Parliamentary questions

Roseanna Cunningham

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

27 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hours have been spent in external training for prison officers between January and June 2000, what that figure is expressed as an average per prison officer and what the equivalent figures were for 1999 and 1995.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The available information is set out below:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=621><TR><TD WIDTH…

27 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what current proposals the Scottish Prison Service has for sickness absence management and what consultation there has been with the trade union side on any such proposals.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The Scottish Prison Service is currently developing a new absence management procedure to cover all SPS employees. This was de…

27 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent available figures are for the total amount of time off in lieu outstanding in the Scottish Prison Service, what that figure is expressed as an average per prison officer, and what the equivalent figures were for 1999 and 1995.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:At 1 April 2000 the total net time off in lieu outstanding within the SPS was 50,171 hours. This equates to an average of 14 hours per membe…

27 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent figures are for sickness absence of uniformed staff in each of Scotland's prisons, what that figure is expressed as an average per prison officer and what the equivalent figures were for 1999 and 1995.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The information is not available.

27 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what number of prisoners is held per hall in each of the prisons managed by the Scottish Prison Service; how many shift supervisors there are for each hall, and what the equivalent figures were for 1999 and 1995.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The number of prisoners held per hall or dormitory changes frequently depending upon the prisoner population and operational re…

27 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio is of prisoners to uniformed staff in the Scottish Prison Service, broken down by establishment.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows.Ratio of Prisoners to Uniformed Staff in the SPS at 1 April 2000<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=337><TR>…

5 Jul 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next scheduled meeting of the EU Council of Ministers on justice and home affairs is due to take place and whether the Minister for Justice will attend as part of the UK delegation.

Answer · Jim Wallace: There will be an informal meeting of the Council of Ministers on justice and home affairs on 28 and 29 July. I do not propose to attend.

29 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement made by the Minister for Justice on 20 January 2000, when it intends to publish the white paper on family law which was promised for May 2000.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It has not proved possible to issue the White Paper before the Scottish Parliament recess. However, we expect to issue the White Paper shortly after Parliament resumes.

29 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7449 by Ross Finnie on 14 June 2000, whether the #18,000 cost of publishing and distributing Rural Scotland: A New Approach includes the cost of the staff time spent preparing the document and, if not, how much the time of the officials involved cost…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The figure of £18,000 quoted in question S1W-7449 did not include staff time spent preparing the document. Rural Scotland: A New Approach was produced with the assistance of contributions from a large number of officials across the Executive. The Scott…

31 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit was of the recent Scottish Prison Service review of healthcare provision in Scottish prisons; which bodies or individuals were consulted, and when the results of the review will be published.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:I refer Ms Cunningham to the answer the Minister gave to question S1W-5668. The 1999 Review of Medical Service Provision looke…

31 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are issued to the Scottish Prison Service as to the manner in which it conducts reviews.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Any guidance on such matters informs the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) as it does other parts of the Scottish Executive. The operation of the SPS is governed by its Framework Document.

31 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the basis is upon which appointments are made to the board of the Scottish Prison Service.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Chief Executive and executive directors are senior civil servants appointed in the normal way. Two non-executive directors have been appointed by Ministers following a competitive selection procedure.

30 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets are imposed on the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman in respect of appropriate timescales for the handling of complaints.

Answer · Jim Wallace: None at present, but performance is monitored and the staffing resources of the office of the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman have been increased to reduce the time taken to handle complaints.

18 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list, by location, all Scottish Executive and Executive Agency offices, indicating how many employees are employed at each location.

Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer Ms Cunningham to my answer to Dr Richard Simpson (S1W-5377) which lists the numbers of Scottish Executive and Executive Agency employees by local authority area. In addition, there are staff in Brussels (12), London (14), Luxembourg (4) and The Scotti…

13 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Health Minister will answer my letter of 8 December 1999 and my reminder of 24 January 2000 regarding the concerns of the Dundee Royal Neurosurgical Unit Fund.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A further copy of the correspondence has been requested and a reply will be sent as soon as possible.

5 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to either Her Majesty's Government or directly to the European Parliament regarding the consultation on the proposal contained within European Parliament Document No. 10317/99 Initiative of the Republic of Austria with a view to adopting a Council Directiv…

Answer · Jim Wallace: Relations with the European Union and control of the Internet are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive made no specific representations on this initiative but welcomes it. Scots law already addresses child pornography, whether or not on the Internet, and …

4 Apr 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5399 by Mr Frank McAveety on 30 March 2000, whether it can indicate what the estimated number of employees engaged in work dealing with illegal money lending and contraventions of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 was immediately prior to local government…

Answer · Frank McAveety: No. Historical information, actual or estimated, on staff working in this area of activity is not available.

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authority staff, in each local authority, in each year since 1996, had responsibilities which included dealing with illegal money lending and contraventions of the Consumer Credit Act, 1974, and how many such staff there were in each local authority immediately before local…

Answer · Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally. However, I understand that around 80 council employees throughout Scotland are likely to be involved in this area of work.

15 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many retired police officers have subsequently been re-hired for civilian work, broken down by police authority, in each of the last five years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally but I understand that only about 2% (less than 100) of the total 4,741 support staff are former police officers in receipt of an occupational pension.

15 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Fatal Accident Enquiries, by sheriff court, have been applied for but have not yet been programmed for hearing.

Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer to the answer I gave in response to Parliamentary Question number S1W-5374.

15 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the average waiting time, by sheriff court, between application and hearing of Fatal Accident Enquiries, at (a) October 1999, (b) December 1999, (c) January 2000 and (d) February 2000.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Statistical information in the format requested is not available. The procedure followed in fixing Fatal Accident Inquiries is that the Procurator Fiscal will usually discuss with the Sheriff Clerk available dates for Inquiries and will then make enquiries wi…

15 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the average elapsed time, by sheriff court, between final Proof and judgement, in (i) Small Claims, (ii) Summary Causes and (iii) Ordinary Causes at (a) October 1999, (b) December 1999, (c) January 2000 and (d) February 2000.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Statistical information in the form requested is not held centrally. The length of time required to reach judgement in any case is a matter for the presiding Sheriff. However in the case of Small Claims and Summary Cause actions the procedural rules provide t…

15 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the average elapsed time, by sheriff court, between the recording plea of "Not Guilty" and the final disposal of the case, in summary cases at (a) October 1999, (b) December 1999, (c) January 2000 and (d) February 2000.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Information in the form requested is not routinely available. However, arrangements have been made to extract details of the elapsed time in respect of certain summary cases for October 1999 and February 2000. Information for December 1999 and January 2000 wo…

28 Feb 2000 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether he will list, by date and nature of request, the requests made by political parties for extra facilities at the Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood.

Answer · David Steel: The Corporate Body has taken account of the existing number of researchers employed by each party, for which no allowance had been made in the original design. It has also had to consider other emerging demands for space resulting, for example, from additiona…

28 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list, by Sheriff Court jurisdiction and date, the number of "devolution issues" raised in Scottish courts since the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into Scots law and whether it will indicate the substance of each of these challenges and the curre…

Answer · Colin Boyd: Between 20 May 1999 and 29 November 2000, a total of 969 devolutionissues were served on the Lord Advocate at Crown Office.Of those, the statisticsavailable indicate that:<ul><li> 2 (0.21%) raised issues in termsof Article 3 ECHR;</li><li> …

20 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate is responsible for legal advice given to (a) the Scottish Legal Aid Board, (b) the Scottish Prison Service and (c) the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission.

Answer · Andrew Hardie: The Lord Advocate is responsible for legal advice given to the Scottish Prison Service. The Lord Advocate is not, however, responsible for legal advice given to the Scottish Legal Aid Board or the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission.

22 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what grant will be available in Scotland from 1 April 2000 under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme to (a) those eligible for maximum grant and (b) old age pensioners.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme does not apply in Scotland. It was replaced by the new Warm Deal on 1 July 1999. The rules governing the Warm Deal on 1 April 2000 will remain as they are at present. They provide that households wholly or mainly dependent on…

22 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will begin the consultation process on the question of judicial appointments in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the Member to the answer I gave her to question S1W-3254.

16 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what practice has been followed in both the Justice Department and the Lord Advocate's Office regarding the copying of depatmental correspondence to any of the Special Advisers; to which Special Advisers such correspondence has been copied, and whether those arrangements have been altered…

Answer · Donald Dewar: All departmental papers of policy or presentational significance are routinely copied to Special Advisers. There has been no change to those arrangements in the last 30 days.

13 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the current practice of making appointments to the shrieval bench, whether it will give an assurance that no conversations or discussions with or advice given by special advisers to the Scottish Executive have influenced the process of such appointments and what…

Answer · Jim Wallace: All vacancies for Shrieval posts are advertised and applications are submitted to the Justice Department. There are invariably consultations with the Sheriffs Principal and the Lord President of the Court of Session before the First Minister makes recommendat…