Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,644 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people under 18 have been in custody in each year since 2010, broken down by length of sentence.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The number of people under 18 sentenced to custody in each year since 2006-07 is presented in the following table. Individual people are counted more than once if they receive more than one custodial sentence within a year. Up to 3 months Over 3 months to…
19 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the findings of the Police Scotland staff Pulse survey that was carried out in 2016.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Publication of the results of the pulse survey is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
14 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the future of the (a) Inverness and (b) other disease surveillance centres.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Any update on the future of the Inverness and other disease surveillance centres would be from Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) who are responsible for their operation. The Scottish Government provides support for SRUC to deliver education, advisory and resea…
6 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09355 by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2017, whether it will provide a breakdown of the information for offences of (a) possession and (b) possession with intent to supply.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The requested information is provided in the table titled 'Drug possession convictions by crime, selected drug types and disposal, 2010-11 to 2015-16' which is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 58824).
6 Jun 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the provision of educational support in mainstream schools.
Answer · John Swinney: The duty to provide education in a mainstream school, unless certain exceptions apply, rests with education authorities. Education authorities must identify, provide and review the additional support that their pupils need to overcome barriers to their learni…
23 May 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce the first pilot schemes for the management of the seabed.
19 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the length of custodial sentences by drug type in each year since 2010-11.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The following table presents the average custodial sentences for all drug offences by the type of drug involved. This includes the offences of "illegal importation of drugs", "production, manufacture or cultivation of drugs", "possession with intent to supply…
19 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people convicted of possessing (a) heroin, (b) cocaine, (c) cannabis, (d) amphetamines, (e) ecstasy and (f) other drugs in each year since 2010-11 received a (i) custodial sentence, (ii) community payback order, including a requirement to carry out a drug treatment programme, (i…
Answer · Michael Matheson: The requested information for the offences of "possession" and "possession with intent to supply" is presented in the following table. Drug possession convictions by selected drug types1 and disposal, 2010-11 to 2015-16 Custody Community payback order D…
15 May 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to deliver inclusive growth for Orkney.
2 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the HITRANS report, Midnight Train to Georgemas, which sets out a proposal for a Caithness-Edinburgh sleeper service.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: HITRANS has developed an innovative proposal for linking Caithness directly with the Central Belt. It has submitted the proposal to its Board, and shared with us for our information. We are aware that HITRANS has now engaged consultants to assist in the dev…
2 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06022 by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2017, whether it will provided the same information for the (a) remainder of 2016 and (b) period since 1 January 2017.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Police Scotland are currently dealing with air weapon licence applications received between 1 November and 31 December 2016. We have now been advised by Police Scotland that the figure of 5,436 applications received during this period, which was provided in r…
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what performance indicators have been implemented to measure the efficiency of courts since the publication of the Audit Scotland report, Efficiency of prosecuting criminal cases though the sheriff courts.
Answer · Michael Matheson: As a result of the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report to which the question refers, the Scottish Government publishes, on a monthly basis, a measurement of the average sheriff court summary waiting period, which is the time between a plea of not gui…
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence given by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to the Justice Committee on 10 January 2017 (Official Report, c. 30), whether the Inspectorate of Prosecutions for Scotland is considering introducing alternative approaches to staffing and, if so, what external advice …
Answer · Michael Matheson: Both the Scottish Government and the Inspectorate of Prosecution will reply formally to the recommendations within the Justice Committee’s recent report on its Inquiry into the role and purpose of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, published on 2…
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which sheriff court buildings have functioning wi-fi.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Courts and Tribunals (SCTS) have confirmed that all Sheriff Courts have functioning wireless access, with the exception of Dunoon. SCTS have not upgraded their wide area network connection in Dunoon due to factors outwith the court building, and …
27 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage criminal defence lawyers to use video-conferencing technology when dealing with clients who are (a) serving a custodial sentence and (b) being held on remand.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Action is being taken to increase up-take of video-conferencing including piloting the video-links system with advocates. Visits to Polmont and Barlinnie prisons are planned to engage with solicitors attending the prisons to provide information on the benefit…
26 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00524 by Angela Constance on 25 April 2017 (Official Report, c. 6), what action it plans in response to the report in The Press and Journal on 25 April 2017 that a survey by the Poverty Alliance suggested that almost one third of people on low incom…
Answer · Angela Constance: The fact that people anywhere in Scotland have to skip meals to save money, or struggle to keep up with household bills, is completely unacceptable. Sadly, these figures do not come as a surprise considering the UK Government’s failed austerity agenda and con…
26 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when (a) it, (b) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (c) Police Scotland will respond to the report by the Justice Committee, Role and Purpose of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: I am grateful to the Justice Committee for the care with which it has approached this Inquiry, and also to all those who gave evidence to it. It is gratifying that the Committee agrees that COPFS is an effective, rigorous, fair and independent public prosecut…
26 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many expert locum advocates have been recruited in each year since 2007 by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for High Court trials, also broken down by (a) areas of expertise and (b) cost.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: COPFS maintains a permanent cadre of 38 Advocate Deputes to prosecute cases in the High Court, to mark High Court cases, to issue instructions as required to COPFS and to assist the Law Officers in their prosecutorial functions as required. Advocate Deputes …
26 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for implementation of the proposals of the report by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, A new model for summary criminal court procedure.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government welcomes the recent publication of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) report “Evidence and Procedure Review: A New Model for Summary Criminal Procedure”, which outlines a model underpinned by a digital case management pro…
26 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many witnesses (a) appeared and (b) failed to appear in court in each year since 2010.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.
26 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many mobile phone text reminders have been sent by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to witnesses in each year since 2010, and how many of these people failed to appear.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: Data in relation to the number of witnesses sent a text reminder is not available prior to 2013 as the technical IT script written to provide an output in relation to the numbers of texts sent was not implemented until that time. The following table sets ou…
26 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with data collection by courts since the publication of the Audit Scotland report, Efficiency of prosecuting criminal cases through the sheriff courts.
Answer · Michael Matheson: As a result of the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report to which the question refers, the Scottish Government publishes, on a monthly basis, additional statistical information about the performance of the summary criminal justice system. This informat…
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 25 April 2017, Regulating the legal profession, what consideration it gave to appointing academics to the legal services review panel.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: There are two academics sitting on the review panel; Professor Lorne Crerar who has wide experience of the operations of the public sector, and Professor Russel Griggs who has had a number of non-executive positions in the private, public and third sector as …
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 25 April 2017, Regulating the legal profession, what the timetable is for the legal services review panel to report.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The independent Chair will lead the legal services review. It is intended that the panel will report to Ministers within 15 months.
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 25 April 2017, Regulating the legal profession, what the process was for the selection of the legal services review panel.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: No formal selection process is in place. A pool of potential candidates with a broad range of experience and knowledge of regulatory schemes and the legal services sector was identified. A balanced mix of panel members was compiled from within that pool.
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 25 April 2017, Regulating the legal profession, what other ministerial appointments each member of the legal services review panel has held since 2007.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The following table covers regulated Ministerial appointments only. The Scottish Government does not hold records for unregulated appointments or any other appointments made by Ministers. Ray Macfarlane Member of Scottish Legal Aid Board from 01-04-10. Be…
24 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08565 by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 April 2017, how it plans to consider the issues raised by the research and when it will report on the findings of this.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-08962 on 9 May 2017. 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/2887…
24 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08565 by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 April 2017, what stakeholders it has met regarding the issues raised by the research; who attended the meetings, and whether it will publish the minutes or notes.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government’s priority for waste, as laid out in our ‘Making Things Last’ Circular Economy Strategy, is to keep valuable materials in as high value use as possible. This includes increasing recycling and encouraging re-use. We are therefore keen…
24 Apr 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to people from island communities who want to access university medical courses.
21 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by the Scottish Information Commissioner in The Ferret on 20 April 2017 that there has been an "ongoing issue" with ministers since 2013-14 regarding their failure to respond to freedom of information requests.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08935 on 8 May 2017. 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/parliamentarybusine…