Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,644 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 Sep 2020 · 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 August 2020.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The table shows the average prison population, design capacity and occupancy rate, per establishment, for the month of August …
11 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting remand prisoners' physical and mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The SPS understands the challenges faced by those in our care, and their families and friends, as a result of the necessary re…
11 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how purposeful activity hours for prisoners are monitored in each institution.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: Purposeful Activity (PA) is monitored and reported via the Prisoner Records System (PR2). PR2 is used by the SPS to record PA …
11 Sep 2020 · 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 · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: On Thursday September 2020 there were 7467 people in Scottish prison custody. Of this total:5370 people were accommodated alon…
11 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many High Court trials involving people (a) on and (b) not on remand there have been (i) in each of the last three calendar years and (ii) since January 2020, also broken down by how many started with the (A) 140-day and (B) 12-month time limit extended.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days.
4 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Green Recovery Plan for the Islands that was announced in the Programme for Government is in addition to, or part of, the funding committed in the National Islands Plan.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Islands Green Recovery Programme, announced in the Programme for Government is a new £2 million programme for locally-led green projects designed to help support island communities economic recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This forms par…
31 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering the reinstating of Less Favoured Area Support Scheme payments to 100% of the 2018 rate for the 2020 scheme year.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: For the 2020 scheme year LFASS has been retained with payments set to be at 40% (or 25/ha) of the 2018 payment rates and will be paid in spring 2021. Unfortunately we are unable to circumvent EU rules and reinstate payments to 2018 levels for the 2020 scheme …
31 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme will be retained in its current form until 2024.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This Government set out its approach in the Stability and Simplicity consultation to provide Scottish farmers, crofters, foresters, rural businesses and rural communities a period of stability, by retaining the majority of CAP schemes until 2024. I was clear …
31 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to pay claims under the 2020 Less Favoured Area Support Scheme in 2021.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Financial support to those farming and crofting in our most fragile and remote areas is a priority for the Scottish Government. It is the intention that LFASS payments will be paid in Spring 2021 to those who submitted an eligible claim earlier this year. I a…
26 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government further to the comments by the First Minister on the wedding sector on 26 August 2020 (Official Report, c. 25), whether it will provide an update regarding the advice on the limit on the number of people who can attend a marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration.
Answer · Ash Denham: At present, we are advising that no more than 20 people should attend a marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration, provided they can be accommodated safely with physical distancing in the chosen venue. Receptions and celebratory events related to a …
19 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30727 by Kate Forbes on 13 August 2020, what information it has regarding how many business support grant applications have been (a) made to and (b) awarded by each local authority.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) business support fund grants including the number of grant applications made and grants awarded by each local authority is available online and can be accessed via this link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronav…
18 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the vandalism of war memorials, and whether it is considering introducing a statutory aggravation.
Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government condemns all acts of vandalism. Vandalism is a crime regardless of the motivations for it, or the targets the vandalism is aimed at. Protection of monuments is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Government fully supports the…
14 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when further details of how local authorities will administer the Transitional Support Fund will be made available.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Transitional Support Fund will open for applications on 3 September, and information as to how eligible childcare providers can apply for a grant will be available from: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-support-to-childcare-sector/p…
12 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement on 31 July 2020 regarding the development of a COVID-19 contact tracing app, whether it will publish its analysis of any risks from the app to people's (a) privacy and (b) human rights ahead of the national roll-out.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31190 on 26 August 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/…
12 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement on 31 July 2020 regarding the development of a COVID-19 contact tracing app, whether it will publish the (a) app design and development reports and (b) documents explaining the product ahead of the national roll-out.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish proximity tracing app is currently being developed and will be available from App stores this Autumn. The App will enhance NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect system and use Bluetooth technology in smartphones to support contact tracing. The App is f…
11 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the capacity of each prison in Scotland has changed as a result of provisions made to ensure the safety of prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: There has been no change in the capacity of each establishment as a result of the provisions made to ensure the safety of pris…
11 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) occupancy rate and (b) capacity of each prison has been in each of the last 12 months.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The tables below detail the average occupancy rate and the average design capacity of each prison over the preceding 12 months…
10 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the introduction of road equivalent tariff on ferry routes across the Pentland Firth, and whether it will confirm the date that it will be introduced.
10 Aug 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the Childminding Workforce Support Fund to reopen for applications.
Answer · Maree Todd: To help support childminders who have suffered financially throughout the pandemic, the Childminding Workforce Support Fund (CWSF) opened on 16 July to provide grants up to a maximum of £350 to eligible childminders. The demand for the Fund was considerable …
5 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the country meets the targets set out in the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019.
31 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the technology used for virtual custody pilots may have resulted in European Convention on Human Rights breaches.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days
31 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for expanding the use of virtual custody cases.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days.
31 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what budget was allocated to investing in the technology required for virtual custody cases, and how that was spent.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days
31 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessments it has conducted in relation to the use of virtual custody cases.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days
28 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29303 by Jeane Freeman on 25 June 2020, whether it will provide an update on the data protection impact assessments and their publication.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) are leading on development of the Test and Protect Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA). These are currently going through an internal approval process but are expected to be made available before the end of August.
15 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding available under the Small Business Grant Scheme has not been allocated, and what plans are in place to ensure that any underspend is targeted at businesses still in need of support.
Answer · Kate Forbes: We are still working through calculating the final position on the Small Business Grant Scheme and there is likely to be a tail as individual Local Authorities continue to work through outstanding claims and appeals. Consequently forecast outturn on the schem…
15 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of self-catering businesses that applied for financial support from the Small Business Grant Scheme were successful, and what help will be made available to those that did not receive any financial support.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Small Business Support Grants and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants are administered and awarded by Local Authorities. The Scottish Government has collected data on a weekly basis pertaining to the total number of business support grant applications …
15 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish updated guidance for wedding ceremonies and receptions in phase 4 of the route map out of lockdown.
Answer · Ash Denham: On 15 July 2020, the Scottish Government published guidance on small wedding ceremonies and civil partnership registrations during Phase 3. This followed an announcement by the First Minister that, as from that date, only up to 20 people should attend a marri…
10 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice it is giving to business regarding the use of reusable cups and containers as more re-open following the easing of the lockdown.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We remain committed to long-term initiatives to tackle our throw-away culture and encourage a circular economy, including promoting reusable food and beverage containers. However we recognise that there has been an impact from COVID-19 on behaviours, attitude…
10 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will launch its consultation on the single-use plastic directive, and whether it still aims to implement this in 2021.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is committed to meeting or exceeding the standards set out in the European Union’s Single Use Plastic Directive in 2021. We have already taken action to reduce the use of plastic-stemmed cotton buds and intend to launch a public consul…