Liam McArthur

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), when the national child protection policy will be published and what support it will provide for this.

Answer · Mark McDonald: The national child protection policy will be published within 12 months of the statement. Support for the policy will be provided as part of the on-going child protection improvement programme.

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05529 by Michael Matheson on 21 December 2016, when it will set out its proposals following the recommendations of the report of the Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, Prejudice and Community Cohesion.

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), when it expects to introduce the draft legislation on the new definition and criminalisation of abuse and neglect of children.

Answer · Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government will consult on proposed amendments to section 12 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 (Cruelty to persons under sixteen) this year. New legislation will be brought forward in the current session of Parliament.

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), when the "evaluation of the early work" of the programme of action on neglect will be reported to him, and whether these findings will be put in the public domain.

Answer · Mark McDonald: The Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children, based at the University of Strathclyde, will provide a report to me on the early findings of the programme of action on neglect in the pilot sites, by 31 March 2017. These findings will be placed in the pub…

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), in light of the minister's comment that "new legislation will be brought before this session of Parliament introducing a new definition and criminal offence of abuse and negl…

Answer · Mark McDonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-007710 on 16 March 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/…

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), what financial support it will provide to the child protection improvement programme measures.

Answer · Mark McDonald: The budget for child protection for 2017- 18 is £1.166 million. This includes funding for the child protection improvement programme and frontline support for projects that help vulnerable children and families such as the Partnership Drugs Initiative.

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), whether the consultation on the proposed legislation for a new definition and criminalisation of abuse and neglect of children will give respondents the opportunity to commen…

Answer · Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government understands that John Finnie MSP intends to forward a member's Bill on physical punishment of children. The Scottish Government will consider this Bill once it is available. The Scottish Government will work with key partners across …

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years on 2 March 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), for what reason it is developing separate national child protection policies and plans; what the difference is between these, and whether it will consider publishing both in …

Answer · Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government has committed to publishing a national child protection policy, covering all aspects of child protection which will identify all the responsibilities and actions across Government that are aimed at supporting families and protecting ch…

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement in the publication, On Board: A Guide for Board Members of Public Bodies in Scotland, that, if a board member fundamentally disagrees "with the decision taken by the Board, they have the option of recording their concerns in the minutes", what its position is o…

Answer · Derek Mackay: On Board: A Guide for Board Members of Public Bodies in Scotland, provides essential information to Board members of public bodies in Scotland to help them understand their role. The application of “On Board" and arrangements for board meetings are matters fo…

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement in the publication, On Board: A Guide for Board Members of Public Bodies in Scotland, that the "Chief Executive of the public body is employed and appointed by the Board (with approval of Scottish Ministers)", whether it considers that the recommendation in Pro…

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government is considering the detail of the proposals outlined by Professor Crerar, the views of the Ministerial Review Group and wider interests in taking forward the development of the Strategic Board. In line with “On Board” guidance, we have …

3 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement in the publication, On Board: A Guide for Board Members of Public Bodies in Scotland, that it is the responsibility of boards to participate "in shared services and/or collaborative service delivery arrangements", what its position is on boards having the right…

Answer · Derek Mackay: Public sector bodies have a duty to secure Best Value in public services, including partnership working to use resources more effectively judged across the public sector as a whole. Decisions regarding such arrangements are matters for individual boards.

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the expansion of GPS and alcohol monitoring technologies will have on the daily cost of monitoring (a) overall and (b) per person compared with the cost for custodial sentences.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is consulting on legislative proposals for Electronic Monitoring until 19 May 2017. Alongside this consultation we will be developing the potential costs associated with the introduction of GPS and alcohol monitoring technologies. The…

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people it anticipates will be monitored in the expanded electronic monitoring scheme.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There are currently around 1100 people subject to electronic monitoring in Scotland. If the current scheme is extended as set out in the consultation: "A Consultation on Proposals for Legislation", the uptake and use of the extended scheme will be for the Ju…

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it helps people break out of the reoffending cycle.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This Government is committed to action to reduce reoffending and we are taking forward a range of measures to support individuals to break this cycle. These include: maintaining record levels of funding of nearly £95 million for Criminal Justice Social Work …

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to carry out a risk assessment on the use of GPS for electronic monitoring.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring electronic monitoring is tailored to reflect the needs, risks and circumstances of the individual. The expansion of electronic monitoring, including use of GPS, will increase the options available to manage and…

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what international evidence was considered by the consultation, Electronic Monitoring in Scotland; what percentage of the remand population in these examples was subject to such monitoring; how long such monitoring had been used in each country, and what feedback it received regarding th…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to looking at how electronic monitoring could be used ahead of sentencing in cases where the crime is unlikely to result in a custodial punishment. To help inform the electronic monitoring working group thinking around th…

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) organisations and (b) individuals can access data under the current electronic monitoring scheme and whether (i) their and (ii) other's access will change following the consultation, Electronic Monitoring in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Individuals and organisations can currently access data held under the current electronic monitoring scheme in accordance with, and subject to the provisions of, the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and the Data Protection Act 1998. "A Consultation…

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it invited to engage in the consultation, Electronic Monitoring in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Matheson: "Electronic Monitoring in Scotland – A Consultation on Proposals for Legislation" is a public consultation and the Scottish Government is keen to hear from all those with an interest in this area. We are particularly interested in the thoughts of a range of…

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided toward supervised bail services in each year since 2007.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-05429 on 14 December 2016. 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/parliamentarybusine…

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been subject to electronic monitoring in each local authority area in each year since 2013.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The total number of individual instances of electronic monitoring in each Local Authority in each financial year of the current contract, which commenced in April 2013, are set out in the following table. An individual may have been subject to electronic moni…

2 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to the consultation, Electronic Monitoring in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government consultation, "Electronic Monitoring in Scotland – A Consultation on Proposals for Legislation" closes on 19 May. A response will be published after that date.

1 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions and correspondence it has had with local authorities in the last six months regarding tackling fuel poverty; what agreements were reached, and whether it will publish any correspondence and minutes of meetings on this issue.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Minister for Local Government and Communities attended the COSLA Housing Convenors Conference on 13 December where, as part of a wide ranging discussion, tackling fuel poverty was discussed. Scottish Government officials meet regularly with COSLA and Loc…

1 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a timeline for the publication of the next fuel poverty strategy.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government’s response to reports by the Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group and the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force, published on 8 March 2017, sets out that we will consult on a new, long term fuel poverty strategy, including pr…

1 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to the report by the (a) Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group and (b) Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government’s response to reports by the Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group and the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force was published on 8 March 2017. The document can be viewed on the Scottish Government's website: http://www.gov.sc…

1 Mar 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest Scottish House Condition Survey, which showed that all of the local authorities that have increases in fuel poverty are rural or have significant rural areas in them.

Answer · Angela Constance: The latest Local Authority level statistics from the Scottish House Condition Survey, relating to 2013-2015 did not record an increase in fuel poverty in any Local Authority. All differences with the previous set of statistics, relating to the period 2012-201…

27 Feb 2017 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Highlands and Islands Enterprise board will retain its current “strategic, operational and budgetary” decision-making powers in accordance with the recent vote in the Parliament.

24 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the deadline for the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS) loan scheme has been extended and, if so, how this has been publicised to people who might be eligible to apply.

Answer · Angela Constance: I can confirm that the deadline for the HEEPS loan – with 25% Cashback has been extended. Provided they have submitted their application and secured an offer by 31 March 2017, applicants will now be given a loan offer which is valid for 6 months, during which…

23 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on ministerial sign-off on freedom of information requests.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government's policy on Ministerial clearance of responses to FOI requests is set out at Step 33 of our Step-by-Step Guide to answering FOI requests, which is published on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.gov.scot/About/Information/F…

23 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) COSLA and (b) each local authority regarding introducing (i) free town centre parking and (ii) access to bus or taxi lanes for electric vehicles, and whether it will publish any (A) correspondence and (B) minutes or notes of these meetings.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: An e-cosse event was held on the topic of ‘Electric Vehicle – Local Incentives’ on 17 December 2015. All speaker presentations from the event can be found at http://urbanforesight.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/11th-E-cosse-Forum-Presentations-Merged.compress…

23 Feb 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the phasing out of (a) petrol and (b) diesel vehicles by 2025 in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-07455 on 8 March 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/2…