Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-35695

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were convicted of aggravated offences under section 1(1)(a) of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 in 2022-23; of those convicted, how many (a) were given (i) prison sentences of 12 months or longer and (ii) community payback orders and (b) are subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) notification requirements.

Question reference: S6W-35698

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per member of staff was in 2022-23 to manage registered sex offenders in each relevant public body, including Police Scotland and local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-35703

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools were covered by the Equally Safe at School programme in 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-35696

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was in 2022-23, per offender, of multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA).

Question reference: S6W-35700

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per offender was of (a) in-prison rehabilitation programmes and (b) the Caledonian System programme, in 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-35706

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue guidance regarding any increasing need for intelligent policing.

Question reference: S6W-35277

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported view of the Scottish Retail Consortium that up to 13,000 part-time retail jobs in Scotland could be lost over the next three years due to changes to employment policy, including the increase in employer national insurance contributions.

We recognise the very challenging conditions for Scottish retail businesses. NIC decisions are reserved to the UK Government and it is regrettable that the Chancellor’s changes places additional pressures on Scottish retailers. We have called on the UK Government to reverse this decision, as debated in Parliament on 18 February. SG continues supporting businesses and workers through the Fair Work Framework, skills programmes and business support. The latest Scottish Budget maintains a competitive non-domestic rates regime, ensuring over 95% of properties in Scotland are liable for a lower property tax rate than elsewhere in the UK. A £3 million fund has also been introduced to tackle retail crime, reinforcing our commitment to supporting businesses, protecting jobs and strengthening Scotland’s retail industry.

Question reference: S6W-35204

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to mandating that prisoners released early be placed onto community service for the remainder of their jail sentence.

Emergency early release regulations have been utilised twice within the last five years (May 2020 & June/July 2024). On both occasions, the conditions of release were as they would have been at the individuals original scheduled liberation date, with no additional conditions or sentences applied.

Those released were approaching the end of their short-term prison sentences, and such individuals are not routinely subject to additional monitoring or community service requirements following their release. Therefore, those released via emergency early release were not subject to such conditions.

Individuals whose sentence would require post-release supervision or monitoring requirements were automatically excluded from both emergency early release processes.

The requirement for an individual to complete any kind of community sentence is a matter for the independent courts to decide at the point of sentencing, after consideration of the full facts and circumstances of the case.

Question reference: S6O-04413

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what assessment it has made of the potential impact on agriculture in Scotland, including in the West Scotland region, of the UK Government decision to change the inheritance tax system for family farms.

Question reference: S6W-35086

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review teacher employment practices to address any misuse of short-term and supply contracts, and how it will ensure fair, stable and sustainable employment conditions for teachers.

It is for individual local authorities, as employers, to manage their own practices regarding the employment of teachers and provision of individual employment contracts.

In December 2024 the Scottish Government reached an agreement with local government to restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels and we are providing £186.5 million in the 2025-26 Financial Year for this purpose and to give local authorities the support they have requested to increase the number of teaching jobs. In addition we are also providing Local Authorities with £28 million to support ASN provision in schools, which may be used for measures such as the employment of ASN teachers.

As part of our joint agreement Scottish Government and CoSLA will also work together on the establishment of an Education Assurance Board. Improving employment opportunities for Scotland’s teaching workforce will be a key feature of the Education Assurance Board. The board will allow us to work together to review national employment practices, highlight best practice and use this to work in partnership with our councils to improve the availability of permanent teaching contracts nationally.

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