Liam Kerr

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) costs since January 2016 and (b) projected costs of the merger, including (i) to the Scottish Government, (ii) to Police Scotland, (iii) to the Scottish…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-17526 on 26 July 2018. 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/parliamentarybusiness/2…

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, whether it will confirm the advice given at the staff engagement session on 20 June 2018 regarding the Scottish Government meeting the full costs of integration.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The full costs of integration have yet to be determined.  

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland with Police Scotland, in light of the Scottish Police Federation only being regulated to represent officer holders, and BTP officers having dual status, which staff organisation will represent transferring BTP o…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I wrote on 15 November 2017 to the Convenor of the Justice Committee clarifying how employment representation will be provided for BTP officers when they transfer into Police Scotland. The letter advised that for BTP officers in Scotland, their status as con…

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland with Police Scotland, whether it will confirm that, following the merger, (a) any redundancy liability for former BTP officers will be covered as set out in their BTP contracts, and (b) who will meet this liabil…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: There is no legitimate redundancy situation created by the transfer.  

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, what its position is on whether any proposed benefits of integration will outweigh the anticipated costs and risks, and how it will ensure that any analysis of these will be independent, transpar…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The benefits of the merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland are set out in the Policy Memorandum which supported the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill, passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2017. As the re-planning of the Progr…

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to evidence given by Police Scotland at the meeting of the Justice Committee on 1 May 2018 (Official Report, c. 20), whether it will publish the Government Actuary’s Department's advice that was referred to.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In response to a Freedom of Information request the Scottish Government published on 26 March 2018 an extract from a note from the Government Actuary's Department on the British Transport Police Integration Programme staff and officers pensions, https://beta…

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken of whether the integration of British Transport Police in Scotland and Police Scotland will achieve its stated aims to deliver greater accountability, access to specialism and seamless command and control.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: With the passing of the Railway Policing (Scotland) Act 2017 both the Scottish Government and the UK Government have committed to the devolution of railway policing. The Scottish Government will deliver that with appropriate governance structures to ensure a…

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-16958 by Humza Yousaf on 13 June 2018, what its position is on the robustness of the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum, which states that the transitional costs would be "minor" and were "expected to be small".

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The replanning of the programme is continuing and we will establish costs incurred since January 2016. as well as provide projected costs of the merger as they emerge through the course of the replanning process.

22 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, whether it will commit to meeting the long-term liabilities of a segregated pension scheme.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Following initial engagement with the Trustee, proposals to allow officers and staff to remain in their existing arrangements are on-going. This includes consideration of Scottish Government backing for the new section.  

20 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the figures in the report, Criminal Proceeding in Scotland, 2016-17, which record an 87.9% reduction in the number of police restorative justice warnings since 2009-10.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Police Scotland have a number of disposals available to them for dealing with young people involved in offending behaviour. The use of restorative justice warnings are just one of those available. Other disposals include early and effective intervention, form…

20 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the figures in the report, Criminal Proceeding in Scotland, 2016-17, which record a 74.9% reduction in the number of antisocial behaviour fixed penalty notices since 2009-10.

Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government is committed to tackling all forms of antisocial behaviour and recognises how this can blight people’s lives. The Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 provides a wide range of measures for dealing with all forms of antisocial …

20 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the figures in the report, Criminal Proceeding in Scotland, 2016-17, which record a 96.2% reduction in the number of police formal adult warnings since 2009-10.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Formal Adult Warnings system was replaced with the Recorded Police Warnings scheme in January 2016. Recorded Police Warnings provide a proportionate, formal way of dealing with low level offences which commonly do not result in court action and will still…

20 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-16736 by Michael Matheson on 4 June 2018, in light of the workbook referred to in the response providing the information on an individual court basis only, whether it will confirm (a) how many and (b) what percentage of (i) sheriff and (ii) justice …

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The number and percentage of cases dealt with within 26 weeks of caution and charge to verdict nationally in each year since 2007-08 is shown in the following table:   Sheriff Courts JP Courts  Num cases in 26 weeks % cases in 26 weeks Num cases in 26 w…

18 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its projected opening date is for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR).

Answer · Michael Matheson: In March 2018, Keith Brown, the then Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work advised Parliament that we are committed to opening sections of the road in advance wherever possible but it may be prudent to anticipate a late autumn 2018 date for the ov…

30 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, what assessment it has made of the financial, operational and public safety impacts of this on railway policing in England and Wales.  

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has made clear that the integration of British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland is a major programme which must be achieved in an effective, efficient and inclusive manner to safeguard the interests of rail users, the …

30 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) current and (b) projected cost is of the merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland; from whom it commissioned estimates, and from which budget the costs will be met.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Until the re-planning exercise is complete, it would be premature to make comment on the costs of integration, which will evolve as the Programme develops and decisions are reached.

30 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the new transition date will be for the merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland and, if this is not yet set, when it will be, and on what basis it reached that conclusion.  

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We anticipate that the re-planning exercise will be completed by the end of August. The Programme will then be subject to a robust, independent deliverability assessment, before an announcement is made on a revised date for integration.

30 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the upgrade of the Police Scotland IT system requires to be completed prior to the merger of British Transport Police in Scotland (BTP) with Police Scotland; whether public safety would be compromised in relation to railway policing if the system is not in place by then; whether …

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Our first priority is always public safety and our risk appetite, as agreed through the Joint Programme Board, remains low. Until the re-planning exercise is completed, it would be premature to make comment on ICT requirements and costs.

30 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, what progress has been made on the development of railway policing agreements, and when a final draft will be presented.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The development of railway policing agreements is on-going. There are interdependencies with other parts of the Programme, for example the cost allocation model, and so there will be a clearer picture on timescales once the? re-planning exercise is completed.

30 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Mobilisation, Transition and Transformation Programme was stood down from its work in relation to the merger of the British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland, and what progress has been made on the merger since then.  

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Mobilisation Transition and Transformation (MTT) Programme was established to: coordinate the requirements for operational integration; to design and implement a transition plan for full integration at 1 April 2019; and to consider future transformation o…

29 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the officer/staff engagement events that were scheduled for 4 and 5 June 2018 regarding the merger of British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland have been postponed, and how this will impact on the Joint Programme Board's reported commitment to address poor…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: All those involved in delivering this change have a shared interest in arranging events that are genuinely meaningful for the BTP staff and officers who want to hear updates on the change that affects them directly. For that to happen, the Joint Programme Boa…

24 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14713 by Annabelle Ewing on 6 March 2018, whether the planned and subsequent meetings were held and, if so, (a) on what date or dates, (b) whether it will publish the minutes, (c) what key milestones were (i) discussed and (ii) agreed, and which sta…

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The tripartite working group – comprising representatives of Police Scotland, CoSLA and the Scottish Government - met on 8 March. The meeting was chaired by Police Scotland. There are not currently plans to publish the minutes. It was a positive meeting at w…

23 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation in the Thematic Report on the Victims’ Right to Review and Complaints Handling and Feedback Follow-up by the Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland, when COPFS will begin notifying all victims of decisions not to prosecute.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: The Inspectorate of Prosecution recommended that COPFS should work towards a system of notifying all victims of decisions not to prosecute, whether through the use of IT solutions or otherwise. The Inspectorate recognised that the rights and expectations of …

16 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what target it has set for improving the efficiency of prosecuting solemn criminal cases from caution and charge to verdict, and what its performance against that target has been in each month since April 2007, broken down by court.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not centrally set targets in relation to the period from caution and charge to verdict in solemn cases. The efficient progression of solemn cases through the justice system is the shared responsibility of Police Scotland, Crown Of…

16 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of summary criminal cases were dealt with from caution and charge to verdict within the 26-week target in each month since April 2007, broken down by (i) sheriff and (ii) justice of the peace court.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The available information is contained in the workbook titled ‘Number and percentage of summary criminal cases concluded within 26 weeks (caution and charge to verdict) - All Sheriff and Justice of the Peace courts Apr 07 – April 18’ which is available from t…

14 May 2018 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime 2018.

8 May 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been a recent assessment of Scotland’s future housing needs.

30 Apr 2018 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the BBC programme, A Force in Crisis, alleging that, in 2014, the Chief Constable's office suggested edits to a critical report on culture and ethos at Police Scotland.

18 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform will meet all stakeholders, including the Montrose Port Authority, to discuss their concerns in relation to coastal erosion at Montrose, in light of the reported commitment she made at the public meeting of th…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I met officials from Angus Council, The Montrose Golf Club and the Montrose Port Authority in August 2017. This gave me the opportunity to listen to their concerns. Since then Angus Council has commissioned a flood study for Montrose to identify options to m…

9 Apr 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposals for agricultural support after the UK leaves the EU.