Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,644 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 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 7m² of living space, excluding space dedicated to sanitary facilities, and, if so, which prisons.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: As at 9 October 2023, the majority of cells occupied by more than one person across the prison estate had a living space of at least 7…
6 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many prison cells currently containing two or more inmates have less than 7m² 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: On 09 October 2023, there were 36 cells, containing two or more individuals across the prison estate, which had a living space of less…
5 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work towards finalising its plans for the Air Departure Tax, and what the anticipated timeframe is for its implementation.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The introduction of Air Departure Tax (ADT) was deferred due to state aid issues raised in relation to the Highlands and Islands exemption. In January 2023, the UK Government replaced EU state aid rules with its own subsidy control regime. We continue to ex…
4 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in order to meet its statutory duties to promote alternative dispute resolution in family cases.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: Section 23 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act) requires the Scottish Ministers to set up an assistance scheme to fund the costs of alternative dispute resolution for individuals in relation to any matters under section 11 of the Children (Scotl…
4 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated timetable for the implementation of the measures in the Children (Scotland) Act 2020.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government provided an update on implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act) during March of this year in a response to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee on Public Petition PE1968: https://www.parliam…
28 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any progress that has been made towards recommendation 4 in the report, Improving the Management of Sexual Offence Cases, particularly regarding jury note taking, plain language directions and the provision of structured "routes to verdict".
Answer · Angela Constance: These recommendations are for the judiciary to progress and the terms of recommendation four of Lady Dorrian’s Review, Improving the Management of Sexual Offence Cases, were clear that these were matters that should be considered by the Jury Manual Committee.…
28 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to implement the use of pre-recorded evidence in chief for all complainers in serious sexual offence cases, as recommended in the Dorrian Review.
Answer · Angela Constance: An automatic presumption in favour of pre-recording the evidence of complainers is a key feature of the Sexual Offences Court that the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill seeks to establish, which is subject to scrutiny and agreement by Parl…
28 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of its most recent period of evaluation of existing provisions for the use of recordings as evidence in chief in High Court and Sheriff Court cases.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019 (“the Act”) makes it easier for child and vulnerable witnesses in the most serious cases to pre-record their evidence. The phased implementation plan for the Act builds in periods of evaluat…
28 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated implementation timetable for the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019.
Answer · Angela Constance: The pandemic and the subsequent pressures on the court system and justice partners arising from the backlog of cases it created, has impacted on the implementation timetable for the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019. We are working …
28 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to implement the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019 for all witnesses and complainers in cases that involve all charges specified in the act.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing the provisions of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019 to ensure that the presumption in favour of pre-recorded evidence extends to children and adult deemed vulnerable witn…
25 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to apply its proposed Energy Performance Certificate reforms to traditional buildings, and whether consideration has been given to changes to the building standards or minimum energy requirements for such properties.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Climate Change Committee has previously written to the Scottish Government setting out a series of recommendations for the reform on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). In response to this advice, the Scottish Government published a consultation on EP…
22 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to apply its proposed energy performance certification reforms to listed buildings, including whether any consideration has been given to (a) exemptions for such properties and (b) changes to regulations governing listed building consent to facilitate net zero retrofitting m…
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Climate Change Committee has previously written to the Scottish Government setting out a series of recommendations for the reform on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). In response to this advice, the Scottish Government published a consultation on EP…
22 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many properties have had energy efficiency measures installed through funding from the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme since it was introduced.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: Funding for energy efficiency measures is only paid once an installation has been completed. Therefore, the number of properties that have installed energy efficiency measures through funding from the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme is the same as …
21 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many convictions there have been in Scotland under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Angela Constance: Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 does not apply to Scotland.
21 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make regulations for the provisions in the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 to come into force, and, if so, when.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government continues to work closely with justice partners to ensure effective implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 (‘the Act'); we are working together towards a 1 April 2024 commencement date. This is to provide…
21 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many convictions there have been under section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Angela Constance: The latest available information on convictions is for the financial year 2020-21 and is provided in the following table. Number of people convicted under section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, where main crime, 2011-12 to 2020…
21 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many convictions there have been in Scotland under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Angela Constance: Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 does not apply to Scotland.
21 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many convictions there have been in Scotland under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Angela Constance: The latest available information on convictions is for the financial year 2020-21 and is provided in the following table. Number of people convicted under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, where main crime, 2011-12 to 2020-21. 2011-12 2012-13 20…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it still anticipates that the work of the Orkney Ferries Replacement Taskforce will conclude by September 2023.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Task Force has been meeting during 2023, most recently in August, to progress this work. Minutes of the Ministerial meetings are published on the Transport Scotland website. Scottish Government and Orkney Islands Council (OIC) officials have also met reg…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans for the work of the Orkney Ferries Replacement Taskforce to feed into the budget process for 2024-25.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Task Force has been meeting during 2023, most recently in August, to progress this work. Minutes of the Ministerial meetings are published on the Transport Scotland website. Scottish Government and Orkney Islands Council (OIC) officials have also met re…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19180 by Angela Constance on 27 June 2023, whether it still expects the Scottish Prison Service's updated mental health strategy to be published by the end of October 2023.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The SPS anticipate the Strategy will be finalised by the end of October and will be published at the end of this year. Continued comp…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19180 by Angela Constance on 27 June 2023, whether the Scottish Prison Service's updated mental health strategy will take into consideration findings from the University of Glasgow report, Still Nothing To See Here?, including that prison suicides i…
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: Scottish Prison Service (SPS) staff are dealing with some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Every death, whether in prison…
20 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any plans to reintroduce prison throughcare support services, following their suspension by the Scottish Prison Service in 2019.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The suspension of Throughcare Support Service suspension 2019, was a temporary measure in response to operational pressures within est…
19 Sep 2023 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to engage with Regional Screen Scotland regarding their call for funding for a new Screen Machine vehicle, in light of concerns that a lack of funding could lead to the end of the service.
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated for the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme in (a) total and (b) each year since the scheme was introduced.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17940 on 30 May 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-committees/…
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06805 by Keith Brown on 3 March 2022, how many hours of purposeful activity prisoners had, on average, per week in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023, 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 table below details the average number of purposeful activity hours per week for convicted prisoners across the prison estate, in …
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people made a non-directed kidney donation in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The following number of people in Scotland made a non-directed kidney donation in the last five years: 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 8 13 4 7 7
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in how many cases family members overrode their relatives' (a) express and (b) deemed authorisation for organ donation after death, in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The number of family members who overrode their relative’s express authorisation for organ donation after that relative’s death, in each of the last 10 years, is set out in the following table. Express authorisation is where someone, in life, has documented t…
8 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many properties have received Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan funding, since the scheme was established.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government has provided funding for 215 properties through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme since the Scheme was established in April 2020.
8 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20398 by Patrick Harvie on 31 August 2023, how many properties have installed one or more renewable systems measures with funding from the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme, broken down by the measures installed at each property, since …
Answer · Patrick Harvie: Energy Savings Trust, who administer the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Landlord Loan Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government, do not hold this information in the format you have requested. However, the Scottish Government has provided funding for 26 proper…