Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,644 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06471 by Michael Matheson on 7 February 2017, what its response is to the number of unresolved fatal accident inquiries being at its highest level since 2012, and what action it is taking to resolve this.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: The answer to PQ S5W-06471 directed Mr McArthur to the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) website, where SPS record information about the details of deaths of prisoners in their custody. This website includes the date that SPS have recorded that an Fatal Accident …
13 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06476 by Michael Matheson on 7 February 2017, how many prison officers have been employed by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) in each year since 2010, also broken down by each SPS-managed prison.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The following table provides a breakdown of the number of Prison Officers employed by SPS since 2010. Reported staffing numbers reflect the …
13 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06473 by Michael Matheson on 7 February 2017, for what reason 11 of the 15 prisons have been at near or overcapacity since 2011; what its position is on the levels of overcrowding recorded; what action it is taking to reduce the numbers, and what an…
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Following a long period of sustained upward growth, the average annual prison population peaked 2011-2012 with the highest ever in custody f…
13 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to bring forward secondary legislation under the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act 2016.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The Scottish Civil Justice Council recently consulted on new rules for Fatal Accident Inquiries. The consultation closed on 23 January and the responses to that consultation are currently being considered. Secondary legislation will be brought forward in con…
13 Feb 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to piloting the devolved management of seabed assets to the island communities in Orkney and Shetland.
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06471 by Michael Matheson on 7 February 2017, for what reason (a) three cases from 2013, (b) 10 cases from 2014 and (c) 19 cases from 2015 are still awaiting the outcomes of their fatal accident inquiries.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: I understand Mr. McArthur’s question to refer specifically to 32 cases involving deaths in custody. Information in relation to the 32 deaths in custody is provided on the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) website. The SPS website does not record a date for conclu…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for decommissioning the existing capacity in the female custodial estate.
Answer · Michael Matheson: As I announced on 11 February 2016, the relocation of 110 women from HMP&YOI Cornton Vale to HMYOI Polmont was an important step in the start of the decommissioning process that will deliver my vision for a new custodial estate for women. As we move towards 2…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the projected size of the female custodial estate is.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The population of female prisoners is not projected separately as part of the main projections published by Scottish Government. Since 2011-12, the female population has been falling more sharply compared to men, between 2% and 6% per year (from 469 for 2011-…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to transfer control of community custodial units from the Scottish Prison Service to community-based organisations.
Answer · Michael Matheson: In line with current Scottish Government policy, the new female custodial estate including the community custodial units will be operated by Scottish Prison Service. The community custodial units will work with a range of multi-agency community partners and e…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the projected running costs are for the (a) new national prison for women at Cornton Vale and (b) proposed community custodial units.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The radical proposals that we are developing for the national facility for both women in custody in Scotland and the community custodial uni…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether sites have been identified for the proposed community custodial units.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Sites for the community custodial units have not yet been identified although the process for identifying potential sites is at an advanced …
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many fatal accident inquiries regarding prisoner deaths have been undertaken since 2010.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The number of fatal accident inquiries that have been undertaken into the death of prisoners in custody in Scottish prisons since 2010 is 14…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will continue funding the Shine mentoring scheme beyond March 2018.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has given an indication that, subject to budget being available, it plans to provide funding in 2017-18 to four offender mentoring services, including the Shine PSP mentoring service. Consideration of how such mentoring services shoul…
9 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed capital budget is for the design and construction of the (a) new national prison for women at Cornton Vale and (b) proposed community custodial units, and whether capital expenditure budgets have been secured for these.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Delivery of the new national prison and up to 5 Community Custodial Units based on current timescales would involve total capital costs of £81.95m profiled over 5 years from 2016-17 to 2020-21. This includes a) £45m for the national unit and b) a total of £36…
7 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings have been held in each of the last three years at which it, the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Development International, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise all attended, and whether it will publish the (a) agenda a…
Answer · Keith Brown: As the Scottish Government meets regularly with all the agencies to discuss a range of topics, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However the responses to S5W-06996 on 28 February 2017 and S5W-03751 on 10 November 2016…
7 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings regarding the Enterprise and Skills Review have been held at which it, the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Development International, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise all attended, and whether it will publish the (…
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government meets regularly with the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Development International, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise to discuss a range of matters, including the Enterprise and Sk…
7 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06443 by Michael Matheson on 3 Feburary 2017, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding whether it will publish the minutes of the meetings.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Minutes of my meetings with policy officials are not routinely taken.
7 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many officers it expects to learn Gaelic as a result of the Police Scotland Gaelic language plan.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Implementation of the Police Scotland Gaelic language plan is a matter for the Chief Constable.
7 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the expected costs that will be associated with the Police Scotland Gaelic language plan in each division in each of the next five years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Implementation of the Police Scotland Gaelic language plan is a matter for the Chief Constable.
7 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05529 by Michael Matheson on 21 December 2016, by what date it will set out its plan for the implementation of the independent advisory group's recommendations.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is currently developing a programme of activity around the implementation of the recommendations, as well as engaging with stakeholders. We will set out progress and next steps in the spring.
3 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06442 by Michael Matheson on 3 February 2017, when it will publish its response to the consultation.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06563 on 8 February 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/parliamentarybusines…
30 Jan 2017 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of people trained in mental health first aid.
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06096 by Michael Matheson on 26 January 2017, what the rates have been for (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16 and (c) 2016-17.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The answer provided for question S5W-06096 included the most recent published reconviction rates, published in Reconviction Rates in Scotland: 2013-14 Offender Cohort published in May 2016. Reconviction Rates are calculated as the percentage of offenders in …
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders in each year since 2010-11 were (a) reconvicted for (i) up to three, (ii) between three and six, (iii) between six and 12, and (iv) more than 12 months, and (b) given a Community Payback Order.
Answer · Michael Matheson: We are currently not able to provide the exact answer to this question, because the dataset used for the Reconvictions in Scotland publication is not held in a way that would allow such an analysis. However, we can provide the number of reconvictions for each…
26 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06096 by Michael Matheson on 26 January 2017, whether it considers that the lower rate of reoffending for people detained for more than 12 months is further evidence towards increasing the presumption against short-term sentences to 12 months.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government believes that custodial sentences should be reserved for those individuals whose offences are so serious that prison is the only appropriate form of punishment, and for those who pose a risk of serious harm. We recognise however that f…
25 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06094 by Michael Matheson on 25 January 2017, whether it will provide an approximate timeline of when it will publish its response to the consultation.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government remains in discussion with the relevant stakeholders on how best to address the concerns raised by respondents to the consultation in relation to the potential consequences of any extension to the presumption. It would not be appropria…
25 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06037 by Angela Constance on 25 January 2017, what information it holds on how it is implementing each of the recommendations, and what the active participation in the process entails.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government’s position on matters arising in the context of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will be made public in due course. Views expressed by the Scottish Human Rights Commission contribute directly to the UPR process and are taken into ac…
23 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what schemes it has considered for increasing recruitment of prison officers.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) does not have an issue with recruitment and retention of Prison Officers. SPS receive on average 1,600 app…
23 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many posts at the Scottish Prison Service it anticipates will remain unfilled following the 2017-18 budget settlement.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service does not anticipate that any posts will remain unfilled following the 2017-18 budget settlement, except for any …
23 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Prison Service in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017 regarding prison officer workforce planning.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I had regular meetings throughout 2016 with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to discuss a range of operational matters which would include workforce planning issues. These meetings will continue in 2017 and the last one took place on 12 Janu…