Scottish National Party MSP for Airdrie
@neilgraysnp Facebook UK Parliament Profile Scottish Parliament Profile
The Scottish Government fully recognises the impact of rural crime and supports action to tackle it through the work of the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, which is a multi-agency partnership led by Police Scotland that aims to prevent, reduce and tackle rural crime. The partnership’s strategy includes actions around how perpetrators will be brought to justice, how...
I believe that the resources at the disposal of the chief constable are sufficient to ensure that police numbers can be maintained at 16,500, meaning that we have more police officers per head of population than is the case in England and Wales. That is supported by record investment of more than £1.7 billion. Deployment decisions and infrastructure decisions are operational...
The Scottish Government is investing record funding of more than £1.7 billion in 2026-27, and the chief constable confirmed at the Criminal Justice Committee that the budget allocation will allow her to maintain officer numbers at around 16,500. Police Scotland maintains that it has a healthy recruitment pipeline, with around 175 new officers recruited last month and further...
I am happy to meet colleagues from across the Parliament to engage with ideas about how we can ensure that tools are available to our justice partners to make sure that communities across Scotland are kept safe. I reassure Mr Kerr—as I hope that he was reassured by my answer to Mr Bouse—that the recruitment of new police officers through the system has prioritised rural and island...
I had an introductory meeting with the SFRS board chair and chief officer on 4 June, at which we discussed the overall objectives of the service delivery review and the consultation process that has been undertaken by the SFRS. I also met the SFRS deputy chief officer to discuss the service delivery review on 11 June. The SFRS board will meet on 22 June to take final decisions on which of the...
The location of resources, along with shift patterns, is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The review does not propose any reduction in fire and rescue cover in Hawick. Indeed, two fire appliances will continue to be located in Hawick. The SFRS has assured me that the proposed move to a day shift duty system is based on a thorough examination of the risks and...
I reiterate that those decisions are operational matters for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The day shift duty system is not a new concept; it is already being operated in Livingston and at multiple other locations across the United Kingdom. There are challenges with on-call firefighter recruitment and retention that are caused by demographic changes, particularly in rural and island...
I had an introductory meeting with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service chief officer and board chair on 4 June, when we discussed a variety of topics, including the concept of firefighters expanding the duties that they perform to do more to keep Scotland safe from harm. I agreed to work closely with the SFRS and the Fire Brigades Union on developing how our manifesto commitment...
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that recipients of the Scottish Government’s Taxi and Private Hire Driver Support Fund do not have their universal credit payments reduced.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2021 to Question 134451, what redress claimants are given in addition to an explanation, in circumstances where they are unable to identify an incorrect decision or payment as a result of her Department's staff having retrospectively amended their universal credit journal.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2021 to Question 137948, what the exceptions are to providing an individual with an explanation of amendments to their universal credit journal.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a four-day working week.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce disruption to cross-border travel as a result of the end of the transition period.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Resolution of the House of 18 January 2021 on universal credit and working tax credit; and if she will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people submitted a Subject Access Request to obtain additional personal information held on universal credit IT systems in January 2020.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2021 to Question 134451 on Universal Credit: Maladministration, for what reason can welfare benefits staff retrospectively amend information they have posted to a claimant's universal credit journal; and if she will make a statement.
