Liam McArthur

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of purposeful activity prisoners had, on average, per week in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021, broken down by prison.

Answer · Keith Brown: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The following table details the average number of purposeful activity hours per week for convicted prisoners across the prison…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of purposeful activity prisoners had, on average, per week in each month between December 2020 and December 2021, broken down by each prison.

Answer · Keith Brown: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The following table details the average number of purposeful activity (PA) hours that individuals in custody engaged in, withi…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) design capacity, (b) number of occupants and (c) occupancy rate was in each prison in January 2021.

Answer · Keith Brown: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The following table details the (a) average occupancy (b) design capacity and (c) the occupancy rate of each prison over Janua…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) design capacity, (b) average number of occupants and (c) average occupancy rate was in each prison in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2021.

Answer · Keith Brown: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The following tables detail the (a) Average occupancy (b) Design capacity and (c) the Average occupancy rate of each prison ov…

18 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners are being held in (a) individual cells and (b) cells holding more than one person, and how many are being "doubled-up" in individual cells.

Answer · Keith Brown: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: On 21 February 2022 the prison population at unlock was 7,561. A breakdown is provided below regarding the accommodation the i…

11 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30445 by Michael Matheson on 27 July 2020, in light of its updated Climate Change Plan and the information provided in response to the freedom of information request FOI/19/02661, which suggested that an expansion of Heathrow Airport could lead to a…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06655 on 14 March 2022. 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-committee…

11 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30436 by Michael Matheson on 27 July 2020, whether it remains committed to the memorandum of understanding that it signed with Heathrow Airport, and what further consideration it has given to withdrawing from it, in light of the reported comments in…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06653 on 17 March 2022. 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-committee…

11 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates ministers have met Heathrow Airport since 8 October 2020, which cabinet secretary is currently attending the meetings at six-monthly intervals, and whether it will publish copies of the minutes of these meetings and correspondence since 8 October 2020.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Mr Dey met with Heathrow Airport on the 23 September 2021 and the note of this meeting has been published in response to the freedom of information request FOI/202100255769, which can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202100255769/ This res…

11 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport on 15 June 2021 regarding the greenhouse gas emissions statistics, in which it was confirmed that the 2019 emissions target was not met (Official Report, c. 35), what assessment it has made of the poten…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The number of flights operating between Scotland and Heathrow in the future will be determined by demand, capacity, and competition from airlines serving other global hubs and how successful Scotland is in growing direct international connectivity. Similarly …

11 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30445 by Michael Matheson on 5 August 2020, whether it will provide an update on its position regarding whether the number of short-haul flights across the UK should be increased.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Our geography means that air travel plays an important role in providing connectivity within Scotland and to other parts of the UK. It is particularly important to our island communities, enabling access to services and helping deliver our National Islands Pl…

11 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee in its sixth carbon budget advice for the aviation sector that “there should be no net expansion of UK airport capacity unless the sector is on track to sufficiently outperform its net emissions trajectory and can accommodate…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: COVID-19 has reduced the number of flights to/from Scotland and resulted in a sharp decrease in aviation emissions. As we work with the aviation sector to restore and grow the connectivity which is essential to Scotland’s economy, we are committed to doing so…

11 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out an assessment of the carbon value of the additional flights between Heathrow Airport and Scotland that would result from building a third runway, as set out in its memorandum of understanding with Heathrow Airport and the information contained in the response to…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-06655 on 14 March 2022. 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-committee…

8 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when regulations will be laid to bring into force Part 1 of the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021.

Answer · Ash Regan: The Scottish Government expects to lay commencement regulations in early May 2022 that will bring into force the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021 this summer.

8 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when regulations will be laid to bring into force (a) section 1 (dealing with serious harm); (b) section 6 (dealing with publication on a matter of public interest), and (c) section 32 (dealing with the single publication provisions) of the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland)…

Answer · Ash Regan: The Scottish Government expects to lay commencement regulations in early May 2022 that will bring into force the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021 this summer.

8 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects all of the provisions of the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021 to be in force.

Answer · Ash Regan: The Scottish Government sets out its expectation that commencement regulations will be laid in early May 2022 and come into force this summer.

7 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be a consultation on the proposed Scottish Education Exchange Programme.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Yes.

7 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00906 by Jamie Hepburn on 28 June 2021, whether it will provide an update on the proposed Scottish Education Exchange Programme.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The development of a Scottish Education Exchange Programme is a Programme for Government commitment and will help maintain Scotland’s place as an outward looking, internationally connected destination for work and study. We are engaging with stakeholders fro…

7 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01090 by Jamie Hepburn on 13 July 2021, how it has assessed how the existing Turing Scheme will better reflect the needs of Scotland.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We have been engaging closely with the UK Government to establish that Scottish stakeholders can provide feedback and ensure that the Turing Scheme better reflects their needs. In Turing Scheme’s first round of application results, each nation within the UK …

3 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) publish the contract that Transport Scotland signed with SWARCO to provide a public service to electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Scotland and (b) provide details of the service levels across each aspect of the contract that have been agreed between Transport Scotland a…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: a) The ChargePlace Scotland Single Framework Agreement between Transport Scotland and SWARCO eVolt Ltd will be published shortly. b) The ChargePlace Scotland Single Framework Agreement contains Key Performance Indictors (KPI), it is the KPIs which Transport …

3 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to commitments given by Transport Scotland to EVA Scotland, whether it will publish details of the framework agreement between Transport Scotland and SWARCO relating to the electric vehicle charging network in Scotland.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The ChargePlace Scotland Single Framework Agreement between Transport Scotland and SWARCO eVolt Ltd will be published by the end of March 2022. All personal data and commercially sensitive information will be removed prior to publication.

2 Feb 2022 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects college and university students to be able to return to full-time face-to-face learning.

26 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to making all public sector buildings net zero by 2030, with an interim target of 75% by 2027 and a target for absolute zero by 2035, as recommended by Scotland's Climate Assembly in its report, Recommendations for Action.  

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government agrees with the Assembly on the importance of rapidly decarbonising public sector buildings. We are committed to developing and agreeing, through consultation, a series of phased targets for the decarbonisation of public sector buildin…

26 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update building standards to ensure that, within the next five years, all new housing is built to Passivhaus standards, as recommended by Scotland's Climate Assembly in its report, Recommendations for Action.  

Answer · Patrick Harvie: Our response to the recommendation of the Climate Assembly agrees with the need for review of regulation to further improve energy and environmental standards for new homes. It noted the relevance of the current review of Scottish building regulations, due to…

26 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Islands Energy Strategy will take account of the reportedly significantly higher costs of retrofitting in island communities.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government recognises that island communities can face distinct challenges in the transition to zero emissions heating. We are committed to continuing to make higher levels of funding available per head through our energy efficiency/fuel poverty …

26 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Heat in Buildings Strategy, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee in its report, Progress reducing emissions in Scotland - 2021 Report to Parliament.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: As set out in chapter 11 of the Heat in Buildings Strategy, we are developing a monitoring and evaluation framework which we will publish later this year. We will publish our response to this recommendation, and the Climate Change Committee’s other recommenda…

26 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the Islands Energy Strategy. 

Answer · Michael Matheson: We will consult on the draft Islands Energy Strategy during the summer of 2022. The Strategy will set out an approach to supporting island residents and communities to decarbonise, and to develop renewable energy solutions that can promote resilience, enhanc…

25 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies it expects, in accordance with the document, Guidance on due diligence: human rights, to have undertaken human rights checks on organisations that have successfully bid for offshore wind projects under the ScotWind leasing round an…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The ScotWind process is administered by Crown Estate Scotland and therefore Crown Estate Scotland is the body who has the responsibility to undertake all relevant checks.

25 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it or its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have, in accordance with the document, Guidance on due diligence: human rights, undertaken human rights checks on organisations that have successfully bid for offshore wind projects under the ScotWind leasing round announced o…

Answer · Michael Matheson: ScotWind leasing is administered by Crown Estate Scotland who are responsible for completing the process of due diligence in line with relevant guidance. Crown Estate Scotland advises that all project partners were required to make a declaration providing C…

24 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many probable suicides there were in each year from 2017 to 2021, broken down by local authority and also given as an annual crude rate per 100,000 population.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: National Records of Scotland (NRS) publishes figures on probable deaths by suicide annually. Figures for each year from 2017 to 2020 are provided on the NRS website, and this includes a breakdown by local authority areas at Table 5. The data is found here: h…

24 Jan 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specialist support Police Scotland offers to police officers and staff experiencing poor mental health. 

Answer · Keith Brown: The provision of Health and Wellbeing services, for the police workforce, is a matter for the Chief Constable. Police officers and staff can access a range of services to care for their physical and mental health through Police Scotland's “Your Wellbeing Mat…