- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 July 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32985 by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 November 2020, whether it will provide an update on the figures to date.
Answer
Further to the information highlighted by Mr Fitzpatrick in answer S5W-32985, please see the updated figures below as requested:
Purple and Red Incidents Attended, 01-01-2017-31-05-2021 |
| | | | | | | |
| | | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Purple | Incidents Attended | 8,677 | 9,591 | 13,547 | 15,091 | 6,987 |
| | >8 Minutes | 2,544 | 2,874 | 4,463 | 6,278 | 2,978 |
| | >8 Minutes % | 29.3% | 30.0% | 32.9% | 41.6% | 42.6% |
| | >10 Minutes | 1,623 | 1,826 | 2,903 | 4,243 | 1,992 |
| | >10 Minutes % | 18.7% | 19.0% | 21.4% | 28.1% | 28.5% |
| | >15 Minutes | 542 | 604 | 1,028 | 1,518 | 790 |
| | >15 Minutes % | 6.2% | 6.3% | 7.6% | 10.1% | 11.3% |
| | >20 Minutes | 206 | 230 | 376 | 608 | 314 |
| | >20 Minutes % | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.8% | 4.0% | 4.5% |
Red | Incidents Attended | 55,549 | 67,535 | 80,867 | 70,105 | 32,923 |
| | >8 Minutes | 21,214 | 28,568 | 37,101 | 36,495 | 17,529 |
| | >8 Minutes % | 38.2% | 42.3% | 45.9% | 52.1% | 53.2% |
| | >10 Minutes | 13,933 | 19,238 | 25,877 | 26,043 | 13,042 |
| | >10 Minutes % | 25.1% | 28.5% | 32.0% | 37.1% | 39.6% |
| | >15 Minutes | 5,293 | 7,632 | 10,610 | 10,989 | 6,006 |
| | >15 Minutes % | 9.5% | 11.3% | 13.1% | 15.7% | 18.2% |
| | >20 Minutes | 2,339 | 3,381 | 4,783 | 4,931 | 2,804 |
| | >20 Minutes % | 4.2% | 5.0% | 5.9% | 7.0% | 8.5% |
Emergency Incidents Attended, 01-12-2020-31-05-2021 |
| | | | | | | |
| | | Purple | Red | Amber | Yellow | Green |
2020 | December | 1,414 | 6,547 | 16,092 | 17,877 | 127 |
2021 | January | 1,457 | 6,390 | 15,927 | 18,107 | 112 |
2021 | February | 1,149 | 5,756 | 14,644 | 15,620 | 191 |
2021 | March | 1,307 | 6,455 | 16,671 | 17,134 | 115 |
2021 | April | 1,375 | 6,564 | 16,199 | 18,220 | 117 |
2021 | May | 1,699 | 7,758 | 18,580 | 18,151 | 184 |
With regards to publishing demand figures, this is something undertaken by SAS which is produced and made available on their website on a bi-monthly basis.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Dorothy Bain on 16 July 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales on 23 April 2021 to overturn the convictions of sub-postmasters and postmistresses convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting on the basis of flawed evidence from the Post Office’s Horizon system, what steps are being taken by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to (a) identify Scottish sub-postmasters and postmistresses and their staff who were potentially wrongly prosecuted for fraud or embezzlement in Scotland on the basis of similarly flawed information supplied by the Post Office and (b) determine whether, in respect of prosecutions in Scotland, the Post Office was misleading during the court processes about the flaws of the Horizon system described by the Court of Appeal, or failed to disclose those flaws.
Answer
On 23 April 2021 the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) for England and Wales issued a judgement in Josephine Hamilton & Others v Post Office Limited [2021] EWCA Crim 577 relating to cases referred to it by the Criminal Cases Review Commission for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The case involved a total of 42 applicants who were formerly sub-postmasters or sub-postmistresses for the Post Office Limited who had been convicted of offences including theft, fraud and false accounting.
The Court of Appeal quashed the convictions of 39 of the applicants on the basis that evidence from the Horizon computer system, operated by the Post Office Limited, could not be relied upon.
Post Office Limited have identified persons known to have been convicted in Scotland on the basis of evidence that may relate to the Horizon computer system. This information has been provided to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC). A number of cases are under review by the SCCRC. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is assisting the SCCRC with its review. Any decision to refer the cases to the High Court is a matter for the SCCRC.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers fishing for sandeels in Scottish waters to be compatible with the protection of seabird populations, and with achieving Good Environmental Status.
Answer
Due to their importance in North Sea food webs, sandeel abundance should be maintained high enough to provide food for predators. The initial assessment of Good Environmental Status for seabirds found evidence of the impacts of sandeel fishing in the 1990s when a fishery took place close to the Scottish east coast. It is for that reason that the Scottish Government has supported measures to protect sandeels in areas important to foraging seabirds including the Northeast UK closed area, which was established in 2000 and excludes sandeel fishing out from our east coast to 1°W. This closed area encompasses much of the foraging range of local sandeel reliant seabirds during their breeding season. The Scottish Government also undertakes research into seabird-sandeel interactions in order to better understand how we can help seabird populations reach a favourable condition.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to safeguard sandeels in the North Sea.
Answer
Given the importance of sandeels to the wider ecosystem and the subsequent benefit in aiding long-term sustainability and resilience, it remains an overarching Scottish Government position, which is reflected in Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy, not to support fishing for sandeels in our waters. During the parliamentary session on the 09 June, I committed to looking at this issue as a matter of urgency and to consider what additional measures we can put in place to manage the North Sea sandeel fisheries in the most sustainable way possible.
There are also a number of measures already in place for the protection of sandeel stocks in the North Sea. The Northeast UK closed area means that that over half the grounds of sandeel area 4 are closed to fishing. In addition, the Scottish Government has made major steps in protecting areas of key importance to sandeel through the designation of a network of Marine Protected Areas focussed on areas important to sandeel populations.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the levels of fishing for sandeels inside the Turbot Bank nature conservation marine protected area (MPA), in each year since it was designated as a MPA in 2014.
Answer
Marine Scotland monitors fishing activity and sandeel abundance off our east coast, including the Turbot Bank nature conservation marine protected area (MPA). The last research survey in December 2020 found high numbers of sandeels within this MPA. Marine Scotland scientists collaborate in sandeel assessments conducted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES). ICES reports annual sandeel landings at the level of ICES statistical rectangles, as for most commercial fish stocks. The ICES rectangles containing the Turbot Bank nature conservation MPA also include other sandeel grounds and so no landings are available for just the MPA. Since 2014, fishing has taken place in the ICES rectangles containing the MPA in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Nevertheless, based on vessel monitoring, there was no evidence of fishing in the MPA until this year when fishing appeared to extend to the eastern edge of this area.
Explanatory note:
Each ICES statistical rectangle is '30 min latitude by 1 degree longitude' in size which is approximately 30 nautical miles by 30 nautical miles
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether funding allocations earmarked for new and existing teaching posts will be made permanent, to enable local authorities to award a greater number of permanent contracts.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2021
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2021
To ask the First Minister, in light of the growth in short-term teaching contracts, how many of the 3,500 teaching and classroom assistant posts that the Scottish Government has committed to creating will be given permanent contracts.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2021
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 3 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to return funds to Jamaica held by the Dick Bequest Trust, which were reportedly made in slave trading.
Answer
We recognise Scotland’s part in historic injustices like the transatlantic slave trade and Empire. We are determined to acknowledge and learn from our past and the role Scotland played. We must also focus on making sure we deliver positive outcomes for the minority ethnic people of Scotland now. A number of our Programme for Government 2020 – 21 commitments focus on recognising Scotland’s role, how we educate ourselves about our past and raise awareness of these events to the wider public.
Scottish Ministers are not aware of any powers that they have which would allow them to direct a charity such as the Dick Bequest Trust to require any return of money in the way that is being suggested. Scottish Ministers are actively considering the associated issues raised in a recent Press and Journal article as well as a letter addressed to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and will respond in due course.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to reports of Danish and Swedish boats intensively fishing for sand eels just off the Firth of Forth.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2021
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 11 February 2021 from the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy to the Finance and Constitution Committee, whether it will provide a breakdown of the commercial fees (a) received and (b) it expects to receive in future, and the dates and value of these fees.
Answer
The Scottish Government receives a commercial fee for the contingency liability which the Finance and Constitution Committee approved in 2016. The level of the guarantee fee and the fee arrangements are commercially confidential.
