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-14730

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners in each of the last three years have been aged over 60.

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

On 21 February 2018, there were 286 individuals in SPS care who were aged over 60.

SPS does not aggregate or retain historical data based on the ages of those in our care. I am therefore unable to provide you with a retrospective breakdown of how many prisoners in each of the last 3 years have been over 60.

Question reference: S5W-14731

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people over 60 have been sent to prison in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S5W-14732

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support and resources are being given to prisons to accommodate and care for older prisoners, including those requiring (a) personal and (b) palliative care.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) recognise that meeting the needs of the ageing prison population is an emerging and pressing issue which requires specific consideration.

That is why the provision of personal and social care within prisons will be considered by the recently established Health and Social Care in Prisons Programme Board which sits under the Health and Justice Collaboration Improvement Board.

SPS is also reviewing its population management strategy and consideration of the health and social care needs in the increasing number of older people in custody will be part of that process.

Question reference: S5W-14727

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what level of private sector involvement there is in Scottish Police Authority forensic services, and what the reasons are for this.

Question reference: S5W-14728

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to advise and support prisons to ensure that they provide appropriate medical treatment when dealing with the use of psychoactive substances, and that prison staff are adequately protected.

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

SPS has issued operational advice to all staff in order to support them to conduct their duties safely when working in any area where any unknown substance is thought to be present. This operational advice sets out guidance on management arrangements, workplace control measures and procedures to be followed by all staff in order to reduce the risk of any potential exposure.

SPS has also established a Working Group, involving key partners, which will explore further options to maintain the health, safety and well-being of all those who live, work and visit our prisons.

Question reference: S5W-14735

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers is the most appropriate prison accommodation for sex offenders, and (a) how many and (b) what proportion of prisoners who are sex offenders (i) are and (ii) are not accommodated in this manner.

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

SPS allocation criteria determines that those in our care should be designated to the establishment which provides the most appropriate regime to meet their identified needs. Wherever possible, this should be the establishment closest to the individual’s home. Whilst some regimes are specifically tailored for those convicted of a sexual offence, what is considered appropriate accommodation is dependent on an individual’s circumstances. It may at times be necessary to allocate an individual to an alternative establishment where their needs can be better met or when good order or security needs to be maintained.

Individuals with convictions for sexual offences are, so far as reasonably practicable, held and managed separately from the wider prison population. SPS currently hold 1,196 people in custody as a result of either being convicted of a sexual offence or being held on remand having been charged with a sexual offence.

Overall, 993 (83%) people in our care as a result of sexual offences are currently being managed in accommodation specifically intended for this group, with 203 (17%) currently being managed at other sites. Those individuals, who are not in a specifically tailored regime, are managed in a way that maintains safety and affords people the opportunity to engage with appropriate service providers according to their level of risk and need.

Question reference: S5W-14736

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress with each stage of the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), including dates for completion.

The first section of the project, at Aberdeen International Airport (between Craibstone and Dyce) opened to traffic on 29 August 2016, with many new junctions and side roads opened throughout 2017. This brought immediate benefits to those travelling to and from the airport. The intention remains to open the project roads in the coming months, in line with the initial timescale announced by Ministers in 2012. Notwithstanding the Carillion announcement, this is a challenging target and will depend upon many factors including favourable weather. We are continuing to work closely with Aberdeen Roads Limited to identify any impacts on project delivery following Carillion’s announcement, however, the contractor is not in a position to provide an exact opening date at this time.

Question reference: S5W-14712

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 27 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter from the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, which called on ministers to take action to reform the personal injury discount rate.

The Scottish Government responded to the letter from the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, which called on ministers to take action to reform the personal injury discount rate, stating that it is refining its policy in light of the responses to the 2017 joint consultation with the UK Government, Personal injury discount rate: how it should be set in future and that it would bring forward a Damages Bill before the end of June 2018.

Question reference: S5W-14711

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 27 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in bringing forward a Damages Bill, which it referred to in its Programme for Government, and whether it remains its position that it plans to amend the law on the personal injury discount rate applying in personal injury litigation.

Question reference: S5O-01814

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to recruit additional staff into early learning and childcare.

	Over 60
2015	220
2016	242
2017	246
Total	708