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: S5W-22259

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 2 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what steps the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is taking to avoid losing or destroying video and photographic evidence, in light of reports that this has happened in relation to prosecuting offences committed in football grounds.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service handles over 40,000 pieces of physical evidence every year. There are strict processes in place in relation to the handling of these labelled productions including how they are accounted for and stored.

Following a recent case in Glasgow in which regrettably the evidence could not be located, a number of improvements to the system of recording and tracking physical evidence in Glasgow have been implemented.

Question reference: S5T-01591

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the approval of the Scottish Police Authority budget, in light of reports that capital funding shortfalls have left Police Scotland using patrol cars that are over a decade old.

Question reference: S5W-21913

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent since May 2016 pursuing full integration of the British Transport Police and Police Scotland.

In August 2018, I announced that we would re-examine all options for the devolution of railway policing. Estimated costs therefore apply to work carried out assessing all options for delivering enhanced accountability and a stronger role for the Scottish Police Authority in relation to railway policing – not only integration.

The Scottish Government regularly reprioritises staff in order to meet Programme for Government commitments. Scottish Government official staff costs are part of the existing Safer Communities Directorate staffing costs in place to resource the delivery of this work. As such staffing costs relating to the devolution of railway policing have been absorbed within overall Scottish Government resource planning.

As confirmed in the letter dated 29 May 2018 to the Justice Committee from the Chairs of the Joint Programme Board ( /S5_JusticeCommittee/Inquiries/BTP-SGandDfT.pdf ), estimated Scottish Government staff costs to financial year end 2017-18 were £310,000. Staff costs for 2018-19 will not be calculated until after the end of the financial year.

I will provide an update to Parliament once the proposed arrangements for devolution have been agreed, and will include more detailed costs at that point.

Question reference: S5O-03097

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NFU Scotland and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-22034

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of prosecution reports have been submitted by the police to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service within 28 days of the accused being cautioned and charged in each year since 2007-08.

The available information is provided in the following table:

Financial Year	% of cases received by COPFS within 28 days	Financial Year	% of cases received by COPFS within 28 days
2007-08	84.3%	2013-14	82.6%
2008-09	81.8%	2014-15	83.3%
2009-10	87.8%	2015-16	82.1%
2010-11	88.4%	2016-17	82.6%
2011-12	86.5%	2017-18	83.0%
2012-13	88.3%	2018 to Jan 2019	81.4%

Source: Criminal Justice Board Management Information System

Note - this information is available in calendar years (from 2014) here: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/CrimJustSystemMonitorData

Question reference: S5W-22032

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the average length of time has been nationally for a summary case to progress from caution and charge to verdict in each year since 2007-08.

The available information is provided in the following table:

Financial Year	Average length of time from caution and charge to verdict (days)	Financial Year	Average length of time fromcaution and charge to verdict (days)
2007-08	163.6	2013-14	146.4
2008-09	141.4	2014-15	172.2
2009-10	129.7	2015-16	184.9
2010-11	138.7	2016-17	179.6
2011-12	139.6	2017-18	166.5
2012-13	139.2	2018 to Jan 2019	158.3

Source: Criminal Justice Board Management Information System

Question reference: S5W-22033

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of summary cases nationally took over 52 weeks to progress from caution and charge to verdict in each year since 2007-08.

The available information is provided in the following table:

Financial Year	% of cases taking over 52 weeks from caution & charge to verdict	Financial Year	% of cases taking over 52 weeks from caution & charge to verdict
2007-08	9.0%	2013-14	7.4%
2008-09	6.8%	2014-15	11.7%
2009-10	5.2%	2015-16	14.7%
2010-11	7.1%	2016-17	13.6%
2011-12	7.2%	2017-18	11.7%
2012-13	7.2%	2018 to Jan 2019	10.1%

Source: Criminal Justice Board Management Information System

Question reference: S5F-03222

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2019

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will make it mandatory for local authorities to adopt care and risk management practices, in light of reports that some councils are not monitoring children and young people who display harmful behaviour.

Question reference: S5W-22031

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to collect and report management information on the time taken from first diet to verdict in sheriff and jury cases.

Question reference: S5W-22030

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 18 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government in what percentage of cases did the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (a) reach and (b) act on a decision within 28 days of receiving a prosecution report in each year since 2007-08.

COPFS has a published national target to take a decision on the appropriate course of action and implement that decision in at least 75% of cases within 4 weeks of the date on which the report is received from the reporting agency. This target applies to all cases except cases which are likely to be dealt with under solemn procedure i.e. the more serious cases where the case is likely to be dealt with in the High Court or in the Sheriff Court before a Jury. COPFS performance against this target is detailed on the following table:

2007-08 78%
2008-09 82%
2009-10 85%
2010-11 86%
2011-12 83%
2012-13 82%
2013-14 84%
2014-15 81%
2015-16 77%
2016-17 76%
2017-18 77%
2018-Jan 79%