Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5O-03968

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to meet net zero emissions by 2045.

Question reference: S5W-26581

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reported comments by the Chief Constable and others that the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland (HMICS) 2018 report into undercover policing gives Police Scotland’s operations a clean bill of health, in light of the lead inspector for the report being the former head of intelligence at the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) in 2011 at a time when allegations were made regarding chaotic and potentially criminal activity within the agency's special operations unit (SOU).

The HMCICS report into undercover policing in 2018 provided the Scottish Parliament and the general public with re-assurance around how this sensitive area of policing is managed currently in Scotland. The report found that there was no evidence of systemic failings in undercover policing by Police Scotland.

Derek Penman, the former Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, led that review personally. The consideration of historical deployments was carried out by an associate inspector from HMIC England and Wales. This was explained in the published report.

Following the Scottish Police Authority Board meeting on 27 November the current HMCICS has agreed to undertake an assessment of the recommendations made in its Strategic Review of Undercover Policing in Scotland and confirm if they are still relevant or require to be amended.

Question reference: S5W-26580

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the executive summary, whether it will publish the full report on the Metropolitan Police's review of the Police Scotland investigation, Operation Towering, into the disposal of files by the special operations unit (SOU) at the former Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA).

Question reference: S5W-26577

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of burning of official documents by members of the special operations unit (SOU) at the former Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) in 2011, which senior officer(s) (a) had responsibility for the SOU's finances, including telephone and banking accounts, and (b) ordered the burning of paperwork, and for what reason.

Question reference: S5W-26579

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the executive summary of the Metropolitan Police's review of the Police Scotland investigation, Operation Towering, into the disposal of files by the special operations unit (SOU) at the former Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), what its position is on whether there are any unanswered questions regarding this matter.

Question reference: S5W-26578

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 17 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) was aware of allegations that the special operations unit (SOU) at the former Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) had destroyed paperwork, and when COPFS made the decision that there was no criminality involved in this activity.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) was supplied with material in relation to the conduct of aspects of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency on 12 July 2011. On 20 July 2011, COPFS intimated to SCDEA that there was no evidence of criminality. The documentation retained by COPFS makes no reference to the burning of paperwork by the SCDEA. Senior officials from COPFS have asked Police Scotland for further information in relation to that specific matter.

Question reference: S5W-26566

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many people convicted of murder subsequently committed crimes of serious assault, or worse, (a) while on home leave or (b) within 12 months of being released, in the last 10 years.

People who are convicted of murder by a Scottish Court receive a mandatory life sentence and are subject either to custody or, if approved for released by the independent Parole Board, licence conditions in the community for the remainder of their lives.

A rigorous risk assessment is undertaken prior to any prisoner being granted home leave. Those on home leave are released on licence conditions. Home leave is part of the reintegration process as an individual can be tested in the community.

No life sentence prisoner is considered for release by the independent Parole Board before completing the punishment part of their sentence.

In response to the specific questions:

(a) A manual search of Scottish Prison Services Prisoner Records System has identified one person who committed a further serious violent offence during the last 10 years, whilst on Temporary Release from custody.

(b) The Parole Board for Scotland do not have a category to capture crimes of “serious assault or worse”, but data they hold shows that four people convicted of murder were subsequently convicted of crimes of assault within 12 months of being released on life licence, in the last five years. Earlier data are not readily extractable prior to the introduction of the Parole Board’s electronic casework system five years ago, as they are held in paper records.

Question reference: S5O-03923

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the performance of Scotland in maths and science that was recorded in the recent PISA results is its poorest.

Question reference: S5O-03851

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Oil & Gas UK’s Environment Report 2018, which highlights a commitment to "playing its part in building a sustainable industry that is progressively lowering its emission intensity".

Question reference: S5W-26301

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 21 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how much it cost to organise and run in Scotland the (a) (i) 2011 and (ii) 2016 Scottish Parliament election, (b) (i) 2010, (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2017 general election, (c) (i) 2012 and (ii) 2017 local government election, (d) (i) 2014 and (ii) 2019 European Parliament election and (e) (i) 2011 alternative vote, (ii) 2014 Scottish independence and (iii) 2016 EU membership referendum.

(a) Scottish Parliament Elections

(i) We do not hold information on the costs associated with the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. Scottish parliamentary election expenses claims for this poll were dealt with by the Scotland Office.

(ii) Following the transfer of powers, the Scottish Government met the costs of the Scottish Parliament election held on 5 May 2016 across the 32 council areas, totalling £17,544,245.

(b) UK Parliament General Elections

(i) We do not hold information on the costs associated with the 2010 General Election. UK parliamentary election expenses claims for this poll were dealt with by the Scotland Office and the then Elections Claims Unit at the Department for Communities and Local Government (now Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government).

(ii) The relevant cost for the 2015 General Election can be found in the following report published by the UK Government:

(iii) The cost of the 2017 General Election for Scotland is due for future publication and the information requested will be published by the Cabinet Office in due course.

The costs of administering council elections, with the exception of the electronic counting project, are covered by each local authority from their own budgets. This information is not collated centrally.

(i) The Scottish Government’s total expenditure on the electronic vote counting project at the 2012 local government election was £5,600,000, of which £3,693,759 was paid to local authorities as reimbursement for core e-counting costs.

(ii) The Scottish Government’s total expenditure on the electronic vote counting project at the 2017 local government election was £5,887,008, of which £3,247,714 was paid to local authorities as reimbursement for core e-counting costs.

(d) European Parliament Elections

(i) The relevant cost for the 2014 European Parliament can be found in the following report published by the UK Government:

(ii) The cost of the 2019 European Parliament is due for future publication and the information requested will be published by the Cabinet Office in due course.

(e) (i) 2011 Alternative Vote Referendum

The Electoral Commission was responsible for overseeing the payment of fees to Counting Officers for running the referendum, and the reimbursement of the costs they incurred in doing so. The relevant cost of administering the AV referendum can be found in the following report published by the Electoral Commission:

(ii) 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-27304 on 04 September 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at .

(iii) 2016 Brexit Referendum

The Electoral Commission was responsible for overseeing the payment of fees to Counting Officers for running the referendum, and the reimbursement of the costs they incurred in doing so. The relevant cost of administering the Brexit referendum can be found in the following report published by the Electoral Commission: