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-15624

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the Urgent Question regarding the merger between the British Transport Police in Scotland and Police Scotland by Michael Matheson on 21 February 2018 (Official Report, c. 1), in light of the comment in the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland (HMCIS) report, Strategic overview of British Transport Police in Scotland including the proposed transfer to Police Scotland, that "our review took place between February and April 2017" and the cabinet secretary's comment that "the HMICS report came before we had published the explanatory notes and policy memorandum that went with the legislation", whether it will confirm the date that the (i) HMICS report and (ii) explanatory notes and policy memorandum was published.

I would like to advise the member that during my answer to the question on the integration of British Transport Police into Police Scotland on 21 February I inadvertently mixed up the dates of the publication of the HMICS report and the documents the Scottish Government issued during the passage of the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill. I can confirm that the HMICS review took place between February and April 2017 and their report was published in December 2017. Whereas the explanatory notes and policy memorandum were published alongside the Bill in December 2016.

I would also like to advise that a considerable amount of work has been progressed since the publication of the HMICS report on the integration of British Transport Police into Police Scotland. The Minister for Transport and the Islands and the Chairs of the Joint Programme Board wrote to the Justice Committee on 20 April updating them of the current situation and the progress which has been made.

Question reference: S5W-15628

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of the ICT architecture required to run railway policing in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-15631

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14860 by Humza Yousaf on 26 February 2018, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding whether it will provide a list of consultants involved in the British Transport Police merger with Police Scotland and what (a) their remit is and (b) fees they are being paid, and from which budget those fees will be drawn.

Further to the meeting of the JPB on 20 February 2018 a detailed re-planning exercise is now underway to ensure robust delivery plans are in place for all of the key elements of the programme and to establish a new delivery date. Resourcing will also feature as part of the re-planning exercise. Transitional costs for the Authority and Police Scotland are being funded from the police reform budget and will not be an additional burden on the operational policing budget or rail operators.

The Scottish Police Authority required the Provision of Programme Management Services to Deliver a Mobilisation, Transition and Transformation Programme to support the Operational Integration of British Transport Police in Scotland. Details of the awarded contract can be found at the following links:

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=NOV299795

http://www.scotland.police.uk/access-to-information/freedom-of-information/disclosure-log/all/2018/March/17-2789

Question reference: S5W-15633

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation of the Justice Committee in its 11th report 2017, Stage 1 Report on the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill (SP Paper 132), whether it will confirm Police Scotland’s training needs analysis regarding its merger with the British Transport Police in Scotland, and how much it will cost to meet these needs.

Question reference: S5W-15630

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be required for the merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, and how these will be funded.

Question reference: S5W-15626

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances would an identified level of risk to (a) public safety, (b) logistics and (c) value for public money cause it to reconsider the merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, and how it would define this level.

Our aim is to integrate BTP into Police Scotland safely and effectively, providing an enhanced service to both the rail industry and travelling public. The BTP integration programme has a risk register into which all partners contribute. If an issue should arise that could have a serious impact on the delivery of the programme this will be discussed with partners and escalated to the Joint Programme Board as appropriate.

Question reference: S5W-15629

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, to alleviate any concerns regarding public safety, what its position is on the go-live date for the merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland being subject to the approval of the Office of Rail and Road.

The Office of Rail and Road is a key stakeholder in ensuring that the seamless integration takes place when it is safe to do so. They have been engaged at Ministerial meetings over the past two years on these issues and most recently with Police Scotland and Scottish Police Authority.

Police Scotland continue to fully engage with Scottish Government and other partners to ensure the seamless integration of BTP in Scotland into Police Scotland. Keeping people safe continues to be the priority for Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S5W-15622

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it or (b) the Scottish Police Authority will provide indemnity for the liability associated with the British Transport Police pension fund transfer.

Question reference: S5W-15634

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that there is a lack of railway policing experience among (a) the Scottish Police Authority and (b) Police Scotland's senior officers.

Police Scotland are analysing training needs to ensure the railway policing specialism is future proofed and preserved. In the course of the Railways Policing (Scotland) Bill, Police Scotland confirmed the intention would be to maintain a specialist railway policing function within the broader Police Scotland structure. Parliament was assured by Police Scotland that specialist knowledge, skills and experience of BTP officers and staff would be protected and maintained.

The Scottish Police Authority holds both the Chief Constable to account for the policing of Scotland, and the Chief Officer of the SPA to account for its role as employer of staff and the delivery of services to the board and policing.

Question reference: S5W-15620

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the Independent Advisory Group on Biometric Data within the next two years and, if so, what the timescale is for each recommendation to be implemented.

The Scottish Government response, which sets out next steps for taking forward each of the recommendations, is available at http://www.gov.scot/About/Review/biometric-data/sgresponse .

We will now work closely with Police Scotland and other stakeholders to develop detailed proposals and, subject to further consultation, would seek to introduce primary legislation later in the current parliamentary session.