Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-35543

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to roll out alcohol monitoring technology for offenders.

The Scottish Government is committed to expanding electronic monitoring use across a broader range of licences and court orders, including exploring the use of new technology, such as remote alcohol monitoring, which is provided for by the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019.

Regulations came into force on 31 January 2025 which enable the use of GPS monitoring devices for those released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC). As work continues to embed these changes, we will engage with justice partners to explore the potential uses of new technologies, including both GPS and remote substance monitoring technologies. The functionality of GPS tags may have a role in helping to address particular behaviour associated with problematic alcohol use, for example, by excluding someone from a town centre on a Saturday night.

Question reference: S6W-35550

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs has held with the (a) Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, (b) Commissioner for Victims of Crime Northern Ireland and (c) Victims’ Commissioner London since 29 March 2023, and what subjects were discussed.

Question reference: S6W-35554

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that shoplifting cases increased by 18% between December 2023 and December 2024, and what reasons it attributes to this.

The SG recognises the harm to retail businesses caused by shoplifting and are fully behind the action Police Scotland and its partners are taking action to prevent it. There are complex reasons behind the increase and Police Scotland have been clear that they believe cost of living has also been a factor. We are making £3 million available in our budget for 2025-26 to help tackle the issue which costs businesses millions each year and has a knock-on effect on the prices we pay in the shops. Police Scotland will work in partnership with the retail sector on how best to use this additional funding for maximum impact.

Question reference: S6W-35545

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases it estimates the Victims and Witnesses Commissioner for Scotland will deal with in the postholder's first year in office.

Question reference: S6W-35546

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the evidence that led the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs to change the previously held position to reduce jury numbers to 12 in the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.

The Policy Memorandum for the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill set out the reasons the Scottish Government proposed to reduce jury size to 12. This included evidence from the independent Scottish Jury Research - gov.scot.

In its Stage 1 report the Criminal Justice Committee did not support the reduction in jury size. I therefore confirmed in my letter of 31 October 2024 to the Committee that, as I am satisfied that the abolition of not proven does not require an associated change to the jury size, I would bring forward amendments to retain a jury of 15, in line with the Committee’s position. I have tabled these ahead of the current Stage 2 scrutiny.

Question reference: S6W-35555

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 19 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that retailers should be encouraged to report all instances of shoplifting to Police Scotland.

We encourage all businesses to report any instances of criminality to Police Scotland. As well as enabling the perpetrators to be caught and being prevented from committing further crimes, such reports also ensure Police Scotland has the best possible intelligence on incidents in particular areas. The Scottish Government would also urge retailers to engage with the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE) in order to help safeguard their business and the people that work there. The SPAACE Strategy outlines a partnership approach to the prevention, deterrence, and enforcement around a range of crimes including housebreaking and theft.

Question reference: S6W-35722

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Camphill organisation regarding long-term funding for its work.

Question reference: S6W-35565

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will legislate to prevent registered sex offenders from changing their name.

Question reference: S6W-35075

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the average journey time reduction between Aberdeen and (a) Edinburgh of 20 minutes and (b) Glasgow of nine minutes, as set out by the Aberdeen to central belt 2026 enhancement project, will be delivered by December 2026.

Question reference: S6W-35076

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what parts of the line it projects that the journey time will be reduced to achieve the average reduction between Aberdeen and (a) Edinburgh of 20 minutes and (b) Glasgow of nine minutes, as set out by the Aberdeen to central belt 2026 enhancement project.

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