Parliamentary questions
Daniel Johnson
1,103 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many new vehicles have been provided to the Scottish Ambulance Service in each year since 2007-08.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government provides the Ambulance Service with funding which supports the Service in delivering a high quality level of emergency health care to the people of Scotland. Decisions on funding required for the purchase of new vehicles and maintenan…
5 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) core and (b) non-core revenue resource limit has been for the Scottish Ambulance Service in each year since 2007-08.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Core and non-core revenue resource limit is reported in Health Boards’ annual accounts. Scottish Ambulance Service annual accounts are available online from: http://www.scottishambulance.com/TheService/annual_accounts.aspx Prior to 2010-11, revenue resourc…
5 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) mean and (b) median number of months it takes for a fatal accident inquiry report to be published following a death in custody.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: As soon as possible after conclusion of the evidence and submissions in a fatal accident inquiry the sheriff must make a determination in terms of Section 26 of the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016 (the 2016 Act). The …
5 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many fatal accident inquiries have (a) taken place and (b) not yet taken place for deaths in custody in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: (a) Table A indicates the number of individuals who died in prison custody during the financial years (1 April to 31 March) from 2010 -11 through to 2017-18, where a fatal accident inquiry has been concluded. It is important to note that there are investigat…
5 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the longest time is for a fatal accident inquiry to be (a) completed and (b) currently awaiting completion following a death in custody.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: (a) Table A indicates for individuals who died in prison custody during the financial years (1 April to 31 March) from 2010-11 through to 2017-18, the longest time taken from the date of death to conclusion of evidence in the FAI. It is important to note tha…
5 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason fatal accident inquires are yet to be held for people who died in custody four years ago.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: There are three deaths of individuals who died in prison custody during the financial year 2014-15 (1 April to 31 March), where fatal accident inquiries have yet to be held. Dates have been scheduled for two of these to take place in August and November 2018 …
5 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there are long delays in conducting fatal accident inquires following a death in custody.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-17612 on 30 July 2018. The progress of a death investigation depends on a variety of factors. While most death investigations conclude once a cause of death is known, other cases require further investigation, …
5 Jul 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of some families reportedly waiting over four years for official confirmation of the cause of the death, what assistance it is giving to family members affected by failures to complete fatal accident inquires for inmates dying in prison.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: In respect of every individual whose death is reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, following a death in prison custody, a medical certificate of cause of death is issued by a medical professional, normally by a pathologist, following a …
29 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in the event of the merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, who will bear the cost of any redundancies that arise.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: There is no legitimate redundancy situation created by the transfer.
27 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Supreme Court ruling affecting heterosexual couples in England and Wales, what its position is on civil partnerships for heterosexual couples in Scotland.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government is considering the implications for Scotland of the recent judgment by the UK Supreme Court.
27 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Supreme Court ruling affecting heterosexual couples in England and Wales, whether it plans to pursue its 2015 announcement to allow civil partnerships for heterosexual couples in Scotland.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: There was not an announcement on civil partnership for mixed sex couples in Scotland in 2015. The Scottish Government did carry out a consultation on civil partnership in 2015. This consultation, an analysis of responses, the responses we have permission to p…
26 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how Ernst and Young was selected for its work on the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This is a matter for Police Scotland who ran a competitive tendering process to engage professional services support for the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland.
26 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it anticipates it will pay Ernst & Young in total for its work on the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: It is not currently anticipated that the Scottish Government will make any payment to Ernst & Young for the BTP Integration programme. Police Scotland hold the contract with Ernst & Young on this matter.
26 Jun 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent to date on the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: As confirmed in the letter dated 29 May to the Justice Committee from the Chairs of the Joint Programme Board the estimated staff costs to the Scottish Government to financial year end 2017-18 are £310,000. This is based on all officials engaged on the projec…
13 Jun 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time has been in the last year for adults seeking diagnosis for ADHD, and how many rejected referrals for diagnosis there have been.
5 Jun 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in delivering the expansion of early learning and childcare.
24 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many dog control notices have been served in each year since the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 came into force.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The information is provided in the following table. Dog control notices issued under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 Year 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Scotland 92 147 244 277 290 Data for 2016-17 and 2017-18 is currently…
24 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been (a) charged and (b) convicted under section 5(1) of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 in each year.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Information on the number of people charged is not held centrally. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have provided the following table. People reported to COPFS with at least one charge under Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 S5(1), 2010-11…
24 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been found guilty of offences under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 in each year where no injury to a person has taken place.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Information on the number of people found guilty of offences under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, where no injury to a person has taken place is not held centrally. Criminal Proceedings database does not hold information on injuries.
24 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been disqualified from owning or keeping a dog under section (a) 5 and (b) 9 of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 in each year.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The available information on the number of people disqualified from owning or keeping dogs under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act s5(1) and s9 is provided in the following table. Number of people disqualified from owning or keeping a dog under Control of D…
24 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many dogs have been ordered to be destroyed under section (a) 5 and (b) 9 of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 in each year.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The latest available information in our Criminal Proceedings database is to 2016-17 and shows there have been no dog disposals with the order 'dog to be destroyed' recorded for offences under sections 5 or 9 of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 since it…
24 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people have been found guilty of an offence under Section 3 of the Control of Dogs Order 1992 in each year since it came into force.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The latest available information in our Criminal Proceedings database shows there have been no convictions under section 3 of the Control of Dogs Order 1992¹ since it was introduced. ¹ - where main crime.
21 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the third supplementary to question S5O-02087 by Jeane Freeman on 16 May 2018 (Official Report, c. 1), when it asked the experience panels to consider (a) merging all forms of adult disability benefits into a disability assistance allowance and (b) offering a ch…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Work with Experience Panel members with lived experience of disability benefits began in June 2017 with an Experience-Panel wide research programme. Following this a disability benefit specific session started in November 2017 and is ongoing. This involves a …
16 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the total number of police officers is falling, whether it is taking action to ensure that the number of frontline officers is protected.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Deployment of police officers is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland. Policing 2026, published in June 2017, set out Police Scotland’s aim to create the right workforce mix to tackle new and emerging criminal threats. This included a commitme…
16 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) frontline and (b) non-frontline police officers there have been in each quarter since January 2007.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally. Police Scotland publish sub-national police officer numbers on a quarterly basis in parallel with the Scottish Government’s Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics. A link to Police Scotland’s latest sub-national …
16 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it defines "frontline police officer", and what changes there have been to this definition since January 2007.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Categorisation and deployment of police officers is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland. Police Scotland has been working closely with HMICS to ensure a robust approach to the categorisation of officers, which is based on Home office guidance.
9 May 2018 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what planning requirements there are for public input prior to the sale of large public buildings and public land.
3 May 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation in the Interim Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales that "any police officer (or staff equivalent) who wants to progress to the Chief Officer cadre must first be required to have operational policing experience in …
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse relates to England and Wales only, but we will work with the Home Office and the College of Policing to consider the recommendations in relation to senior officer appointments.
2 May 2018 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on delivering the Policing 2026 strategy.
25 Apr 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the submission to the UK Government's Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety from the Association of British Insurers, which details research on the adequacy of fire safety standards of building materials, what action it will take to apply higher standard…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety (MWG), set up after the Grenfell Tower fire in London, is overseeing a review of building and fire safety regulatory frameworks, and any other relevant matters, to help ensure that people are safe in S…