Liam Kerr

17 Oct 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific financial support is offered to older people to offset any rise in the cost of (a) heating expenses during winter and (b) council tax.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Warmer Homes Scotland is the Scottish Government’s national scheme to help households living in, or most at risk of, fuel poverty. It provides insulation and renewable heating systems to qualifying households. People who are of pension age, have no working he…

24 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25103 by Humza Yousaf on 19 September 2019, whether the calculation that £9.5 million a year more has been invested in Criminal Justice Social Work since 2015-16 is based on cash or real terms.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Further to the answer to question S5W-25103 provided on 19 September 2019, the £9.5 million increase is in cash terms and relates to additional investments since 2015-16.

24 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24721 by Humza Yousaf on 6 September 2019, whether the Lord Advocate in his role as head of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will rule out implementing restorative justice as an alternative to prosecution, allowing it to run only in pa…

Answer · James Wolffe QC: The decision to divert a case from prosecution is properly a matter professional prosecutors within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). Diversion from prosecution is a process by which a prosecutor may refer a case to social work or other …

24 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it is using to determine where the £160 million of convergence funding is allocated.

24 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25045 by Michael Matheson on 23 September 2019, by what date it will bring forward the relevant statutory procedures for the improvement scheme.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As confirmed in my reply to question S5W-25045 , w e are currently taking forward the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option with a view to publishing draft Orders later this year for comment.

17 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to initiatives in the north east that aim to tackle climate change.

11 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Prison Service has not published its annual report and accounts for 2018-19, and by what date it will do so.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: The SPS Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19 were laid before Parliament on 12 September 2019 along with Audit Scotland’s Section 22 Rep…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will put in place more stringent fire safety provisions for external wall cladding systems.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Amendments to the Building Regulations and Building Standards Technical Handbooks published on 12 July introduced more stringent fire safety provisions for external wall cladding systems. These provisions apply from the 1st of October 2019 to any new buildin…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will introduce guidance on (a) fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats, (b) fire safety in specialised housing and (c) fire-risk assessments.

Answer · Ash Denham: The Guidance regarding Fire Safety in Existing High Rise Domestic Buildings, which includes Guidance on Fire Risk Assessment, will be published before the end of 2019. A public consultation on the draft Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing Specialised…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will launch a fire safety campaign for common areas of dwellings.

Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government is currently planning the fire safety campaign for common areas of high rise domestic buildings. This work, including identifying an appropriate launch date that delivers effective reach and impact, is being informed by the responses t…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will develop specific fire safety guidance aimed at all residents of high-rise domestic buildings.

Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government is currently planning the production and delivery of fire safety guidance aimed at all residents of high rise domestic buildings. This is being informed by responses to the consultation on Strengthening Fire Safety for Domestic High Ri…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will take a consistent position on the storage, removal and enforced prohibition of combustible materials in common areas.

Answer · Ash Denham: A framework setting out a consistent position regarding the storage, removal and enforced prohibition of combustible materials in common areas is being taken forward by a Working Group made up of relevant stakeholders and is expected to be completed before th…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will introduce the Defamation and Malicious Publications (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Ash Denham: As the First Minister set out in Programme for Government we will introduce a Defamation and Malicious Publication Bill this parliamentary year. The Bill will take forward the recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission and will simplify and modernise the …

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its calculation that £9.5 million a year more has been invested in Criminal Justice Social Work since 2015-16 is based on cash or real terms.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Ring-fenced Criminal Justice Social Work funding is in addition to increases to revenue funding of local authorities and has increased by 7.3% compared with 2015-16 while the number of Community Payback Orders has reduced by 8.3% nationally, broadly reflectin…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has made available for bail supervision.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Local authorities have flexibility to use the ring-fenced funding for Justice Social Work of just over £100 million, which is protected in the 2019-20 budget, for bail supervision. This includes investment of £1.5 million annually since 2015-16 specifically f…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the fire service's Youth Engagement Scheme has replaced the Cadet Scheme.

Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Youth Volunteer Scheme (YVS) has replaced the cadet scheme. There are currently five legacy young firefighter programmes operating across the SFRS which will transition to the new YVS from mid November 2019. The SFR…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will commence the sections of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019 that deal with the home detention curfew regime.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Management of Offenders Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 25 June 2019 and received Royal Assent on 30 July 2019. The Scottish Government are currently in discussion with stakeholders, including criminal justice social work, the Police and the …

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will set out a long-term vision for the justice system.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Justice in Scotland: Vision and Priorities document was published in July 2017. It provides a framework for a more progressive, evidence-based approach to justice. It was developed in collaboration with the Justice Board and other key stakeholders and set…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will deliver a single national computer network for Police Scotland, and what lessons will have been learned from the i6 programme.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The delivery of police ICT projects, is a matter for the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and the Chief Constable. Police Scotland is investing £3.9m in a national computer network to improve service and efficiency across Scotland. This will deliver increased…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish the independent jury research report.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24741 on 6 September 2019. 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…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide detail on the work that it plans to consider the sustainability of policing.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has included sustainability as one of its draft Strategic Police Priorities. These are the subject of a current consultation, and will set the long term strategic direction for the policing of Scotland and the carrying out of the Scott…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will establish an independently-chaired group to ensure that police powers allow for the use of technology to make policing more effective and efficient, and when its terms of reference will be set.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: On 13 June 2019 I announced to the Scottish Parliament Justice Sub-Committee on Policing my intention to form an independently-chaired reference group to scope the possible legal and ethical issues arising from emerging technological developments in policing.…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will establish a victims' sounding board.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: As stated in the Programme for Government 2019-2020, the Victims Taskforce will be directly informed by a Victims Sounding Board and victim reference groups. Rape Crisis Scotland has established a survivor reference group, which met for the first time in Apr…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will invest to upgrade facilities for child witnesses, and over what time period.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: At the end of 2018, the Scottish Government committed over two million pounds of capital and associated revenue costs to enable the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to provide new and upgraded state of the art evidence suites to allow children and vulner…

4 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether victim support organisations will have the power to demand changes to criminal justice bodies’ annual standards of service for victims and witnesses.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We are working with all of the criminal justice bodies and the Victims Organisation Collaboration Forum Scotland (VOCFS) which is chaired by Victim Support Scotland, to facilitate engagement on the development of the annual standards of service for victims an…

3 Sep 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress on railway station upgrades in the north east.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This Government has already invested £330 million to improve rail services in the north of Scotland. Transport Scotland and its partners are committed to delivering new railway stations at Kintore and Dalcross. NESTRANS has recently been successful in securi…

1 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has set up a restorative justice stakeholder group and, if so, what its terms of reference are.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24723 on 6 September 2019. 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…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Aberdeenshire Council regarding the Laurencekirk junction.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Since Transport Scotland appointed design consultants in September 2016 to take forward the design and assessment of a new grade-separated junction at Laurencekirk it has held a number of technical meetings with Aberdeenshire Council officers in relation to t…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to commence physical groundwork on the Laurencekirk junction.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is committed to completing the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement for the people of the north east as soon as possible. We are currently taking forward the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option with a view…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its timescale is for making public the next stage of work on the Laurencekirk junction.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is currently taking forward the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option with a view to publishing draft Orders and Environmental Impact Assessment Report later this year for comment.