Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-22496

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many times in the last year an electronic tag was removed without authorisation on the grounds of medical emergency.

Information on the overall number of tags removed for emergency medical reasons is not routinely collated by the electronic monitoring service provider.

However, in every case where the Electronic Monitoring service provider is notified that a tag has been removed for emergency medical reasons, they are required to obtain confirmation of that fact from a medical professional and where appropriate report this to the relevant authority.

Question reference: S5W-22343

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kezia Dugdale on 26 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S5O-03051 by Kezia Dugdale on 21 March 2019, and the reference to its review of how it supports MSPs in their role as employers, what role it has in assisting MSPs engage and remunerate interns, and whether it would consider making funds available to ensure that all interns engaged in MSP's offices and across the parliamentary estate are paid.

MSPs are entitled to seek reimbursement of the cost of employing staff within the annual limit set for the Staff Cost Provision, and provided they do so on terms and conditions no less favourable than the minimums agreed by the SPCB. It is a matter for individual MSPs, having regard to these constraints, to define the structure, job descriptions and salaries for their staff. It is also a matter for MSPs in their role as employers to determine appropriate terms and conditions for internships and work experience placements in their offices. The Parliament’s HR Office can support MSPs with defining their requirements.

The Parliament agreed changes to the Staff Costs Provision of the Members’ Expenses Scheme in 2016 and there are no plans to make further changes in the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S5W-22545

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been for the contracts to run (a) HMP Addiewell and (b) HMP Kilmarnock in each year since 2010-11.

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

The following table shows the costs to SPS as per the annual accounts for each of the years since 2010-11 (the costs shown below are net of credit payments recovered by SPS due to contract non-compliance).

Year	Total
	£'000
(a) HMP Addiewell
2010-11	24,610
2011-12	26,949
2012-13	28,351
2013-14	28,212
2014-15	29,661
2015-16	29,256
2016-17	29,343
2017-18	30,146

(b) HMP Kilmarnock
2010-11	13,002
2011-12	14,180
2012-13	15,332
2013-14	13,375
2014-15	13,474
2015-16	13,435
2016-17	13,769
2017-18	13,848

Question reference: S5W-22591

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason licences are not available to catch American signal crayfish.

Question reference: S5O-03159

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement that SQA staff are to be balloted for industrial action.

Question reference: S5W-22546

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since May 2016 the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has requested that the Scottish Sentencing Council should prepare or review sentencing guidelines, broken down by offence.

Scottish Ministers have not exercised their powers under section 7 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 to formally request that the Scottish Sentencing Council prepare or review sentencing guidelines.

Since the establishment of the Sentencing Council in late 2015, there have been meetings and regular engagement both by the previous Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Matheson MSP, and I, with Lady Dorrian, the Chair of the Sentencing Council, in her role as Lord Justice Clerk. Meetings specifically on the work of the Sentencing Council have been held when Michael Matheson MSP met Lady Dorrian on 30 August 2016 and during my meeting with Lady Dorrian on 26 February 2019.

In addition, Scottish Government officials regularly engage with the Sentencing Council in relation to their programme of work, having regard to the Council’s statutory requirement to prepare a business plan every three years in consultation with Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S5W-22215

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since May 2016 the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has met the Scottish Sentencing Council.

Since the establishment of the Sentencing Council in late 2015, there have been meetings and regular engagement both by the previous Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Matheson MSP, and I with Lady Dorrian, the chair of the Sentencing Council, in her role as Lord Justice Clerk. During this engagement, the work of the Sentencing Council has on occasion been aired as part of a wider agenda of issues. Meetings specifically on the work of the Sentencing Council have been held when Michael Matheson MSP met Lady Dorrian on 30 August 2016 and I met Lady Dorrian on 26 February 2019. In addition, there is regular ongoing engagement between Scottish Government officials and Sentencing Council officials.

Question reference: S5W-22284

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the volume of (a) food and (b) clothing that is discarded from commercial premises each year.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency collects statistical information on waste generated by a variety of sectors, including the commercial and industrial sector. Statistics are broken down into a number of categories; including animal and mixed food waste and textile waste. Note that these figures apply to source separated waste only and the increase reflects improved waste separation.

Industrial and Commercial (which includes waste from business and industrial premises in Scotland, but excludes waste from the construction and demolition industry)
Year / waste by tonnes	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Animal and mixed food waste	123,907	119,235	139,918	177,424	205,301	218,557	254,422
Textile waste	18,286	15,678	18,110	11,667	18,383	7,412	4,790

Source SEPA: https://www.environment.gov.scot/data/data-analysis/waste-from-all-sources/ .

Question reference: S5W-22246

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since May 2016 the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has instructed the Scottish Sentencing Council to prepare or review sentencing guidelines, broken down by offence.

The Scottish Ministers cannot instruct the Sentencing Council to prepare or review sentencing guidelines.

Under section 7 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, the Scottish Ministers may request the Council to prepare sentencing guidelines or to review existing guidelines. The Council must have regard to any request made by the Scottish Ministers, but are not obliged to agree to any request. The Council must consult with, amongst other parties, the Scottish Ministers as they develop their business plan. The Scottish Ministers are pleased the Council indicated in their latest business plan that they will be preparing guidelines on sexual offences with this work being included as part of the business plan without the need for a formal request by the Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S5W-22249

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02689 by Humza Yousaf on 13 December 2018, whether it will set out the options that have been considered by the justice secretary and the Deputy First Minister regarding secure unit availability, and whether any of these options are being taken forward.

Chamber and committees