Parliamentary questions
Liam Kerr
2,176 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve community sentences, in light of reports that a third of community payback orders are not completed and a third of work placements took more than the maximum seven days to commence.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government’s shift towards more community sentencing has helped bring Scotland’s reconviction rates to a 19-year low. Local authorities are responsible for delivering community sentences, including ensuring Community Payback Orders (CPOs) are co…
10 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is increasing the use of bail supervision, and what safeguards are in place to protect public safety.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Justice Committee’s Inquiry into the Use of Remand in Scotland , published on 24 June 2018, made a number of recommendations including on approaches to reducing the use of remand and alternatives to remand. The Scottish Government shares the Committee’s …
10 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the independent review of complaints handling, investigations and misconduct issues in relation to policing.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Independent Review commenced in September. The Independent Review has confirmed that several introductory meetings have been held with leaders and senior representatives of key organisations. The Lord Advocate and I have also met with Dame Elish Angiolini…
10 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its restorative justice action plan will include services that divert offenders from prosecution.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: As set out in Programme for Government, we will be publishing a Restorative Justice Action Plan in Spring 2019. We are currently working collaboratively with partners across the public and voluntary sector to develop the content of this Action Plan, including…
10 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many public charging points for electric vehicles have been installed in fire stations.
Answer · Michael Matheson: There are currently 5 electric vehicle charging points at Scottish fire stations to support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services' electric vehicle fleet. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has applied for Scottish Government funding to install a large numb…
10 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects the No Knives Better Lives play, Balisong, to have been performed in all local authority areas.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: As part of our continued activity to prevent knife crime particularly in schools, I was pleased to launch the national tour of the No Knives Better Lives Balisong play on 24 October in Stewarton Academy, East Ayrshire. We have provided additional funding for …
8 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18692 by Humza Yousaf on 3 October 2018, in which the independent contractor, described as an "interim manager", is integrated into a wider team and produces no specific work, for what reason the role was given to an independent contractor at £600 p…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The interim manager has provided professional advice, co-ordinated the programme and worked with partners to develop the target operating model. The interim manager was engaged for their specialism in programme and project management. Officials followed the …
5 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many new staff will be required to meet its target for expanded nursery hours by 2020.
Answer · Maree Todd: We estimate that up to 11,000 additional staff (headcount) will be required to deliver the expansion to 1140 hours from 2020, based on local authority returns submitted in March 2018. This total includes managers, practitioners, specialists and auxiliary staf…
5 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports of a lack of objective good practice benchmarks and lack of concrete measurements of efficiency throughout the Scottish college sector, and whether it would consider the merits of the benchmarking scheme run in England and Wales.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) assesses the performance of each college in its regional context using a range of statistical performance data and qualitative information – including the Outcome Agreement targets and national performance measures. This ass…
5 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reimbursing those colleges that harmonised their terms and conditions at the point of, or following regionalisation, in the event that money is given to those colleges that did not do so, in order to cover their harmonisation.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: In the current challenging fiscal environment, the Government cannot commit to levels of additional funding on top of the already significant increase provided to colleges in 2018-19 to meet the additional costs of staff harmonisation. The current method of f…
5 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have commenced studying/training as nursery teachers since the announcement of the expansion of nursery hours by 2020, and how long that process takes.
Answer · Maree Todd: The following table shows numbers of entrants on primary teaching initial education courses from academic year 2014-15 to 2017-18. Primary Level of Study 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18* Postgraduate 1,060 1,215 1,295 1,259 Undergraduate 710 8…
5 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is actively investigating the T-Level grade introduced in England and Wales and, if so, what its position is on this.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: As part of our youth employment strategy Developing the Young Workforce we will continue to invest in skills, training and employability to meet the needs of our young people, employers and economy. In line with the recommendations of the Wood Commission we …
3 Oct 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17470 by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2018, by what date the findings of the independent deliverability assessment will be published.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The purpose of the replanning exercise on BTP integration was to identify when a fully integrated high quality service could be delivered. Once the replanning exercise was completed a Gateway Review was to have taken place to test the deliverability of the pr…
27 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what further role it will have in the Police Scotland digital, data and ICT strategy.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: In line with its statutory role, the Scottish Police Authority is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account for continuous improvement, best value and the use of resources allocated to the Police Service of Scotland. At its meeting on 27 Septemb…
27 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Police Authority regarding the outline business case of the Police Scotland digital, data and ICT strategy.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government meetings on this matter have largely been focused on information sharing, provision of advice on Scottish Government’s assurance arrangements for IT and digital projects and on financial affordability. The following table lists relevant me…
27 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its independent ICT assurance team gave the outline business case of the Police Scotland digital, data and ICT strategy an amber/green rating.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: An independent team from the Office of the Chief Information Officer carried out a Business Justification review of Police Scotland’s Digital, Data and ICT Programme. The review team provided a delivery confidence assessment of Amber/Green which indicates tha…
19 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has received from Police Scotland on the future costs of railway policing in (a) the event of the merger with British Transport Police as originally planned and (b) the new scenario of an interim arrangement followed by a merger in the longer term, including in relation to…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: As I advised the Justice Committee on 18 September the current total cost allocation for railway policing in Scotland is £21.9m. This is not a saving but the cost of policing the railways in Scotland. The Scottish Government is currently considering appropri…
13 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18239 whether it will answer the question that was asked in terms of how much it estimates the Police Scotland Digital, Data and ICT strategy will cost.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Police Authority considered the Digital, Data and ICT Outline Business Case (OBC) at its meeting on 27 September 2018. The overall financial requirements of a number of options are outlined within the OBC. The estimated total cost of the preferr…
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17946 by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018, whether it will provide a breakdown of the work produced by Ernst & Young in relation to (a) "Programme Management Support" and (b) "specialist integration Due Diligence analysis".
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This is a matter for Police Scotland.
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17946 by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018, who the independent consultant engaged through Harvey Nash Recruitment is, and what work they (a) have done and (b) will do.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Regarding the interim professional advisor engaged by the Scottish Government, I should explain that the Scottish Government must balance its obligations of transparency, accountability and openness with the rights of people who entrust us with their personal…
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17946 by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018, (a) for how many days and (b) over what time period Ernst & Young will be engaged, and how many staff/contractors/personnel it is providing for this work.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This is a matter for Police Scotland.
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17946 by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018, by what procurement or other process it identified and recruited the independent consultant as the best person to provide work in relation to the merger of British Transport Police and Police Scotland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government used the interim worker framework for professional support to secure these services. Interim Worker Frameworks are multi-supplier contracts, where employment agencies competitively bid to supply workers to the Scottish Government. This…
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17946 by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018, by what procurement or other process it identified and recruited Ernst & Young as the best organisation to provide "Programme Management Support" and "specialist integration Due Diligence analysis".
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This is a matter for Police Scotland.
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on making all work produced by consultants in relation to the merger of British Transport Police and Police Scotland publicly available, and when it plans to do so.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The interim manager who has been working with Scottish Government has worked as part of a wider team, so there is no specific work that the individual has produced that can be released. The re-planning exercise prioritised the areas which would support identi…
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17946 by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018, (a) for how many days and (b) over what time period the independent consultant will be engaged, and how much this will cost in total for the consultant’s services.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Approximately 260 days of work has been secured totally approximately £60,000. There is some reconciliation still to be done for the months of July and August. Once this has been done I will write to you to provide the exact figure. We are currently assessin…
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17946 by Humza Yousaf on 29 August 2018, whether it will provide a plain English description of what "Programme Management Support" and "specialist integration Due Diligence analysis" mean.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This refers to the competitive tender process run by Police Scotland and is therefore a matter for Police Scotland.
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects the upgrade of HMP Perth’s security management system to cost.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This is a matter for the SPS.
10 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the main issues are with HMP Perth’s existing security management system.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This is a matter for the SPS.
5 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will require separate legislation to implement Finn's Law to differentiate between service animals and those protected under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, and whether the proposals will place offences against service animals in a separate category from oth…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Proposal’s for a Scottish “Finn’s Law” will be consulted on as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to amend the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) 2006 Act. The consultation will consider our proposal to increase the maximum penalty to five years’ …
4 Sep 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm by what date it expects the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) to be fully open, in light of the comment by the First Minister on 4 September 2018 (Official Report, c. 16) that it "will be fully open by the end of the year" and the assertion in its Programme…
Answer · Michael Matheson: Sections of the scheme are already opened to traffic, for example Craibstone and Dyce junctions at Aberdeen Airport and the 7km section of dual carriageway between Blackdog and Parkhill (Goval). More recently the section between Balmedie and Tipperty opened o…