Liam Kerr

18 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made by the Victims’ Taskforce and what the measurable outcomes are.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We published a paper in December 2019, summarising progress made by the Victims Taskforce during its first year of operation - https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/minutes/2019/12/victims-taskforce-papers-december-2019/documen…

17 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £200 million most recently promised in 2016 as part of the Aberdeen City Deal has been paid to any transport or other agency in the North East Scotland region and, if not, when it will be paid and to whom.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government committed to investing up to £125 million in the Aberdeen City Region Deal. Alongside the deal, we are committed to invest a further £254 million, including £200 million to improve capacity, performance and journey times on key rail li…

16 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost will be if mobile phone units issued to prisoners are not returned.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The mobile phones were purchased on a bulk basis and it is assessed that the unit cost of a handset is approximately £20.

16 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to continue issuing mobile phones to prisoners in future, post-COVID-19.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29998 on 13 July 2020 All answers to written parliamentary questions are avai…

16 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to prevent the misuse of mobile phones that have been issued to prisoners.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The mobile phones will operate with the same restricted security controls in place for the existing prisoner pin telephone sys…

16 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government from which budget the cost of mobile phone provision for prisoners was met.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The cost of the mobile phone provision during the COVID19 pandemic is expected to be met within budget.

16 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether mobile phones issued to prisoners will be returned at the end of restrictions on prison visits; when it expects this to be, and what plans there are to avoid units not being returned by that point.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The introduction of in-cell telephony will provide important family contact as restrictions on visits are in place during the …

16 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what procurement processes were followed in purchasing mobile phones for prisoners, and how value for money for the taxpayer was assessed.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: Mobile phone handsets were purchased via SPS’ existing mobile telephony service supplier. This followed an assessment of the a…

15 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has regarding hate crimes committed against (a) "non-binary persons", (b) "persons who cross-dress" and (c) persons with “variations in sex characteristics”.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The application of hate crime legislation is based on the motivations of the perpetrator (and thus not on whether a victim actually shares one or more of the characteristics protected by the Bill). The latest Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service stati…

15 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it defines "gender identity", as referred to in paragraph 80 of the Explanatory Notes to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Gender identity as outlined in paragraph 80 of the Explanatory Notes refers to an individual’s gender identity where this is different from their sex at birth.

15 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a definition for a (a) male-to-female and (b) female-to-male transgender person under section 14(7) of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The phrases ‘male-to-female’ and ‘female-to-male’ transgender person are not specifically defined in the Bill because it is not considered necessary for those phrases to be given any special definitions for the purposes of the Bill. Within the Bill’s definit…

15 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide examples of cases of when a transgender male-to-female person or a transgender female-to-male person, as defined in the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, would not have the protected characteristic of gender reassignment.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Section 14(7) of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill defines ‘transgender identity’, which is a broader definition than the protected characteristic of gender reassignment. It is recognised, for example by the Equality and Human Rights Commission,…

15 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a definition for a (a) "non-binary person" and (b) "person who cross-dresses" under section 14(7) of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The phrases ‘non-binary person’ and ‘person who cross-dresses’ are not specifically defined in the Bill because it is not considered necessary for those phrases to be given any special definitions for the purposes of the Bill. There is already a statutory ag…

15 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out the difference between someone who has gender identity that is different from their sex registered at birth, and a person who does not have a gender identity different from their sex registered at birth, as referred to in paragraph 80 of the Explanatory Notes to t…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In line with the definition of gender identity in the answer to S5W-29943 on 7 July 2020, someone who has a gender identity that is different from their sex at birth may include someone whose perception of their own gender does not correspond with their sex a…

11 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of (a) face-to-face, (b) phone and (c) video call meetings there have been between criminal justice social workers and offenders during the COVID-19 lockdown, and when it last corresponded with local authorities on this subject.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Information is not held centrally on the number of meetings between justice social workers and people who have committed offences during the COVID-19 lockdown. There is regular engagement between the Scottish Government and Social Work Scotland to monitor th…

9 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service guidance of 30 March 2020 has not been amended to explicitly rule out the release from custody of people arrested for coughing or spitting on police officers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: The law on arrest and police custody was substantially reformed by the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 to provide a modern framework, consistent with the requirements of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Section 14 of that Act sets ou…

3 Jun 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers have been tested for COVID-19.

1 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether all new prisoners are (a) tested for COVID-19 and/or (b) isolated for 14 days when entering prison.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: As is the case in the wider community, new prisoners displaying symptoms of COVID-19 can be tested to know whether or not they have the virus. Only those individuals who have had close contact with a confirmed case are isolated for 14 days. Operational measu…

28 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) total amount of funding paid out to date is as part of the Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: On 30 April, we launched £100m of additional grant funding for business. This funding is divided across 3 business support funds, offering targeted support to the creative, tourism and hospitality sector, pivotal SMEs vital to their local economies, and the n…

28 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund (a) have been (i) received, (ii) accepted and (iii) rejected and (b) are still awaiting processing, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: On 30 April, we launched £100m of additional grant funding for business. This funding is divided across 3 business support funds, offering targeted support to the creative, tourism and hospitality sector, pivotal SMEs vital to their local economies, and the n…

28 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) total amount of funding paid out to date is as part of the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund (CTHEHF) provides support, unavailable elsewhere in the UK, for small creative, tourism and hospitality companies who have experienced at least 50% loss of current or projected revenue as a resul…

28 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund (a) were (i) received, (ii) accepted and (iii) rejected and (b) are still awaiting processing, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund (CTHEHF) provides support, unavailable elsewhere in the UK, for small creative, tourism and hospitality companies who have experienced at least 50% loss of current or projected revenue as a resul…

28 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) total amount of funding paid out to date is as part of the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Through the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund (PERF), we are providing support unavailable elsewhere in the UK. Due to significant demand, we doubled the Fund to £90m and have since further increased it to £120m. The fund has now closed. Each enterprise age…

28 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund (a) were (i) received, (ii) accepted and (iii) rejected and (b) are still awaiting processing, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Through the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund (PERF), we are providing support unavailable elsewhere in the UK. Due to significant demand, we doubled the Fund to £90m and have since further increased it to £120m. The fund has now closed. Each enterprise age…

28 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) financial, (b) childminding and (c) other support will be made available to parents in Aberdeenshire and across the country who want to return to work in August 2020 but cannot as schooling is expected to be part-time.

Answer · John Swinney: On 21 May the Scottish Government published a routemap setting out a four phase approach to easing lockdown restrictions while still suppressing Covid-19. This sets out our plans for children to return to school under a blended model of part-time in-school te…

28 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what compensation will be available to teachers in schools in Aberdeenshire and across the country who are concerned that they might lose a week’s annual leave if the new term commences on 11 August 2020.

Answer · John Swinney: There should be no detriment in the number of days’ holiday for teachers who have additional working days due to the change in the start date for academic session 2020-21.  

27 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm that, on school buses, social distancing measures would mean these running at 15% of normal capacity, and, if so, whether this means that only 15% of children can travel each day; whether, in light of that, and in order to accommodate all children, this would requi…

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government published guidance on physical distancing in schools, including school transport, on 28 May. This guidance includes advice to schools, local authorities and transport providers on how to support physical distancing on school transport.…

19 May 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Aberdeen City Council since the COVID-19 crisis began.

19 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its implementation of alcohol monitoring tags for released offenders.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019 received Royal Assent on 30 July 2019. The Act provides a legislative basis for enhanced electronic monitoring capabilities. A new electronic monitoring contract started on 1 April 2020 and that now provides a c…

18 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported criticism that its policy of closing local courts and moving business to hubs during the COVID-19 outbreak may actually increase the risk of spreading the virus.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days