Parliamentary questions
Russell Findlay
284 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is planning to take regarding reviewing the Crown Office’s prosecution of sub-postmasters in Scotland in relation to issues with the Post Office’s Horizon IT system.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is operationally independent of the Scottish Ministers. The UK Government have established an independent inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT system and the Scottish Ministers agreed with the UK Gove…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when (a) officials and (b) ministers first became aware of any concerns regarding the Post Office’s Horizon IT system.
Answer · Angela Constance: Management of the Post Office is a reserved matter for the UK Government, and the Scottish Government has no role in the investigation of miscarriages of justice, which is a matter for the independent Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. Issues regard…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to establish how many XL Bully-type dogs have arrived in Scotland from England and Wales since the Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023 came into force on 31 December 2023.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: I have met with a range of stakeholders to discuss the operational challenges and wider impacts associated with the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs. As I stated in response to question S6W-24479 on 24 January 2024, there is a significant degree of uncertaint…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to provide additional funding to (a) Police Scotland and (b) local authorities for the enforcement of any legislation relating to XL Bully-type dogs.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government met with Police Scotland this month, with further engagement planned to discuss any issues, concerns or barriers from a policing perspective in relation to implementation and enforcement of the new safeguards in relation to XL Bully do…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) arrests, (b) prosecutions, (c) convictions and (d) any other disposals there have been under the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 in each year since it came into force.
Answer · Dorothy Bain: Statistics on the number of arrests for offences under the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 would be kept by the Police Service of Scotland and are not available to COPFS. Since the act came into force …
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has been doing to prevent XL Bully-type dogs coming into Scotland from England and Wales since the Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023 came into force on 31 December 2023.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government previously asked the UK Government to confirm whether XL Bully dog owners who live in England and Wales would be committing the offence of sale of an XL Bully dog if a dog owner sought to do that outside of England and Wales. The UK Go…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the process that will be used to deal with the reported complaint that has been made against the Chief Constable of Police Scotland by a civilian colleague, the Deputy Chief Officer.
Answer · Angela Constance: Police Scotland’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which can be accessed at: Grievance - Simplified Procedure V4.00 (scotland.police.uk), sets out the procedure to be followed should a grievance be raised against any officer or staff, including the Chief…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding for policing set out in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 will be directed towards tackling retail crime, including shoplifting and abuse and violence towards shop workers.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government recognises the significant disruption and harm to both businesses and individuals from retail crime and continues to support the innovative Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE) strategy. The partnership is led by Po…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether retail crime, including shoplifting, should form part of the Scottish Police Authority’s Strategic Police Priorities.
Answer · Angela Constance: Under the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, the Scottish Government is responsible for developing Strategic Police Priorities (SPPs), which it does in consultation with partners. Revised priorities are due to be published by the end of 2025. Preven…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to conduct a review into the dual role of the Lord Advocate.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scotland Act emphasises the Law Officers' independence from any other person as they undertake their prosecutorial and investigation of deaths functions, a principle they uphold in everything they do in an objective and professional manner. The Scottish …
31 Jan 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, what its response is to reports that Scottish Government decisions appeared to have been taken for "purely political" reasons, including comments made by the former First Minister's chief of staff regarding seeking a "good old-fashioned rammy" with t…
24 Jan 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent drugs being smuggled into prisons.
18 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cells within police buildings have closed since the creation of Police Scotland, broken down by each of the 13 geographical policing divisions.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The management of custody facilities is a matter for Police Scotland. However, I will ask the Chief Constable if the service is able to provide the member with this information directly. The level of cu…
17 Jan 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statistics that it has published on criminal justice social work for 2022-23.
13 Dec 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the sale of low-welfare pets ahead of the Christmas period.
30 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any engagement that it has had with any organisations on the use of remote alcohol monitoring (RAM) technology within the justice system.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government has engaged with justice partners on potential uses of new technologies, including both GPS and remote substance monitoring technologies. This engagement has included discussions with Justice Social Work, the judiciary, Community Justi…
30 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the use of remote alcohol monitoring (RAM) technology within the justice system.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is committed to expanding electronic monitoring use across a broader range of licences and community orders, including exploring use of remote alcohol monitoring as provided for by the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019. A ne…
29 Nov 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of increasing violence towards teachers and students in schools.
28 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it first became aware of the Chief Constable of Police Scotland’s reported 120-mile journey from Edinburgh to Durham in a police vehicle driven by an on-duty police officer.
Answer · Angela Constance: Scottish Government officials were notified about this matter by the Scottish Police Authority on the 1st November 2023. This was for information only as the governance and scrutiny of Police Scotland is for the Authority and not Ministers. No engagement with…
28 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any discussions that it has had with the Scottish Police Authority regarding the Chief Constable of Police Scotland’s reported 120-mile journey in a police vehicle from Edinburgh to Durham.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23358 on 11 December 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
28 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide full details regarding the reported assistance being provided to Police Scotland by an assistant chief officer from Durham Constabulary.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23358 on 11 December 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
28 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any discussions that it has had with Police Scotland, including the Chief Constable, regarding her reported 120-mile journey in a police vehicle from Edinburgh to Durham.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23358 on 11 December 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
23 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide all financial analysis that was undertaken in relation to its 2019 announcement to transfer HMP Kilmarnock into public ownership in 2024.
Answer · Angela Constance: The 25-year contract for HMP Kilmarnock under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) for a privately constructed and operationally managed prison expires on 16 March 2024. The decision to bring HMP Kilmarnock into public management and ownership and not to tend…
16 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Prison Service plans to publish its annual procurement report for 2022-23.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: SPS published its Annual Procurement Report on the SPS Website on 2 October 2023. (Link: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Publications…
16 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Prison Service plans to publish its annual report and accounts for 2022-23.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: In compliance with the deadline set out in Section 22 of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act, SPS will publish their …
16 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Parole Board for Scotland plans to publish its annual report for 2022-23.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Parole Board for Scotland is required to provide a report on the performance of its functions to the Scottish Ministers as soon as practicable after the end of each year, after which this report is laid before Parliament. Previously, this has usually been…
15 Nov 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of the British Transport Police on Scotland’s railways.
15 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the full details of any payments that it has reportedly made towards the legal costs of Sheriff Jack Brown in relation to fitness for judicial office tribunal proceedings.
Answer · Angela Constance: Sheriff Jack Brown is subject to ongoing Fitness for Judicial Office Tribunal proceedings. Under Section 23(6) of the Court Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, Scottish Ministers are obliged to pay such expenses as they consider are reasonably required to be incurred…
13 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any (a) internal communications involving (i) ministers and (ii) officials regarding Sheriff Alistair Duff’s role as a director of the Judicial Institute for Scotland, in light of the Police Scotland investigation that resulted in him being convicted at …
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government has had no involvement regarding Sheriff Duff's role as a Director of the Judicial Institute for Scotland. The judiciary is independent of the Scottish Government. The Lord President delegates responsibility for the delivery of judicia…
13 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any (a) internal communications involving (i) ministers and (ii) officials and (b) external communications in respect of the Police Scotland investigation that resulted in Sheriff Alistair Duff being convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable is responsible for the policing of Scotland, and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly. These arrangements are in…