Parliamentary questions
Mary Fee
672 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Feb 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of prisoners are aged over (i) 49 and (ii) 59.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: On 27 February the number of prisoners over the age of 49 was 1009, which is 13.9% of the total prison population. On 27 February the numbe…
18 Jan 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the health secretary will next meet NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
12 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the cost is of (a) creating a new Scottish Transport Police service and (b) integrating the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government's Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill was published on 8 December, with the objective of paving the way for the integration of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland. The Financial Memorandum for the Bill sets out t…
12 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to establishing a separate (a) Scottish Transport Police authority and (b) Scottish Transport Police service, and for what reason it decided not to pursue these options.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06118 on 26 January 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…
12 Jan 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to alternatives to the integration of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government's Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill was published on 8th December, with the objective of paving the way for the integration of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland. Paragraphs 66-70 of the Policy Memorandum for …
10 Jan 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will support children with additional support needs in light of the reported reductions to local government budgets.
Answer · John Swinney: I want to reassure all members that funding for additional support for learning has in fact gone up - the last report to Parliament on the implementation of Additional Support for Learning indicated that overall spending on additional support for learning inc…
29 Nov 2016 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last received an update from COSLA or the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers regarding the enforcement of minimum standards for Gypsy/Traveller sites.
24 Nov 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support young offenders to find sustainable employment opportunities to assist them in their journey to stop reoffending.
Answer · Michael Matheson: As part of a preventative approach to reducing offending, the Scottish Government is working with a range of partners to enable young people who have been involved in offending to develop the skills and capacity to find and sustain employment. This includes …
24 Nov 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the public social partnership on reducing youth reoffending.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government commissioned an independent evaluation of the six Public Social Partnership projects established under the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund (RRCF), which was conducted by Ipsos Mori, and whose report was published on 12 February 2016. …
24 Nov 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for continuing investment in the public social partnership model to promote early intervention approaches that reduce youth offending.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Future Scottish Government funding for offender mentoring services will be dependent on the outcome of the 2017-18 Spending Review. The Scottish Government has given an indication that, subject to budget being available, it plans to provide further funding t…
11 Nov 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-03798 by Michael Matheson on 11 November 2016, for what reason Scottish Prison Service industries income has reduced at HMP (a) Barlinnie, (b) YOI Cornton Vale, (c) Dumfries, (d) Glenochil and (e) Shotts.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: In response to the information previously provided in the answer to PQ S5W-03798, the reduction in external income from the external sales o…
11 Nov 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03798 by Michael Matheson on 11 November 2016, what happens to the income generated through Scottish Prison Service industries.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The income generated from Scottish Prison Service industries is a contribution to the cost of producing (e.g. raw materials, transportation)…
9 Nov 2016 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will next meet the UK Government regarding the result of the EU referendum.
26 Oct 2016 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it tackles discrimination against Gypsy/Travellers.
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03318 by Kevin Stewart on 17 October 2016, whether it will provide a breakdown of the offences committed by those people who were identified as homeless when entering prison in 2015-16.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government holds anonymised data from homelessness applications which is not linked to the database holding information on prisoners. Information on the homelessness status of prisoners is also not held centrally by the Scottish Prison Service.
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many so-called abstractions in Police Scotland there have been in each year since 2013.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held by the Scottish Government. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for Police Scotland.
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what was the average age of the Police Scotland vehicle fleet in each year since the creation of the single police force.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. As this is an operational matter, I have alerted the Chief Executive of the Scottish Police Authority to your question and I have asked him to write to you.
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what service improvements it expects following the proposed transfer of responsibilities from the British Transport Police to Police Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03955 on 2 November 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/parliamentarybusiness…
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how Police Scotland determines the number of operationally deployable officers it requires.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held by the Scottish Government. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for Police Scotland
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Scotland-based British Transport Police officers there are, and how many will be employed by Police Scotland following the proposed transfer of responsibilities.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03955 on 2 November 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/parliamentarybusiness…
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether officers will be trained to police railways following the proposed transfer of responsibilities from the British Transport Police to Police Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03955 on 2 November 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/parliamentarybusiness…
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which budget lines will be affected by the proposed transfer of responsibilities from the British Transport Police to Police Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03955 on 2 November 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/parliamentarybusiness…
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how Police Scotland determines the extent to which other officers backfill for custody service officers.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Decisions regarding the deployment of police officers are an operational matter for Police Scotland.
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which police custody suites in Scotland do not meet Home Office standards and what action it is taking with each to ensure that they do.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The management of the police estate, including the custody estate, is a matter for Police Scotland with oversight by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA).
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will retain a rail policing specialism following the proposed transfer of responsibilities from the British Transport Police to Police Scotland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government set out initial proposals in the consultation "The integration of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland" https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/police-division/transport-police and will address key issues in the Bill a…
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many operationally deployable officers Police Scotland has, and how this compares with each year since 2011.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held by the Scottish Government. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for Police Scotland
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are making toward the introduction of seven-day case marking.
Answer · Alison Di Rollo: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) are committed to working with our Criminal Justice Partners to assess the viability of the introduction of seven day custody courts. COPFS Officials along with Scottish Government, Police Scotland, and S…
24 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many custody and security officers Police Scotland has, and how this compares with each year since 2011.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The Scottish Government does not routinely collect this information.
21 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what shadowing activities Community Justice Scotland is conducting in 2016, as referred to in the Programme for Government.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Creating Community Justice Scotland initially as a shadow enables the early engagement of the chair, board and chief executive in the process setting of the vision, structure and corporate plan of the body, prior to it going live. This allows individuals who …
14 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what income has been generated from external sales of products and services created through Scottish Prison Service Industries in each of the last ten years, broken down by prison.
Answer · Michael Matheson: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Over the last 10 years, sales of products and services from Scottish Prison Service industries have generated total income of £11.2m. This …