Sharon Dowey

17 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported policy change regarding the transfer of funds between revenue and capital departmental expenditure limit budgets that colleges use to manage their estate.

Answer · Graeme Dey: My understanding is that the Scottish Funding Council has concluded that the flexibility it was in a position to be able to use in previous years is no longer possible because of the budgetary position it is now operating within. Therefore, there has not been…

14 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in situations where wayleaves cannot be satisfactorily concluded with landowners, what processes are in place to overcome any such issues, and what is considered a reasonable period within which to conclude such negotiations.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Scottish Ministers have no role in the conclusion of voluntary wayleaves in relation to electricity infrastructure and are only able to act on applications made by licence holders for Necessary Wayleaves under the Electricity Act 1989. Telecommunications is …

8 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22266 by Paul McLennan on 16 October 2023, how much of the £500,000 domestic abuse pilot fund has been distributed to date.

Answer · Paul McLennan: The £500,000 fund to leave pilot was announced in October 2023 and ended on 31 March 2024. Women’s Aid groups disbursed the funding on behalf of the Scottish Government in five pilot areas. The Scottish Government expects a full report from Scottish Women’s A…

1 May 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle homelessness in Ayrshire.

23 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is collaborating with (a) other governments across the UK, (b) law enforcement agencies and (c) technology platforms to address the reported proliferation of sexually explicit deepfakes, and what resources are being allocated for (i) education and (ii) prevention of any associated…

Answer · Angela Constance: Regulation of the internet is a reserved matter falling to the UK Government and Parliament. Within that context, the Scottish Government engages with the UK Government and Ofcom, the new online safety regulator, on the implementation of the UK Government Onl…

23 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to (a) track and (b) prosecute cases involving the distribution, publication, or sale of sexually explicit deepfake images, particularly in cases where the depicted individuals did not consent to such depictions.

Answer · Angela Constance: Depending on the facts and circumstances of the particular case, there are a range of offences that may be used to prosecute cases where someone publishes, sells or distributes sexually explicit images of a person without their consent. In particular, the of…

23 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed, or plans to review, any current legislation in light of the UK Government's proposed amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill regarding sexually explicit deepfakes, and what its position is on whether there are any gaps in Scots law in relation to deepfake technolo…

Answer · Angela Constance: Disclosing or threatening to disclose sexually explicit 'deepfake' images, including by publishing them on the internet, is covered by the offence of 'disclosing or threatening to disclose an intimate image' at section 2 of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Ha…

23 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect women and other vulnerable groups from the creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfake images.

Answer · Angela Constance: Legislation criminalising the disclosure of intimate images includes photographs or films that have been digitally enhanced or manipulated. As such, the law covers 'deepfake' images that have been digitally manipulated so as to appear to depict the person to …

23 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the baseline funding for the drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme in (a) East and (b) South Ayrshire beyond the current allocations, in light of reports of a projected increase to 40 referrals for 2024-25.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Public Health Scotland (PHS) published a baseline report as part of their interim Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme in February, where the best available evidence suggested that referrals into residential rehabilitatio…

23 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP) in (a) East and (b) South Ayrshire for the 2024-25 financial year.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Full budget allocations for 2024-25 are still to be confirmed. In 2023-24, Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs) received funding exceeding £112 million. We anticipate that this funding will be maintained in 2024-25. Annual ADP funding is published and avai…

23 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure equitable access to alcohol and drug rehabilitation services in (a) East and (b) South Ayrshire, in light of reports that the 12-week programme costs between £15,000 and £20,000 per person.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government has made a significant investment in residential rehabilitation services and associated aftercare as part of the £250 million investment into our National Mission to improve and save lives impacted by substance use. As part of this inv…

17 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Police Scotland's pilot to no longer investigate some minor crimes in the north east, and whether there are any plans to roll this out across Scotland.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Chief Constable has been clear that the Proportionate Response to Crime pilot has been about ensuring an appropriate approach to policing. It is not the case that certain specific crimes will no longer be investigated. Both Police Scotland and the Scott…

10 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many current inmates have Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) sentences, and whether that figure has risen in the past five years.

Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) figures are available publicly on the Risk Management Authority (RMA) website. The OLR senten…

10 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many inmates with Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) sentences have not had an updated risk assessment within the last year.

Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: OLRs are subject to an annual review of their LSCMI risk assessment which is carried out by Prison Based Social Work (PBSW). In additi…

10 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is taking any action to ensure that prisoners with an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) sentence are provided with courses that will help them reform their behaviour.

Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: Those individuals with an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) have a risk management plan (RMP) that is approved by the Risk Manageme…

9 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of new planting has been of (a) productive and (b) native species, in each year since the beginning of the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Percentages for 2021-22 and 2022-23 are as follows: Scotland Private Sector Native Woodland Creation Areas Year Native WC Planting Area (ha) Total New WC Planting (ha) Proportion Native Planting (%) Proportion Productive Planting (%)* 2021-22 4,362 9…

9 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of not meeting its target of creating 18,000 hectares of new woodland in 2024-25.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: As a result of the UK Government cutting Scotland’s capital allocation, funding support will not allow us to reach our target, but it will still help create over 9,000 ha of new woodland. The implications of not meeting the 2024-25 woodland creation target wi…

9 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of new planting has been of a productive species in each year since the beginning of the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Official statistics are published by Forest Research in September each year which detail the hectarage of woodland creation by each of the UK’s constituent countries, broken down by broadleaf and conifer species. The most recent publication is from September …

28 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work is being done to promote traditional building skills in rural areas.

Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 2024. 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-committees…

27 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that the 62-day cancer treatment standard is met in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Answer · Neil Gray: £11.3 million of additional funding has been directed to support Cancer Waiting Times improvements in our NHS across 2023-24, of which NHS Ayrshire & Arran received a share of £838,000. Funding has been targeted towards the most challenged specialties, inclu…

26 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what public information campaigns or actions it will undertake in advance of the proposed increase in alcohol minimum unit pricing in autumn 2024, to minimise the potential of any friction between customers and shop staff.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government laid legislation seeking the agreement of the Scottish Parliament to continue Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP), and set the price per unit at 65 pence on 19 February 2024. Members of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee voted to appro…

18 Mar 2024 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the cost and impact of the transfer of HMP Kilmarnock into public ownership.

13 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns of the tourism industry regarding the potential impact on travellers to and from Scotland, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the introduction of both the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisa…

Answer · Emma Roddick: The tourism and hospitality industry plays a vital role in ensuring visitors enjoy their time in Scotland. Many rural areas of Scotland are particularly reliant on tourism to support the local economy. Scotland must be able to continue to welcome people from…

6 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to commence, by regulations, the remaining provisions of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: We are currently prioritising work across the Scottish Government in light of increased pressures on the Scottish budget. On 16 March 2023, the then Minister for Community Safety provided a submission to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Commi…

4 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18204 by Kevin Stewart on 2 June 2023, whether it will provide an update on when the Scottish aviation strategy is scheduled to be published.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Ministers are actively considering the final content of the Aviation Strategy and expect to publish it in the near future. It is important to ensure that the content of the Strategy is consistent with other Scottish Government policies that aim to encourage …

4 Mar 2024 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to promote community deer management on publicly owned land.

28 Feb 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reopening of the train line south of Ayr, in light of the fire at the Ayr Station Hotel.

23 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25094 by Siobhian Brown on 16 February 2024, whether it is using the population estimate of 5,000 XL Bully-type dogs in Scotland as the basis for its estimates of the financial impact of the new regulations.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: It is not known how many XL Bully dogs there are in Scotland. This is within the context of an unknown number of XL Bully dogs in the UK as a whole. While estimates are challenging, for the purposes of the new safeguards being introduced, the Scottish Gover…

23 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-25092 and S6W-25097 by Siobhian Brown on 16 February 2024, what estimate it has made of the potential financial impact over the next five years of the new legislation on XL Bully-type dogs on Police Scotland.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government is in regular dialogue with Police Scotland about the new safeguards and will continue this regular dialogue with the first set of safeguards now in force, and the second set due to come into force from 1 August 2024 onwards. This will…

23 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any conversations with canine trainers or behaviourists regarding the support that may be needed to allow owners of XL Bully-type dogs to muzzle train their dogs.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government previously engaged with key dog control interests in Scotland, including canine trainers and behaviourists, to help assess the principle of introducing new safeguards for XL Bully dogs, and we continue to regularly engage with a wide r…