Parliamentary questions
Lewis Macdonald
2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Professor Andrew Coyle's review of the proposals on the independent monitoring of prisons will be independent of (a) it, (b) the Scottish Prison Service and (c) Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons Scotland.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Professor Andrew Coyle is carrying out an independent review of the Scottish Government’s proposals on independent monitoring of prisons.
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how Professor Andrew Coyle's review of the proposals on the independent monitoring of prisons will take into account the views of (a) stakeholders and (b) prisoners.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: It is for Professor Andrew Coyle to decide how he conducts the independent review on the Scottish Government’s proposals on independent monitoring of prisons. Professor Coyle has been provided with written evidence of prisoner focus groups facilitated by the …
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Professor Andrew Coyle's review of the proposals on the independent monitoring of prisons will consider views previously expressed by stakeholders regarding (a) alternative models and (b) all of its proposals or its most recent proposal only.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The remit for Professor Andrew Coyle’s independent review of the Scottish Government’s proposals on the independent monitoring of prisons will be to consider specifically: the extent to which the proposals meet the government’s obligations under the Optional…
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Professor Andrew Coyle's review of the proposals on the independent monitoring of prisons has (a) been asked or (b) will be permitted to consider alternative models.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-10056 on 30 October 2012. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Professor Andrew Coyle's review of the proposals on the independent monitoring of prisons will examine all of its proposals or the most recent proposal only.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Professor Andrew Coyle will be carrying out an independent review of the Scottish Government’s proposals, as announced to stakeholders in August, to replace the Prison Visiting Committees with a new monitoring service. The new service, under the auspice of He…
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of Professor Andrew Coyle's review of the proposals on the independent monitoring of prisons and what other guidance or direction it has given Professor Coyle regarding this.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-10056 on 30 October 2012. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date the Section 14 order under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 relating to the abolition of prison visiting committees will be laid.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I announced on 13 December his decision to ask Professor Andrew Coyle (Emeritus Professor of Prison Studies in London University and Visiting Professor in the University of Essex) formally to review the Scottish Government’s proposals on independent monitorin…
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service regarding the provision of additional resources as a result of proposed legislation relating to Scottish deaths abroad.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Preliminary discussions were held with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) regarding the proposal that fatal accident inquiries should be held into deaths of persons domiciled in Scotland who die abroad at the time when the Scottish Governm…
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether a resource impact analysis has been carried out or is planned to assess what additional (a) resources and (b) staffing will be needed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as a result of proposed legislation relating to Scottish deaths abroad and, if so, when the Scot…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: No formal resource impact analysis has as yet been carried out in relation to additional resources or staff which might be needed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to the proposal that fatal accident inquiries should be held on a d…
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many additional fatal accident inquiries it expects will arise each year as a result of proposed legislation relating to Scottish deaths abroad.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Deaths of Scots abroad are registered in the local jurisdiction according to local law. There is no additional duty in Scots law on the next of kin to register in Scotland as well, so there is no information available on the total number of such deaths. It i…
4 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Scots have died abroad in each year since 2007 and how many of them were members of the armed forces.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Deaths of Scots abroad are registered in the local jurisdiction according to local law. There is no additional duty in Scots law on the next of kin to register in Scotland, so no information is available on the total number of such deaths. It is possible, but…
2 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers have met the chief executive or other senior representatives of the Health and Safety Executive since 2007 to discuss matters affecting the energy industry in Scotland, given the potential impact on costs and employment, when the last meeting took place; what issues wer…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Contact between Scottish Ministers and the HSE is maintained through the membership of different industry groups. Senior Scottish Government officials meet with senior representatives of the HSE in relation to gas industry matters as part of the Energy Emerg…
2 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers have met the chief executive or other senior representatives of the Health and Safety Executive since 2007 to discuss matters affecting the offshore oil and gas industry, given the potential impact on costs and employment in Scotland-based companies supplying the indust…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Contact between Scottish Ministers and the HSE is maintained through the membership of different industry groups. Senior Scottish Government officials meet with senior representatives of the HSE in relation to gas industry matters as part of the Energy Emer…
2 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers have met the chief executive or other senior representatives of the Health and Safety Executive since 2007 to discuss matters affecting criminal responsibility for corporate negligence in Scotland, when the last meeting took place; what issues were discussed, and whethe…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Health and safety at work legislation is reserved, with legislation relating to the operation of the Health and Safety Executive being the responsibility of the UK Government. We have not identified any record of Scottish ministers meeting with the Health an…
2 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers have met the chief executive or other senior representatives of the Health and Safety Executive since 2007 to discuss matters relating to fatal accident inquiries for workplace fatalities in Scotland, when the last meeting took place; what issues were discussed, and whe…
Answer · Lesley Thomson: Health and safety at work legislation is reserved with legislation relating to the operation of the Health and Safety Executive being the responsibility of the UK Government. From the period 2008 onwards, details of Scottish Government ministerial engagement…
2 Oct 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers have met the chief executive or other senior representatives of the Health and Safety Executive since 2007 to discuss matters affecting public health in Scotland, when the last meeting took place; what issues were discussed, and whether ministers will hold regular such …
Answer · Michael Matheson: Since 2007, Scottish Ministers have met with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on a number of occasions to discuss public health matters. As Minister for Public Health, Shona Robison met Danny Carrigan, Health and Safety Commissioner, on 12 December 2007…
1 Oct 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expand Gaelic-medium education in secondary schools in cities.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government is keen to see the urgent expansion of GME at all levels throughout Scotland. This is principally a matter for local authorities but the Scottish Government and Bòrd na Gàidhlig are taking important steps to support local authorities w…
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-09709 by Kenny MacAskill on 27 September 2012, what the cost to the Scottish Government has been of managing all registered sex offenders under multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) in each year since 2007, also broken down by manageme…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There is no centrally held information about the costs to the Scottish Government in managing sex offenders under MAPPA in each year since 2007. The provisions in the legislation require the responsible authorities to jointly establish arrangements for the as…
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-09712 by Kenny MacAskill on 27 September 2012, whether it can confirm that the number of registered sex offenders managed at multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) level 3 fell from 43 in 2010 to 26 in 2012, representing a 39.5% decreas…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes. The number of registered sex offenders managed at level 3 has decreased in the last 12 months from 34 to 26. There is no risk to the public in a case being downgraded from level 3 to level 2 if that is what the risk management requires. Levels are dynami…
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-09712 by Kenny MacAskill on 27 September 2012, whether it can confirm that the number of registered sex offenders managed at multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) level 2 fell from 840 in 2010 to 466 in 2012, representing a 44.5% decre…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes. The number of registered sex offenders managed at level 2 has also decreased in the last 12 months, from 735 in 2011 to 466 in 2012. One of the primary principles of MAPPA is that an offender should be managed at the lowest level commensurate with their …
28 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-09712 by Kenny MacAskill on 27 September 2012, whether it can confirm that the number of registered sex offenders reported for a breach of notification under multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) rose from 178 in 2010 to 209 in 2012, r…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes. The figures relate to breaches of the sexual offender registration requirements and not new sexual offences. The increase reflects both the increase in the number of offenders subject to registration, but also action taken by agencies to enforce the noti…
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the main performance indicators of the energy skills academy will be.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The main performance indicators for the Scottish Energy Skills Academy will be finalised in due course following consultation with industry, colleges, universities, the enterprise and skills agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what organisations will receive funding from the £3.25 million allocated to the creation of an energy skills academy and how much each organisation will receive.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Allocation of funding for the Scottish Energy Skills Academy will be finalised in due course following consultation with industry representatives, colleges, universities, the enterprise and skills agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the energy skills academy highlighted in the budget by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth on 20 September 2012 (Official Report, c. 11744) will be located in Aberdeen.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Energy Skills Academy will be developed as a Scotland wide academy based around the national frameworks which already exist through the Energy Technology Partnership and Scotland’s Colleges Energy Skills Partnership. It will build on good practi…
26 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with universities and colleges in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire regarding the creation of an energy skills academy in Aberdeen.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Aberdeen College, Banff and Buchan College, the Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen have indicated an interest in developing energy skills in the north-east through aligning the curriculum they each offer to support the training needs of t…
18 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-09302 by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 September 2012, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the urgent updating of the national guidelines for healthcare professionals, as recommended in the Scottish Drugs Strategy Delivery Commi…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has not held discussions with the UK Government regarding the updating of the national guidelines for healthcare professionals – Drug Misuse and Dependence UK Guidelines on Clinical Management (Orange Guidelines). This is because the …
18 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-09302 by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 September 2012, what progress it has made on meeting the recommendations for action by it in the Scottish Drugs Strategy Delivery Commission first year report.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has taken forward key pieces of work following the Drugs Strategy Delivery Commission’s recommendations in its report published in October 2011. In April 2012, the Scottish Government, COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) …
18 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is investigating whether there is a link between the reduction in the number of registered sex offenders managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) levels two and three since 2010 and the rise in breaches of notification in the same period.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There are no current plans. Since 2010 there has been a 0.7% rise in the number of offenders reported for breach of the notification requirements against a 3.6% increase in the number of registered sex offenders managed through MAPPA. Most offenders are manag…
18 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued guidance to organisations working under multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) concerning the (a) assessment and (b) management of registered sex offenders and, if so, when.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: MAPPA Guidance was first issued in 2006. Version 5 was published in January 2012. Part 7 of the guidance provides information relating to risk assessments, risk thresholds and risk management plans, and sign-posts further sources of information and guidance o…
18 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there have been changes to the criteria for deciding the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) level for managing registered sex offenders since 2007 and, if so, when.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There has been no change to the criteria in relation to identifying the appropriate level at which an offender should be managed under MAPPA.