Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,644 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the content of COVID-19 warnings used in official communications, in particular in relation to the emphasis on "clean hands" and "two metres distance" and the lack of mention of ventilation, since the emergence of evidence that COVID-19 primarily spr…
Answer · Michael Matheson: Scottish Government guidance is reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that information for the public and workplaces aligns to current policy. Policy is driven by the latest data, evidence and expert advice and is reflected in the communication of guidance…
21 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the presence of COVID-19 warnings in official communications since the final lifting of restrictions.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Scottish Government guidance is reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that information for the public and workplaces aligns to current policy. Policy is driven by the latest data, evidence and expert advice and is reflected in the communication of guidance…
7 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21911 by Angela Constance on 24 October 2023, what action it is taking in response to the finding by the University of Edinburgh's Child Safety, Justice and Recovery Research Group in its North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose Evaluation: Phase One Report, …
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is continuing the phased implementation of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019. A presumption in favour of pre-recording the evidence of child witnesses in cases which involve specified offences is already …
6 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many FTE dedicated mental health staff have there been operating in (a) prisons and (b) police custody suites in each quarter of the last three years.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22759 on 14 November 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…
3 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which police custody suites do not currently have full-time access to dedicated mental health professionals.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22759 on 14 November 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…
3 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which prisons do not currently have full-time access to dedicated mental health professionals.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22759 on 14 November 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…
3 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of prisons currently have full-time access to dedicated mental health professionals, in line with Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.
Answer · Maree Todd: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for individual health boards who are responsible for providing healthcare in prisons and police custody suites. The Action 15 commitment was intended to provide addi…
3 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many dedicated mental health staff have been recruited to work in (a) prisons and (b) custody suites in each quarter of 2023 to date.
Answer · Maree Todd: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for individual health boards who are responsible for providing healthcare in prisons and police custody suites.
3 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of police custody suites currently have full-time access to dedicated mental health professionals, in line with Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22760 on 14 November 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…
30 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether, in any of Scotland’s prisons, a majority of cells containing two or more inmates have less than 8m² of living space, excluding space dedicated to sanitary facilities, and, if so, in which prisons this is the case.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: SPS does have accommodation within our estate which has an average of less than 8m² of living space and is occupied by more than one p…
30 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many prison cells currently containing two or more inmates have less than 8m² living space, excluding space dedicated to sanitary facilities, broken down by prison.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The following table shows the number of cells as on 1 November 2023 which accommodate two or more people in our care, and have an aver…
26 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances Police Scotland has given to the Lord Advocate about supporting the establishment of a safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow.
Answer · Dorothy Bain: Police Scotland consider they would be able to effectively police the proposed site in Glasgow. Police Scotland have operational independence and how any facility might be policed is a matter for them, however it has been of the utmost importance to me to ens…
24 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the housing stock in each local authority area is comprised of homes within traditional buildings.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) collects information about the physical characteristics of Scotland’s homes. The SHCS gathers data on the age of the dwelling broken down into six categories, pre-1919, 1919-1945, 1945-1964, 1965-1982, 1982-2002, pos…
24 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-21728 and S6W-21745 by Patrick Harvie on 23 and 24 October 2023 respectively, which stakeholders it (a) has had and (b) plans to have discussions with on approaches to retrofitting traditional and listed buildings.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government is committed to decarbonising Scotland’s buildings in line with our climate targets for net zero by 2045. We recognise it may be more challenging for some traditionally built homes and buildings to meet any energy efficiency and heatin…
24 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the housing stock in each local authority area is comprised of homes within buildings constructed before 1914.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) gathers data on the age of the dwelling broken down into six categories, pre-1919, 1919-1945, 1945-1964, 1965-1982, 1982-2002, post-2002. The age bands used reflect different architectural styles, construction techni…
24 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what research it (a) has conducted and (b) plans to conduct into the results of various energy efficiency interventions on traditional and listed buildings.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Energy Saving Trust, an advice service funded by the Scottish Government, has gathered case study data from 85 pre-1919 properties across Scotland that have gone through various degrees of retrofit and the installation of modern energy efficiency measures…
24 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-21728 and S6W-21745 by Patrick Harvie on 23 and 24 October 2023 respectively, what discussions it has had with Historic Environment Scotland on approaches to retrofitting traditional and listed buildings.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is the lead public body on the investigation of, care for and promotion of Scotland's historic environment. HES published retrofit guidance for traditional buildings in November 2021 at Guide to Energy Retrofit of Traditio…
20 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of a Green Industrial Strategy, as committed to in its Programme for Government 2023-24.
Answer · Neil Gray: Yes. We will update Parliament, when appropriate, in relation to the Green Industrial Strategy.
20 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will engage with the renewable energy industry in the delivery of the First Minister's commitment to "invest up to £500 million to anchor a new offshore wind supply chain".
Answer · Gillian Martin: We are already working closely with private and public sector partners, including developers and investors, through a variety of fora to ensure that together, we maximise the economic benefits that the offshore renewables sector can deliver for Scotland.
20 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline how the First Minister's commitment to "invest up to £500 million to anchor a new offshore wind supply chain" will be delivered in conjunction with the £500 million Just Transition Fund.
Answer · Gillian Martin: It is important that we take the time to work closely with industry, with investors and with our partners across the public and private sectors to ensure that we get our approach to this right. This process is already well-underway and will update the market …
20 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide more information on how the First Minister's commitment to "invest up to £500 million to anchor a new offshore wind supply chain" will be delivered.
Answer · Gillian Martin: We are working closely our partners in the Enterprise Agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank to develop an approach that will allow us to respond at pace to market needs. We will provide more detail to the market in due course.
20 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government with which organisations it has consulted regarding the development of a Green Industrial Strategy, as committed to in its Programme for Government 2023-24.
Answer · Neil Gray: There will be an extensive programme of consultation as the Green Industrial Strategy is developed in line with our commitments within the New Deal for Business. We have already engaged with a number of organisations including Scottish Chambers of Commerce (S…
20 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a timeline for when it expects to deliver the First Minister's commitment to "invest up to £500 million to anchor a new offshore wind supply chain".
Answer · Gillian Martin: This strategic investment to help create thousands of green jobs and deliver the full economic potential of offshore renewables projects will be delivered over the next five years.
12 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the potential use of licensed itinerant slaughterers in island communities to slaughter livestock on farms, in order to compensate for a reported lack of available abattoir facilities.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Food Standards Scotland (FSS) are in the process of undertaking a policy review on whether home slaughter by an itinerant slaughterer for the purposes of private domestic consumption could be undertaken legally under current food hygiene legislation. Subject …
12 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many animals have failed meat inspections under the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Regulations (Scotland) 2010, for each year since the regulations were introduced, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The TSE (Scotland) Regulations 2010 and the Retained (EC) 999/2001 Regulations place a number of requirements on Food Business Operators (FBOs), mainly related to animal identification and animal-by-products, particularly the removal of Specified Risk Materia…
12 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it would consider introducing a pilot project as part of a risk-based approach to introducing itinerant slaughterers on farms in island communities, in a manner that would allow the meat to be sold on the market.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22237 on? 10 November 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-commi…
12 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has taken any action to prevent a bedbug outbreak.
Answer · Jenni Minto: While bedbug bites can be itchy they do not constitute a public health hazard. Local authority environmental health departments are responsible for their own pest control and advice services. General prevention advice for anyone who suspects an infestation ca…
12 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a mechanism in place for local authorities to report any spikes in bedbug infestations.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Local authorities are independent of the Scottish Government and responsible for their own delivery of pest control services. This information is not held centrally. General prevention advice for anyone who suspects an infestation can be found by contacting t…
10 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of (a) recyclable and (b) non-recyclable waste in Scotland has been exported to non-OECD countries in each of the last five years.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The transfrontier shipments of waste is a reserved policy and details of waste exports outside of the UK are not published or held by Scottish Government, but are held by SEPA.
10 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many tonnes of waste (a) Scotland has had the capacity to recycle and (b) have been recycled in Scotland, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Information on the tonnage of waste Scotland has the capacity to recycle is not held centrally. Information on the tonnage of waste that has been recycled in Scotland in the last five years is available from SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) via …