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-25777

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on the use of (a) ProtonMail and (b) other encrypted messaging apps or services for business-related communications.

Officials who use the Scottish Government’s mobile telephony services may install third-party applications for business use, including encrypted messaging apps. There are a number of communications tools that staff can access via the web or download to mobile devices, but which are not provided by the Scottish Government. All users are reminded that any web or mobile apps are subject to an acceptable use policy as outlined in our IT Code of Conduct and their use is subject to FOI(S)A 2002 and compliance with our Information Management Principles.

Question reference: S5T-01848

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it will make in light of the recent report by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and its finding of an “emergency” in Scotland’s prisons.

Question reference: S5W-25793

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on funding low-carbon heat technologies in off-gas grid areas as part of the Warmer Homes Scotland programme rather than replacement fossil fuel boilers.

Question reference: S5W-25567

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what timetable and process has been agreed for the completion and publication of the Fuel Poverty Strategy.

Section 7(4) of the Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy)(Scotland) Act 2019 requires Scottish Ministers to lay the first proposed Fuel Poverty Strategy before the expiry of the period of 1 year beginning with the day on which section 6 comes into force. In light of the commencement of section 6 of the Act on 19 September we will lay the proposed Strategy in the Scottish Parliament before 19 September 2020. The Parliament will have then have 40 days to consider the Strategy before it can be finalised and published.

Question reference: S5W-25339

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Prison Officers' Association Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-03665

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to set out a clear timetable for the delivery of the R100 programme.

Question reference: S5W-25332

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is had regarding establishing a long-term base for the Interventions for Vulnerable Youth Project, and what plans it has to fund the project beyond 31 March 2020.

On 11 September, it was announced that the Interventions for Vulnerable Youth service will move to Kibble Education and Care Centre from 31 October and funding will remain in place until the end of March 2020.

The Scottish Government are actively exploring longer-term, whole-system support to this vulnerable group of children and young people. That includes discussion with Kibble regarding the future of the IVY service beyond March 2020.

Question reference: S5W-25336

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether risk impact assessments have been conducted in each prison in response to the reported increases in the prison population.

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

SPS has undertaken detailed preparation and action planning in order to safely manage the increased Scottish prison population. This action planning has been implemented in stages as the prison population has reached pre-defined trigger points. Reconfiguration of our existing estate has been required; the extent of which has increased in line with the population.

All proposed responses were subject to full risk assessment which considered operational impact and any additional resources required to mitigate against the associated risk.

Question reference: S5W-25337

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Audit Scotland report, The 2018/19 audit of the Scottish Prison Service.

I refer the Member to the answer that I gave to question S5T-01787 in the Chamber on 17 September 2019. The answer to the Topical Question is available on the Parliaments website, the Official Report can be viewed at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=12256&i=110781

I take very seriously the pressures that Scotland’s prisons face, and especially the rise in the prisoner population. I have been working closely with the Scottish Prison Service to see that robust measures are in place to ensure the safety of staff and of the prisoners who are in our care. In addition to extending the Presumption Against Short Sentences to 12 months which came into force in July, we have established a Prisons Resilience Leadership Group which is looking at a range of actions including:

Increasing awareness of, access to and support for community sentences and alternatives to custody;
Looking more widely at how bail law operates and at access to support and mentoring schemes in the community to make sure that remand is only used when it is needed to protect the public;
The revision of guidance for Home Detention Curfew (HDC) when we commence the parts of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019 that provide for an expansion of electronic monitoring and make important improvements to temporary release and to HDC.

Additional funding for supervised and supported bail has been allocated to bolster existing services and facilitate the establishment of new provision.

Question reference: S5W-25340

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 of the reported population increase at HMP Low Moss.

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

Whilst an increased prison population can place greater pressure on basic services and facilities, the Health and Safety of those who live, work and visit our prisons remains our primary concern. All prison activity at HMP Low Moss is fully risk assessed and accompanied by Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and/or Safe Systems of Work (SSoW).

All Risk Assessments and SSoW are subject to a management review in response to any operational changes, new systems of work or any other significant changes to working patterns or the working environment.

As HMP Low Moss’ population has increased all relevant Risk Assessments and SSoW have been reviewed and updated as appropriate in partnership with the Local Prison Officer Association representatives. This process fully considered any additional risks presented and robust control measures were implemented to mitigate these.

Dynamic risk assessment is an ongoing feature of prison work. Where any imminent risk to health, or safety, is identified then an appropriate response will be implemented by the Governor in Charge.