Parliamentary questions
Linda Fabiani
2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8623 by Cathy Jamieson on 11 June 2004, whether it will publish the results of the investigations carried out in connection with each release in error.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>No. This information is operationally sensitive and is exempt from publication under Section 4(b) of the Scottish Executive Code of Pract…
28 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-2726 by Cathy Jamieson on 17 June 2004, what criteria it will use to decide whether Reliance is ready to provide a consistent satisfactory service as set out in the contract.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The Scottish Prison Service seek Statements of Assurance from partner agencies as to their readiness and in conjunction with rigorous asses…
28 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9476 by Hugh Henry on 28 July 2004, who met the costs of this staff commitment and what those costs were.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The costs of the escort service were part of the monthly payment paid to Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd (KPSL) by the SPS.</p><p>SPS do no…
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what exemption to the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information it decided to withhold information contained in appendix A of schedule 2 to Contract between The Scottish Ministers and Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd for the Provision of Prisoner Escort and Co…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The information was withheld under exemptions 7(a) and 13.</p>
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the public interest in the release of commercially confidential information in Contract between The Scottish Ministers and Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd for the Provision of Prisoner Escort and Court Custody Services in Scotland is outweighed by any harm likely to arise from…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Yes. The exemptions under which the SPS withheld information from the published version of the contract are subject to a public inter…
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what exemption to the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information it decided to withhold information contained in Contract between The Scottish Ministers and Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd for the Provision of Prisoner Escort and Court Custody Services in Scotl…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Information was withheld under exemptions 4(b), 4 (e), 7(a) and 13.</p>
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9014 by Cathy Jamieson on 25 June 2004, why it is satisfied that the composition of the proposed new UK Supreme Court will enable Scottish cases to receive a fair hearing under the requirements of Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Constitutional Reform Bill makes provision to establish the Supreme Court. It does so with full regard to the requirements of the ECHR. </p><p>Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights requires that, in determination of civil rights and obliga…
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S2W-7810 and S2W-8651 by Cathy Jamieson on 20 May and 8 June 2004 respectively, how many police officers have now been redeployed as a result of the first phase of the contracting-out of prisoner escort and court custody services and why information on …
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Phase 1 of the prisoner escort and court custody service contract covers the Glasgow and District area. Phase 2B covers the remainder of the Strathclyde area. I understand that Strathclyde Police has now deployed around 130 officers intotal. The figure for Ph…
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8485 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 June 2004, how many prison officer hours have been released from prisoner transport duties as a result of the contract with Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd for the provision of prisoner escort and court custody service…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The answer to S2W-8485, answered on 8 June 2004, gave the information then available. The position has not changed.</p>
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8450 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 June 2004, what incidents involving (a) staff misbehaviour and (b) prisoner indiscipline it considers to be significant in respect of the Escort Monitor’s report on the Reliance contract.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>None since the contract commenced.</p>
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8442 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 June 2004, why information in tender documents relating to a contract that has already been concluded is commercially sensitive.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>In responding to the invitation to tender, suppliers’ tenders contain information that is commercially sensitive and are submitted in confi…
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8514 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 June 2004, when it will begin publishing the monthly performance summary of the operation of Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd in escorting prisoners.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>This information was placed on the SPS website on 13 September 2004 and was the subject of a Press Release issued by SPS on the same date.…
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Prison Service’s annual report for 2003-04 has not yet been published.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The Scottish Prison Service Annual Report 2003-04 was laid before Parliament on 14 October 2004, and was published on 15 October 2004.</p>
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who the employer will be of the controller of the proposed new private prison.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The Scottish Prison Service.</p>
27 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to transfer the post or the powers of the controller of HM Prison Kilmarnock to the prison operator.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>No.</p>
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9015 by Cathy Jamieson on 30 August 2004, whether there were any other reasons for the delay in providing the information requested other than commercial confidentiality.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>No.</p>
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9015 by Cathy Jamieson on 30 August 2004, whether it includes in the cost of risks associated with escort duties the cost of recapturing an escaped prisoner.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The costs given in the answer to question S2W-09015, answered on 30 August 2004, do not include the cost of recapturing an escaped prisone…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9015 by Cathy Jamieson on 30 August 2004, why the costs given did not include the opportunity costs of assigning prison officers to escort duties.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Because such costs are not readily quantifiable.</p>
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9015 by Cathy Jamieson on 30 August 2004, what the (a) costs to the police of escorting prisoners to court from police custody, (b) cost of the risks associated with escort duties and (c) opportunity costs represented by assigning (i) prison officers…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to S2W-11075, answered on 19 October 2004. All answers to written PQs are available on the Parliament’s website, thesearch facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">http://…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9015 by Cathy Jamieson on 30 August 2004, what information is available to it to show that the contract for prisoner escort and court custody services is (a) cheaper and (b) better value than the previous system of escort and court custody provided b…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>The evaluation conducted aspart of the procurement and subsequently examined by the Auditor General comparedthe costs and benefits of the con…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7760 by Cathy Jamieson on 7 May 2004, what conclusion has been reached in respect of the notice received on 29 January 2004 under paragraph 6.8 of the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd …
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Kilmarnock Prison ServicesLimited subsequently advised SPS that they had obtained and placed insurancecovers.</p>
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what agreements it has made in respect of the promotion of Scottish arts abroad.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive actively supports the international promotion of Scottish arts and culture, working through its cultural non-departmental public bodies. In 2003, significant financial support was given to help showcase Scotland’s living cultural tradit…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of its expenditure on capital projects is spent on commissioning art works.
Answer · Tom McCabe: There is no predetermined percentage allocated on the commissioning of art work for capital projects. Expenditure on art is decided on a case-by-case basis.</p>
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on commissioning new art when it commissions new capital projects.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive does not have prescribed policy for commissioning new art when it commissions new capital projects. Art work is considered on a case-by-case basis.</p>
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on the recovery of fines in each of the last five financial years and in the current financial year.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Fines recovery is carried out by the Scottish Court Service in relation to fines imposed in the High Court and Sheriff Courts and by local authorities in relation to other fines. Expenditure is also incurred by the police, who are often involved in the recove…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) budget and (b) expenditure was of the (i) Criminal Confiscation Unit and (ii) Civil Recovery Unit in (1) 2002-03 and (2) 2003-04 and what the figures are for 2004-05 to date.
Answer · Colin Boyd: The Criminal Confiscation Unit was established in January 2003. Its direct costs, which includes staff costs and case-related expenditure, in 2002-03 were £90,930 and in 2003-04 £559,196.</p><p>In June 2004 the Financial Crime Unit was established by combinin…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on criminal confiscation in each of the last five financial years and in the current financial year.
Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-10918 on 4 October 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: </p><p><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to mark the 700th anniversary on 25 March 2006 of the inauguration of King Robert I.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive has no plans to commemorate the inauguration of King Robert I. However, I would wish to consider this significant anniversary in the context of those planned for 2005 and 2007. We are currently working with a range of partners including…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Partnerships UK to move its office to Scotland.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Partnerships UK (PUK) has always had a team based in Scotland, headed up by the Director Scotland. One member of the team will shortly be seconded to the Executive’s Financial Partnerships Unit. The Scottish team is able to call on all of PUK expertise. It is…
24 Sep 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its civil servants have been seconded to Partnerships UK.
Answer · Tom McCabe: No Scottish Executive civil servants have been seconded to Partnerships UK.</p>