Parliamentary questions

Margaret Smith

931 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

14 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have the use of tasers.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: In Scotland tasers are only issued to authorised firearms officers. As at 31 March 2007, there were 610 authorised firearms officers in Scotland.

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to hold discussions with the UK Government to ensure that the leaflet on clothing collection charities, produced recently by the Cabinet Office and others, will be printed and distributed to households in Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12581 on 16 May 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…

1 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with the UK Government to ensure that the leaflet on clothing collection charities, produced recently by the Cabinet Office and others, will be printed and distributed to households in Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is aware of the leaflet on clothing collection charities entitled Give with Care and has had discussions with the UK Government concerning its distribution. The leaflet is available for charities and others to print and distrib…

30 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals have been prosecuted for shoplifting in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) police force and (b) local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information on the number of persons proceeded against in Scottish Courts for shoplifting offences is given in the following tables. Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Shoplifting Offences1, by Police Force Area…

30 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals have been cautioned for shoplifting in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) police force and (b) local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of cautions issued is not held centrally. The available information is shown in the following tables. Number of Crimes of Shoplifting Recorded by the Police, by Force Area, 2001-02 to 2006-07 <table border=0 cellspacin…

30 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many licensees have been caught selling alcohol to intoxicated customers in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) police force and (b) local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

30 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many retailers have been caught selling alcohol to underage customers in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) police force and (b) local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The data held centrally shows the number of offences recorded by the police of selling drink to a person under 18 by a licensed person. These figures cannot be split into different categories of licensee such as retailer or publican. Offences Recorde…

28 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children suffering from alcohol-related problems were admitted to hospital accident and emergency departments in each of the last five years for which information is available, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) NHS board area.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information held centrally on attendances at accident and emergency departments does not include the diagnosis of the patient. However information held on discharges from acute general hospitals includes whether a patient had an emergency admission to hospita…

23 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to legislate to ban irresponsible promotions of alcohol.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 will ban irresponsible promotions in on-sales premises when it comes into force on 1 September 2009. The Scottish Government will shortly be consulting on regulations to extend these provisions to off-sales premises “ this wi…

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what options the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has to terminate contracts with Reliance following breaches of security.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The contract for escorting sentenced children provides that the Scottish Government can terminate the contract under any circumstances by giving Reliance Secure Task Management not less than 30 days notice. A copy of the contract for carrying out adu…

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations the contract with Reliance for escorting children to and from court has in respect of staff numbers and training.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The contract provides that there will be two members of staff escorting each child excluding the driver. The contract provides that in addition to the standard training undertaken by all escort staff, child escort officers will receive additional tra…

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Reliance staff have undertaken specific training to deal with vulnerable young people ahead of being awarded the contract for escorting children to and from court.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes. Relevant staff undertook a comprehensive training package.

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any commercial confidentiality clauses written in to Reliance’s contract for escorting children to and from court.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The contract contains the standard confidentiality requirements covered by the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989 and a requirement not to disclose any information of a confidential nature obtained through the contract.

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive given that the Scottish Prison Service has released full details of its existing contract with Reliance for the transfer of adult prisoners, whether the Scottish Government will release full details of Reliance’s new contract for escorting children to and from court.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes. The contract is on the Scottish Government''s website.

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many other service providers bid for the contract awarded to Reliance for escorting children to and from court, stating the names of such companies.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Stepdown and Blade Security Services Ltd also bid for the contract.

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the financial value is of the contract awarded to Reliance for escorting children to and from court.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The terms of the contract provide for payment each time the service is used. This is estimated at £128,913 per annum.

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the financial penalties are for breach of performance thresholds in the contract for prisoner escort duties with Reliance.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows: The Prisoner Escort and Court Custody contract is published in full on the SPS website at <a href="http://www.sps.gov.uk">www.sps.go…

4 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all Reliance staff have received enhanced disclosure checks.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: The Prisoner Escort and Court Custody contract requires that Reliance staff are cleared by Disclosure Scotland at standard or basic level.…

31 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many recorded self-harm incidents there were in each prison in each of the last five years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9092 on 18 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on…

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many retailers have been prosecuted for selling alcohol to underage customers in each of the last five years broken down by (a) police force and (b) local authority and showing the fines issued in each case.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following tables. The data held centrally cannot be broken down between shop owners and licensed drinking establishments. Persons Proceeded Against for Selling Alcohol to Underage Persons1, by Poli…

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many licensees have been prosecuted for selling alcohol to intoxicated customers in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) police force and (b) local authority and showing the fines issued in each case.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table. Of those persons proceeded against one person in Inverclyde fine was fined £500 in 2004-05 and one person in the City of Edinburgh was fined £400 in 2005-06. Persons Proceeded Against for Sel…

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will bring forward legislation to replace the authorisation of Warrants for the Interception of Communications by Scottish Ministers with a system of independent judicial oversight where such warrants are authorised by High Court judges or Sheriffs Principal.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Interception of communications is a reserved matter.

26 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the approval of Warrants for the Interception of Communications by judges instead of Scottish Ministers.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We are content with the existing legislative arrangements.

18 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents involved police vehicles in each of the last five years and how many (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries resulted from such accidents.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government but is available from Her Majesty''s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). Table 1 outlines these figures. Table 1: Road traffic accidents on Scottish public roads involving police vehi…

13 Mar 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the importance of the role of cultural projects, such as the North Edinburgh Arts Centre in Muirhouse, in the regeneration of local communities.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: I am very aware of the important role that cultural projects can have in local regeneration activity that boosts confidence, well-being and the life chances of local communities. We currently are supporting a Cultural Pathfinder programme to explore the benef…

12 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will collate statistics on road accidents involving (a) ambulance and (b) fire and rescue service vehicles, broken down by the number of (i) deaths and (ii) serious injuries resulting from such accidents.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to collate statistics which specifically identify road accidents involving ambulance and fire rescue vehicles. However, the impending GB-wide review of road accident statistics will include a public consultation,…

25 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals were made against decisions by Scottish ministers in respect of authorisation of warrants for interception of communication for the purpose of detecting or preventing serious crime in each of the last three years and how many such appeals were upheld.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Individuals who suspect that their communications may have been intercepted have a right of complaint to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal. Details of the number of complaints considered across the United Kingdom are contained in the Interception of Communica…

25 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many warrants for interception of communications for the purpose of detecting or preventing serious crime were refused by Scottish ministers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in each of the last three years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government does not collect this information.

25 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many warrants for interception of communications for the purpose of detecting or preventing serious crime were authorised by Scottish ministers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in each of the last three years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Details of the number of interception warrants issued by the Scottish ministers are contained in the Interception of Communications Commissioner''s annual reports, which are laid before this Parliament. The most recent annual report (for 2006) was laid before…

25 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests for warrants for interception of communications for the purpose of detecting or preventing serious crime were received by Scottish ministers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in each of the last three years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government does not collect this information.