Jamie Greene

28 Nov 2022 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to tackle the illegal trade in puppies, in light of the Scottish Multi-Agency Strategic Threat Assessment report that the trade is funding serious organised crime.

23 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the identified comparative cost is per prisoner per annum for each of Scotland's custodial institutions, including young offender institutions, women's prisons, institutions operated directly by the Scottish Prison Service and any outsourced to a contracting party.

Answer · Keith Brown: The calculated annual average cost per prisoner place within SPS is published in the SPS Annual Report and Accounts each year. For 2021-22 the annual average cost per prisoner place, which excludes capital charges, exceptional payments and the cost of the Cou…

23 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the (a) initial upfront capital and (b) annual ongoing resource cost would be to acquire body-worn cameras for all police officers in Scotland, and whether any supplier quotations or tendering have taken place in order to achieve best value for any such procurement.

Answer · Keith Brown: The issue of body-worn cameras is a policy and operational decision for Police Scotland, acting under the oversight of the Scottish Police Authority. Police Scotland have advised they have developed an initial business case for Body Worn Video which has been…

23 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the candidate selection process that took place in order to appoint a new permanent chair to the board of Ferguson Marine, and whether it provide details of (a) how the post was advertised, (b) how many candidates (i) applied and (ii) were shortlisted…

Answer · John Swinney: Between 14 January 2022 and 17 February 2022 the role of Chair of the Board Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) was publicly advertised. Two candidates applied but were not successful. Following the unsuccessful public recruitment exercise, a recruitment agency w…

23 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the current (a) timescales, (b) plans and (c) legislative changes it plans to propose to reform the dual role of the Lord Advocate, in their capacity as head of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and as a minister in the Scottish Governmen…

Answer · Keith Brown: The Programme for Government published in September 2021 covered this Parliamentary session running up to March 2026. Within it, there is a commitment as follows: 'The Scottish Government’s law officers, amongst other roles, act as the head of the independen…

23 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staff have been employed in (a) 999 and (b) 101 call centres in each year since 2013.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government remains committed to working closely with Police Scotland to support delivery of the Joint Policing Strategy. The findings of the HMICS review of Strategic Workforce Planning, published this year showed that the focus needs to rightly …

23 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff absences due to mental health reasons were recorded by (a) 999 and (b) 101 call centre staff, in each year since 2014.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government welcomes initiatives being undertaken by Police Scotland to support its workforce through the “Your Wellbeing Matters” programme which covers psychological, physical, social and financial wellbeing. The Scottish Government does not c…

23 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest time taken for the the police to attend an incident when required following a 999 call has been in each year since 2014.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is grateful to Police Scotland’s call handlers for their continued hard work to ensure that calls to the service are answered as quickly and as safely as possible. In its 2021 briefing note, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary,…

23 Nov 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Carbon Neutral Islands project.

22 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times Legionnaires' disease has been detected on the Police Scotland estate in each year since 2013.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold the information to answer this question. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you providing the information you have requested. However, Police Scotland has reassured me that they conduct regular legionella testing ac…

22 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) adults and (b) children have been admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of asthma in NHS (i) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (ii) Ayrshire and Arran in (A) 2011, (B) 2016, (C) 2020, (D) 2021 and (E) 2022 to date.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11872 on 24 November 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…

21 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent Quarterly Fines Report from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

Answer · Keith Brown: The independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service has the operational responsibility for the collection of criminal fines in Scotland. On 17 October 2022, SCTS published their latest quarterly fines report. This report is an official statistics publicatio…

21 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of its Justice Directorate's budget has been spent on first class train travel for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in each year since 2016.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Justice Portfolio has spent £11,610.31 on first class rail travel for civil servants since 2016. Ministerial travel costs are paid for from a separate budget. A breakdown of the total cost is provided in the following table: Calendar year Calendar year …

21 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) waiting times in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are currently achieving their 14 day wait to scan, with their current wait to scan being 11 days. The NHS Recovery Plan published in August 2021, sets out the plans for health and social care over the next 5 years. Backed by o…

21 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much its Justice Directorate has spent on external management consultants in (a) 2012 and (b) each year since 2016.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Justice portfolio has spent a total of £301,853.07 on external management consultants in 2012 and 2016-2019. This data relates to direct spend by the Scottish Government and does not include expenditure on consultancy services by public bodies. There was …

21 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many separate video files have been uploaded by the public to Police Scotland’s National Dashcam Safety Portal.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The NDSP pilot is in the initial business case stage, with Police Scotland currently looking at the internal processing, handling and storage of digital images and how that best fits with current and projected processes. I have requested a meeting with Polic…

16 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the actual or estimated number of apprenticeships being started in the Scottish Prison Service has been in each year since 2016.

Answer · Keith Brown: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: SPS is committed to continuous development of its employees to provide high-quality services through a skilled workforce and t…

16 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) regarding apprenticeships in the SPS.

Answer · Keith Brown: There have been no recent discussions between the Scottish Government and Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service regarding apprenticeships in the SPS. The Scottish Prison Service are responsible for the recruitment and development of …

16 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated illiteracy level among prisoners, as a proportion of the total prison population, was in (a) 2011, (b) 2016 and (c) 2021, broken down by sex.

Answer · Keith Brown: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service does not record this information.  

15 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of prison cells were not in use due to disrepair or poor estate conditions as of 15 November 2022, broken down by prison.

Answer · Keith Brown: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The Prisoner Records system (PR2) does not allow data to be gathered retrospectively. On Wednesday 23 November the number of cells out…

15 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its estimate is of the number of prison cells that have been taken permanently out of use in each year since 2016.

Answer · Keith Brown: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: SPS do not record the number of prison cells taken permanently out of use.

14 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions were not continued with as a result of witness citations not being served in time ahead of trials in each year since 2013.

Answer · Dorothy Bain: This information is not recorded by COPFS. Cases that are discontinued are marked with an appropriate No Further Action reason. None of the No Further Action Marking categories used within COPFS allow us to identify any cases which were discontinued due to …

10 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11619 by Keith Brown on 4 November 2022, whether it can provide a further breakdown of the information contained in the table for each NHS board, in each year since 2019.

Answer · Keith Brown: The requested breakdown of missing person investigations by NHS Health Board area is provided below. This is based on the same snapshot of data as used by Police Scotland to answer PQ S6W-11619. The information covers investigations of a person going missing …

10 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with the Scottish Prison Service regarding any possibility of HMP Barlinnie becoming uninhabitable prior to HMP Glasgow’s 2026 planned completion date, and what contingency plans are in place for any such scenario, in light of HM Chief Inspector of Pris…

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is in regular communication with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) about the effective maintenance and operation of the prison estate, including at HMP Barlinnie. SPS have contingency plans in place to respond to issues arising in pa…

10 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its decision to transition HMP Kilmarnock from the private sector into management by the Scottish Prison Service, and in light of the comments of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland at the meeting of the Criminal Justice Committee on 9 November 2022 that HMP Kilmar…

Answer · Keith Brown: (a) It has been Scottish Government Policy that prisons should be owned and managed by the public sector since 2007. The cost of private sector prison contracts depend on the market conditions at that particular point in time and in order to establish the cos…

9 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what specific date it will make an announcement regarding the continued provision of Caledonian Sleeper rail services beyond 25 June 2023.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: In accordance with the requirements of the Railways Act 1993 and the Scottish Ministers’ Franchising Policy Statement, consideration is being given to the successor arrangement for the continued provision of Caledonian Sleeper services. The Scottish Minister…

9 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) were (a) accepted and resulted in a Tribunal decision and (b) not proceeded with or abandoned by the applicant, in (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, and (iii) 2021-22.

Answer · Keith Brown: 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.  

8 Nov 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Historic Environment Scotland site closures.

8 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the job titles of the staff currently employed by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber).

Answer · Keith Brown: 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.  

8 Nov 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staff have been employed by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) in each year since 2016.

Answer · Keith Brown: 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.