1
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1
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2
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-
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1
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-
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-
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-
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All
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2
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1
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2
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1
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2
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-
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1
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-
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1. Where main offence.
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Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings Database
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People convicted under Computer Misuse Act 1990¹, 2010-11 to 2014-15
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2007-08
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2008-09
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2009-10
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2010-11
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2011-12
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2012-13
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2013-14
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2014-15
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COMPUTER MISUSE ACT 1990 SECTION 3
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1
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-
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-
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1
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1
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-
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1
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-
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COMPUTER MISUSE ACT 1990 SECTION 1
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1
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1
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2
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-
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1
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-
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-
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-
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All
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2
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1
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2
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1
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2
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-
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1
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-
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1. Where main offence.
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Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings Database
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