Liam Kerr

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether money from the Aberdeen City Region Deal is ringfenced for the Laurencekirk junction and, if so, how much has been spent to date.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In 2016 the Scottish Government announced £24 million for the design and construction of a new grade-separated junction at Laurencekirk as part of a package of additional investment alongside, but separate to, the Aberdeen City Region Deal, as such the scheme…

29 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding survey works on the Laurencekirk junction.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Since early 2017, extensive geotechnical, topographical, traffic and environmental survey work has been undertaken as part of the rigorous assessment process used to establish and then develop in detail the preferred option for the trunk road improvement at L…

28 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many visits to (a) Dundee and (b) Aberdeen on ministerial business have been made by the First Minister since 6 May 2016.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government proactively publishes details of official visits undertaken by the First Minister. This information can be found at the following link https://www.gov.scot/publications/?term=ministerial%20engagements&page=1 .

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many publicly accessible electric vehicle charging points have been installed at fire stations since September 2018.

Answer · Ash Denham: SFRS have just commenced a programme of installing charging points at ten strategically located sites across the country. The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) intend to install two public charging points at each of five of its corporate sites in Cambusl…

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service cadet scheme will begin operation.

Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Youth Volunteer Scheme (YVS) will become the first consolidated youth programme which will create opportunities to improve life chances and empower young people to work together for a safer Scotland. Its main objec…

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what further training and equipment the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has provided to firefighters since September 2018.

Answer · Ash Denham: Operational decisions, including the provision of training are a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). Training is a critical part of a firefighters journey beginning with a 14 week intensive training course at one of the SFRS training Coll…

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will hold a consultation on widening the range of serious crimes where the victim can make a statement to the court about how the crime has affected them physically, emotionally and financially.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The consultation on extending the scope of the current victim statement scheme launched on 1 September 2019 and will be open until ? 24 November 2019. The consultation is seeking views on extending the scheme to include victims of serious crimes such as stal…

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what investment it has made in Scottish Fire and Rescue Service digital technology since September 2018.

Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government provides the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) with a Capital Budget of £32.5m. It is for the SFRS to decide how that money is spent. In 2018-19 SFRS reported spending £4.255m on IT and Digital and in 2019-20 SFRS has allocated £…

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it has done to develop digital evidence sharing since September 2018.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government continues to work in close partnership with Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and the defence community to design a digital evidence sharing service that meets user need …

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on which areas of civil law it has consulted on modernising, other than defamation.

Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government consults regularly on the modernisation of civil law, often as a consequence of the law reform work carried out by the Scottish Law Commission in this area. By way of example in the past year we have or are consulting on: Judicial Fac…

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding for supervised and supported bail it has provided since September 2018.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: From April 2019-20, Scottish Government has made available an additional £550,000 per annum (£1.65m over 3 years) of funding to bolster existing provision for supervised and supported bail as an alternative to the use of remand. This funding is intended to d…

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to launch a major national campaign to tackle sexual harassment and sexism.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: As our Programme for Government for 2019-20 indicates, a campaign is now in an advanced planning stage.

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed an information resource about gender-based violence for children and young people.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: We are working with Young Scot and third sector partners to co-design an online resource for young people on gender-based violence. Young Scot hosts up to date material on a range of subjects, developed for and by young people aged 11 to 25. The online resou…

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government to which projects it will allocate the remaining £500,000 of its £2 million fund to encourage people to come forward if they have been a victim of domestic or sexual abuse and to support those who do.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Programme for Government 2018 committed the Scottish Government to investing an additional £2 million over the next three years to ensure that support can be provided for victims and survivors of gender based violence. Of this £2 million, Rape Crisis Centres …

23 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken since September 2018 to allow animals taken into the protection of the Scottish SPCA or local authorities to be rehomed more quickly and efficiently.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: In the Programme for Government 2018-19, the Scottish Government committed to taking steps to allow animals taken into the protection of the Scottish SPCA or local authorities to be rehomed much more quickly and efficiently than at present. A public consulta…

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the new cancer unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is scheduled to open.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Project Team are currently reviewing the design specification, assessing logistical arrangements with their supply chain and confirming timelines for the project. That work continues and results are expected shortly. The Scottish Government remain fully …

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the response to an FoI request with the reference IM-FOI-2019-1947, for what reason Police Scotland does not know how many officers and staff worked in Divisional Offender Management Units, which monitor registered sex offenders and other risk of serious harm offenders, betw…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The collation of data on the roles held by police officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable.

20 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to comments by Sheriff Peter Paterson who claims that its official guidance against short-term sentences limited his options and ruled out a jail term for the gamekeeper, Alan Wilson.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Sentencing in every case is a matter for the independent court, which has a wide range of sentencing options to impose, depending on the particular facts and circumstances presented. The presumption against short sentences of 12 months or less is exactly tha…

14 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning last met members or representatives of the Newtonhill community to discuss Site Op1, Park Place, Newtonhill, Aberdeenshire, AB39 3PG, which is the subject of planning appeal PPA-110-2372 relating to 121 detached, semi-detached …

Answer · Kevin Stewart: I have not visited the site in question, nor met with any representatives from the Newtonhill community to discuss the appeal at Park Place, Newtonhill (Case ref no. PPA-110-2372). The appeal in question was a delegated appeal and therefore Ministers played n…

14 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with members of the public regarding improving rail connectivity in the North East Scotland region.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Transport Scotland meets regularly with North-East of Scotland Transport Partnership (NESTRANS) who represent the views of the local communities, local authorities and other key regional stakeholders. In the first instance, promoters of new schemes should di…

14 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the local community regarding a new railway station at Cove.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Transport Scotland meets regularly with North-East of Scotland Transport Partnership (NESTRANS) who represent the views of the local communities, local authorities and other key regional stakeholders. In the first instance, promoters of new schemes should di…

14 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to open new railway stations in the North East Scotland region.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government and partners are committed to delivering new railway stations at Kintore and Dalcross. In addition, NESTRANS has recently been successful in securing a share of the Scottish Government’s £2 million Local Rail Development Fund. This fun…

14 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken on the feasibility of opening a new railway station at Cove.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This Government is committed to improving rail connectivity, reliability and journey times throughout Scotland. However, any transport project which requires Government funding, must be supported by a transport appraisal to ensure that the solution is arrived…

14 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on upgrading Montrose railway station, and when upgrades to the station will be completed.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The procurement process for Montrose is now complete, and the formal papers are due for submission for funding agreement with Transport Scotland week beginning 26 August. Works are due to commence in the Autumn, with a 12 week delivery programme leading to c…

14 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the feasibility of opening new railway stations in the North East Scotland region.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24772 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

13 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that the restorative justice services offered by some local authorities place more emphasis on those who have committed the crimes rather than the victims.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Our Guidance for the Delivery of Restorative Justice in Scotland https://www.gov.scot/publications/guidance-delivery-restorative-justice-scotland/ , published in 2017, provides direction to ensure that, where restorative justice services are available, thes…

13 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will cost to carry out each of the snagging works on the AWPR/Balmedie to Tipperty Project, also plotted against the particular head or type of snagging identified.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Due to the nature of the Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) contract the cost of snagging works cannot be disaggregated from the construction cost of the project. All snagging costs will be borne by the AWPR/Balmedie to Tipperty contractor.

13 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its police officer number statistics do not provide the number of officers (a) on long-term leave and (b) paid wholly or in part by ports, airports or local authorities.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Information on the number officers (a) on long-term leave and (b) paid wholly or in part by ports, airports or local authorities is not held centrally. First published as Official Statistics in December 2008, Police Officer Quarterly Strength Scotland (POQS)…

13 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its police officer number statistics do not provide information regarding the number of officers in public facing, middle and supporting process roles.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: This information is not held centrally. Police Officer Quarterly Strength Scotland (POQS) gives the total number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland. First published as Official Statistics in December 2008, POQS was designed t…

13 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its police officer number statistics have not been formally assessed by the Office for Statistics Regulation.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Police Officer Quarterly Strength Scotland (POQS) gives the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland. Since the first edition of the quarterly series (Published December 2008), POQS has held the status of “Official Statistics…