Parliamentary questions
Christine Grahame
3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any drop in tourist income and, if so, what the drop was, expressed as a figure and as a percentage, in (a) Scotland and (b) each tourist board area between (i) 1999-2000 and 2000-01 and (ii) the equivalent period in 2000-01 and 2001-02 to date.
Answer · Mike Watson: The information requested in respect of Scotland will be available shortly. The information requested with regard to Area Tourist Board areas is not held centrally.
19 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any percentage drop in tourist visitor numbers and, if so, what the drop was in (a) Scotland and (b) each tourist board area between (i) 1999-2000 and 2000-01 and (ii) the equivalent period in 2000-01 and 2001-02 to date.
Answer · Mike Watson: The information requested in respect of Scotland will be available shortly. The information requested with regard to Area Tourist Boards areas is not held centrally.
15 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will designate the Borders area for priority investment in the light of (a) Signum Circuits, Selkirk, going into receivership with resulting redundancies and (b) the Report on Foot-and-Mouth Disease by the Director of Lifelong Care at Scottish Borders Council dated 7 November 2…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is fully aware of the challenges facing the Borders economy, and works closely with local agencies to help create sustainable employment opportunities. In recognition of this, Scottish Enterprise Borders have been awarded an additional …
15 Nov 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the Economic Impact section (paragraph 12.0) of the Report on Foot-and-Mouth Disease by the Director of Lifelong Care at Scottish Borders Council dated 7 November 2001, with particular reference to the financial consequences for the Borders economy of the foot-and-…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: In recognition of the challenges facing the Borders economy, the Scottish Executive has worked closely with local agencies and provided significant funding for the actions identified in their Foot-and-Mouth Recovery Plan. The figures cited in the question are…
22 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost implications would be of bringing HM Prison Kilmarnock back into the public sector.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Like all contracts, costs of termination depends on many factors, including the reasons for such a decision and the point of time in the contra…
22 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received concerning the first report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales on HM Prison Buckley Hall, Rochdale since it was transferred from the private to the public sector and what lessons it has learned from that report.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The SPS does not normally receive reports on prisons from other jurisdictions and has not received the report referred to.
15 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Annual Report of the Cornton Vale (under 21) Visiting Committee, how many "lock-ups" there were at the prison in 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001 to date.
Answer · Iain Gray: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>This information is not available.
15 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Annual Report of the Cornton Vale (under 21) Visiting Committee, what improvements have been made to the prison's library facilities.
Answer · Iain Gray: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>A recent refurbishment of the library included repainting, the installation of new comfortable seating and carousel book display racks. Prisone…
15 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Annual Report of the Cornton Vale (Under 21) Visiting Committee, what initiatives have been taken to provide a specialist regime for young women offenders.
Answer · Iain Gray: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Skye House is due to open as a dedicated Young Offender Unit in November 2001.<P>The facility will feature:<P>A designated manager with specifi…
15 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Annual Report of the Cornton Vale (Under 21) Visiting Committee, what its position is regarding the concerns expressed over the adequacy of the prisoner food allowance and what is being done to address this issue.
Answer · Iain Gray: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The per capita food budget provides prisoners at Cornton Vale with three meals a day. Four choices are available at lunch and tea times includi…
15 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community placements were available for women prisoners in 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001 to date, expressed also as a percentage of those imprisoned.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The number of community placements for women prisoners were:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=104><TR><TD WIDTH="82%" VALIGN="TO…
15 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific funding is available in its current budget for providing alternatives to imprisonment for women.
Answer · Iain Gray: The total budget provided by the Executive for alternatives to custody amounts to £50.1 million in the present year. This funds a broad range of community disposals for both female and male offenders. With the exception of the programmes listed below, it is n…
15 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what alternatives to imprisonment are (a) in place and (b) planned in order to reduce the number of women imprisoned.
Answer · Iain Gray: A broad range of community disposals are available across Scotland for both female and male offenders. These include probation, community service orders and supervised attendance orders for female and male fine defaulters who might otherwise be facing a custo…
15 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to reduce the number of women being imprisoned.
Answer · Iain Gray: A ministerial group, which I chair, has been set up to tackle the specific issue of women's offending. It is looking at a range of measures to encourage the appropriate use of alternatives to custody for female offenders. The group is due to complete its work…
15 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Deputy Minister for Parliament in the debate on Special Educational Needs (Borders) (Official Report, Col. 3222), from which allocations under the Excellence Fund the virement of #358,000 has come, specifying the sums involved.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17989 on 14 September 2001, which sets out full details of the virement proposals, and I would particularly highlight the fourth paragraph which clarifies the position with the Inclusion Programme.
10 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when an announcement will be made with regard to a replacement block at Polmont Young Offenders Institution, as identified in the Visiting Committee of Polmont Young Offenders Institution Annual Report 1 April 2000-31 March 2001.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>On 15 October 2001 the Scottish Prison Service announced that a contract to build a new houseblock at HM Young Offenders Institution, Polmont, …
10 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that young offenders are engaged in purposeful activity and that the provision of such activity is monitored, as identified in the Visiting Committee of Polmont Young Offenders Institution Annual Report 1 April 2000-31 March 2001.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has made at Polmont significant investment to enhance the capabilities of the various worksh…
10 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the closure of workshops and other prisoner programmes due to the removal of staff for escort duty, as identified in the Visiting Committee of Polmont Young Offenders Institution Annual Report 1 April 2000-31 March 2001.
Answer · Iain Gray: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The following steps have been taken to reduce the closure of workshops and other prisoner programmes:<P>As part of the new SPS Staff Atte…
5 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11762 by Susan Deacon on 19 January 2001, what measures it is taking to reduce the costs associated with early retirement due to illness in the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18887 on 12 December 2001.
5 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11762 by Susan Deacon on 19 January 2001, what measures it is taking to retain experienced officers in useful employment within the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Ambulance Service has been successful in halving ill-health early retirements over the last six years and last year only 22 staff are recorded as having retired on ill-health grounds.<P>In the event of illness, the Scottish Ambulance Service as a…
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what statistical evidence it maintains on recidivism.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Information on reconviction rates of offenders is available from the Scottish Offenders Index, a statistical database that covers all convictions in Scottish courts since 1989 apart from those where the main offence involved was a motor vehicle or minor statu…
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place for informing the Minister for Justice as to the views of prison visiting committees, whether these procedures require review and, if so, what plans it has to conduct such a review.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Each visiting committee is required to submit an Annual Report to the Scottish ministers. In addition, a committee may at any time submit a report to the Scottish ministers on any matter which it thinks it expedient so to report. Such reports are usually subm…
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 5 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 on appointments; whether it shares the concern of the association with regard to the process of appointments to visitin…
Answer · Jim Wallace: A response to this and the other points made in the association's Annual Report will be sent to the association shortly. A copy will be sent to the member. <P>Section 19(3) of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989 (as amended) provides that the members of visiting …
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 4 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 on the independence of visiting committees; whether it shares the concern of the association that the independence of t…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>A response to this, and the other points made in the association's Annual Report, will be sent to the association shortly. A copy will be…
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 3 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 on raising awareness and what action it is taking to raise public awareness of the existence and functions of prison vi…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18792.
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 2.6 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 regarding suicide prevention; whether it shares the concerns of visiting committees that the practices of isolation i…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18792.
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 2.5 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 regarding the Scottish Prison Service's Estates Review consultation process, who the Prison Service will consult with…
Answer · Jim Wallace: Completion of the Estates Review process has taken longer than originally anticipated but it is considered essential that the financial costings are independently evaluated. The findings will be published later this year and a period of consultation will foll…
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 2.4 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 that the practice of prisoners eating in cells where there is in-cell sanitation could be successfully challenged und…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18792.
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 2.3 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 regarding the comments by visiting committees about the level of staff morale and that because of staff absences pris…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18792.
3 Oct 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Point of Concern 2.2 in the Association of Visiting Committees for Scottish Penal Establishments Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2001 regarding lack of appropriate work for prisoner rehabilitation in prisons and, in particular, about numbers of prison…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>A response to this and the other points made in the association's Annual Report will be sent to the association shortly. A copy will be sent to…