Roseanna Cunningham

22 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the cost of bidding for Public Finance Initiative and Public Private Partnerships contracts with (a) the Executive and (b) other public authorities.

Answer · Andy Kerr: he Scottish Executive is approaching this in a number of ways. The Scottish Schools Standard Public Private Partnerships Contract was recently issued to all local authorities. The Scottish Executive, through Partnerships UK, are carrying out reviews of school…

21 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30093 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 October 2002, in what way disclosing whether the premium paid to the authority in the event that a private prison cannot find insurance at a commercial price is greater than the premium previously paid to a private provi…

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>This information would provide bidders with an indication of the level of premium that SPS had previously found to be acceptable. It coul…

21 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it still plans to establish a national database of good practice in community safety and, if so, what progress has been made in doing so.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The national community safety website (<A HREF="http://www.saferscotland.org/">www.saferscotland.org</A>) went live on 6 September. The site will enable community safety partners to share and highlight best practice. Its main features are individual pages for…

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29771 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 October 2002, why the cost of education at HM Prison Polmont rose by approximately 54% between 2000-01 and 2001-02.

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 number of hours of learning delivered to the young offenders in YOI Polmont doubled between the first and the second year. This was a…

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29771 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 October 2002, why the cost of education at HM Prison Edinburgh rose by approximately 49% between 2000-01 and 2001-02.

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 prisoners in the prison increased during the period, so the volume of education required increased. Additionally, a new computer …

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29771 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 October 2002, why the cost of education at HM Prison Barlinnie fell between 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Though the number of hours of education delivered to prisoners in Barlinnie increased by 5% between 2000-01 and 2001-02, in the first year the …

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29771 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 October 2002, on what basis it made its assessment of best value of the new contractual arrangements for education in Scottish Prison Service prisons.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The education contracts were competitively tendered in accordance with EU rules. Bids for reputable contractors were assessed for service and e…

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29771 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 October 2002, what its estimate is of the costs of education to the Scottish Prison Service in the three years prior to April 2000 (a) in total and (b) for each prison.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>As was explained in answer to question S1W-29771, figures for the period preceding 2000-01 were not disaggregated in the same way as in 2…

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29432 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 September 2002, what information it has on the costs of monitoring contracts for the operation of conventionally funded capital projects.

Answer · Andy Kerr: For trunk roads, fees are paid to Consulting Engineers or Agent Authorities for the supervision of construction contracts conventionally procured and for major schemes. Records are held against individual contracts and aggregated to provide annual totals acro…

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29432 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 September 2002, whether it will detail each type of cost incurred in monitoring contracts for the operation of conventionally funded capital projects.

Answer · Andy Kerr: For trunk roads, monitoring of capital conventional construction contracts includes: checks of contractors design proposals; checking contractors construction proposals; monitoring compliance of construction activities in relation to contract requirements; te…

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29432 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 September 2002, what precisely is meant by "broadly equivalent costs".

Answer · Andy Kerr: As I previously stated in the answer to question S1W-29432, it is not possible to provide specific examples as contract monitoring costs are not separately identified in conventional contracts.

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30105 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, why the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) liaison officer member of the Youth Justice Steering Group is still to be confirmed.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: In my response to question S1W-30105, it was erroneously stated that COPFS was to be confirmed. COPFS has been represented at the Youth Justice Steering Group since its inception in January 2002. Kath Harper is the COPFS representative.

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre the effectiveness sub-group's report and recommendations, as referred to in point eight of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland's …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Yes.

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when it will conclude consideration of the proposals for the redevelopment of the secure accommodation estate, as referred to in point seven of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland's Action Programm…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I expect to announce the next steps for the redevelopment of the secure estate shortly.

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when it will publish its scoping paper on a national application of a system of cautions/warnings and a detailed exploration of restorative cautions approach, perhaps through piloting, as referred to in poi…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The scoping paper is being prepared in consultation with a number of agencies involved in developing this initiative. This will form initial input to a working group which will develop national guidance for the proposed system of cautions/warnings. This guida…

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when the audit of current front-line services that will inform future funding decisions will be completed, as referred to in point five of the 10-point action plan set out in Scotland's Action Programme to …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Executive is currently in the process of recruiting appropriate researchers to conduct this work.

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when it will make its announcement on the "Safer Scotland" police campaign on high visibility policing, covering youth disorder, to increase visibility and provide community re-assurance, as referred to in …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Safer Scotland Police campaign was launched by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) on 21 October. Details of the announcement can be found at: <P><A HREF="www.tayside.police.uk">www.tayside.police.uk.</A>

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, when the cross-departmental consideration of improving the effectiveness of restriction of liberty, anti-social behaviour and community service orders for persistent offenders can be expected, as referred t…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Detailed work is continuing on the review and I will provide further updates in due course.

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30102 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 October 2002, with which local authorities it has held discussions on a pilot of specialist children's hearings to fast-track persistent offenders under 16 years old, as referred to in point one of the 10-point action pl…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I announced on 23 October that the fast-track hearing pilots will take place in Ayrshire, Dundee and East Lothian/Borders. An initial meeting was held with these authorities as well as Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Sout…

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) actions for recovery of security there have been and (b) persons have been imprisoned under section 45(3) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 in each of the last five years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

18 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many orders for parental co-operation have been made under section 45(1) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 in each of the last five years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

17 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many disqualification orders were made under sections 1 and 2 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 and how many were in respect of breaches of health and safety legislation in each of the last five years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

17 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many breaches of requirements of licences granted under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 reported to procurators fiscal were marked no proceedings in respect of each category recognised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in each the last three years, broken down b…

Answer · Colin Boyd: The information requested is not readily available in the format required and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The information systems operated by the department were designed for case tracking rather than for the production of statistical infor…

17 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many breaches of health and safety regulations made under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 were marked no proceedings in respect of each category recognised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in each of the last three years, broken down by sheriff court district.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The information requested is not readily available in the format required and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The information systems operated by the department were designed for case tracking rather than for the production of statistical infor…

17 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports of offences under sections 2 to 6, 21, 22 and 42 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 were marked no proceedings in respect of each category recognised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in each of the last three years, broken down by sheriff court dis…

Answer · Colin Boyd: The information requested is not readily available in the format required and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The information systems operated by the department were designed for case tracking rather than for the production of statistical infor…

17 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports to procurators fiscal of offences under section 52 of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) Scotland Act 1995 were marked no proceedings in respect of each category recognised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in each of the last five years.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The information requested is not readily available in the format required. The information systems operated by the department were designed for case tracking rather than for the production of statistical information. Systems currently in development will, in …

16 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the proposal for a Council of the European Union directive to establish minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers in EU member states.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Immigration and nationality issues, including standards for the reception of asylum seekers, are reserved to the UK Government.

16 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the draft Council of the European Union decision on establishing a mechanism for evaluating the legal systems and their implementation at a national level in the fight against terrorism

Answer · Richard Simpson: Terrorism is reserved in terms of the Scotland Act 1998. The UK has comprehensive, national anti-terrorist legislation and an excellent record in implementing international counter-terrorist agreements. The UK Government has agreed the draft council decision,…

16 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of any impact of the draft Council of the European Union decision on establishing a mechanism for evaluating the legal systems and their implementation at a national level in the fight against terrorism will have on Scots law.

Answer · Richard Simpson: Terrorism is reserved in terms of the Scotland Act 1998. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of EU-related justice and home affairs issues and is satisfied that the draft Council Decision will be a useful tool i…

16 Oct 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any specific representations to Her Majesty's Government about the draft Council of the European Union decision on establishing a mechanism for evaluating the legal systems and their implementation at a national level in the fight against terrorism.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of EU-related justice and home affairs issues. The UK Government leads in negotiations on these matters within the European Union taking due account of the views of the devolv…