Alex Neil

1 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much legal aid expenditure was used in each of the last three years in order to provide independent assessment of fingerprinting evidence and what the estimate is for such expenditure in each of the next three years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Legal Aid Boarddoes not collect this information and therefore it is not possible to providefigures for the last three years.</p><p>As the cost of individualcases will depend entirely on the needs of each case, it is not possible toestimate such …

1 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service announced the introduction of non-numeric fingerprinting evidence; who was consulted; whether it sought the Parliament's approval for the introduction of such evidence and, if so, when; what the definition is of non-numeric fingerprinti…

Answer · Colin Boyd: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4511. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http…

1 Dec 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for the selection of fingerprint experts within the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO); how many such experts there are in SCRO; what the level of staff turnover is, and how many cases of disciplinary action there have been in each of the last five years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: A trainee fingerprint officerwho successfully completes the advanced fingerprint course at the national trainingcentre, Durham may, on the recommendation of the head of bureau, be put forwardfor authorisation by Scottish ministers under section 280(5) of the …

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive ; further to the answer to question S2W-2833 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 October 2003; whether any of the 59 projects in 2001-02 did not begin; how many of the 6,386 jobs are still in situ, and whether any of the #272.2 million investment was withdrawn.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4499 on 10 December 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,  the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2833 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 October 2003, whether any of the 102 projects in 2000-01 did not begin; how many of the 14,346 jobs are still in situ, and whether any of the #1,763.3 million investment was withdrawn.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4499 on 10 December 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,  the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2833 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 October 2003, whether any of the 91 projects in 1999-2002 did not begin; how many of the 19,334 jobs are still in situ, and whether any of the #650.1 million investment was withdrawn.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4499 on 10 December 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,  the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2833 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 October 2003, whether any of the 78 projects in 1998-99 did not begin; how many of the 10,867 jobs are still in situ, and whether any of the #761.2 million investment was withdrawn.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4499 on 10 December 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations took place between the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Criminal Record Office and the Justice Department prior to the introduction of non-numeric fingerprint evidence.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: A non-numeric standard offingerprint evidence has not yet been adopted in Scotland. A non-numeric implementationgroup, led by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland,has planned a series of information forums with all stakeholders in the criminal…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its assessment is of the impact of non-numeric fingerprinting evidence on the incidence of challenges by defence attorneys to fingerprinting evidence presented by the Crown and what impact any increase in such challenges would have on the legal aid budget.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: A non-numeric standard offingerprint identification has not yet been adopted in Scotland. Themost recent experience of the effect of the change to the non-numeric standard comesfrom England and Wales where that standard was adopted in 2001. Thisindicates that…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue income projections are for the (a) Erskine and (b) Skye Bridge in each of the next three years.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Projections of the revenueincome from the Erskine Bridge are £5.2 million this year and in the following twoyears to 2005-06. </p><p>For the Skye Bridge, incomeis dependent on traffic levels at the bridge. We do not make projections orestimates of future traf…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2833 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 October 2003, whether any of the 57 projects in 2002-03 did not begin; how many of the 7,159 jobs are still in situ, and whether any of the #205.2 million investment was withdrawn.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not heldcentrally.</p><p>When the figures for plannedinward investment projects are released it is made clear that they are basedupon information available at the time the inward investment decision is madeand that some projects may not pr…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of recruits to the modern apprenticeship programme complete their training with a positive outcome.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter forScottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any issues regarding the payment of NHS student bursaries to recipients and, if so, what these issues were and what actions were taken to resolve them.

Answer · Andy Kerr: There was an issue with theNovember NHS student nurse bursary payments being paid four days later thanplanned. The problem arose as a result of us processing an unusually largevolume of transactions through our central payment system. Once we discoveredthe pr…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit of community wardens will be; what the total cost of their employment will be per annum; what job requirements they will have to fulfil; what their relationship with the police will be, and what the requirements for recruitment will be.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The information requested isgiven in <i>Building Strong, Safe and Attractive</i> <i>Communities</i>: <i>Guidancefor Submissions</i>, published by Astron in 2003, copies of which are availablein the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 28543). The Scotti…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the additional value, compared with the actual value, of Scottish GDP would be had its GDP grown at the same rate as the UK average since 1999.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Based on the latest data available from the Office for National Statistics for the value of Scottish grossvalue added (GVA), if Scottish growth had matched the UK average(excluding extra-regio) between 1999 and 2001, the level of GVA in 2001 wouldhave been £1…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish GDP would currently be had it increased at the same rate as the UK average since 1997.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Based on the latest data available from the Office for National Statistics for the value of ScottishGross Value Added (GVA), if Scottish growth had matched the UK average(excluding extra-regio) between 1997 and 2001, the estimated level of ScottishGVA in 2001…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on increasing the income threshold at which students repay their graduate endowment/student loan.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The partnership agreementcontains a commitment to support a higher threshold for the repayment ofstudent loans across the UK. There is no income threshold for paying the graduateendowment although graduates can meet their liability by adding the amount tothei…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3412 by Cathy Jamieson on 12 November 2003, what the procedures are in the Glasgow fingerprint bureau.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The procedures, which areISO9001:2000 accredited, referred to in the Glasgow Bureau on quality managementprocedures. These are contained in: the quality assurance manual; the processand procedures manual; local work instructions and forms and records</p><p>Th…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3412 by Cathy Jamieson on 12 November 2003, when, and by whom, the fingerprint experts in the Glasgow fingerprint bureau have been subject to external annual competency testing and what the criterion is for such testing.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The fingerprint experts inthe Scottish Fingerprint Service (SFS) Glasgow Bureau have been subject toannual external competency testing since 2001. It is mandatory for all fingerprintexperts in the SFS Glasgow bureau to undertake the competency testing annuall…

27 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3412 by Cathy Jamieson on 12 November 2003, when the Glasgow fingerprint bureau was certified as competent to the ISO 9001: 2000 standard.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish FingerprintService Glasgow Bureau was certified to ISO9000 in December 2000. The ISOstandard was upgraded to ISO9001:2000 in 2002 and the Glasgow Bureau wasaccredited to ISO9001:2000 in December 2002.</p>

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the training requirements are for Scottish Criminal Record Office staff in respect of non-numeric fingerprinting evidence; what performance targets have been set for the quality of such evidence, and what performance targets have been achieved to date.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: A non-numeric standard forfingerprint identification has not yet been adopted in Scotland.</p>

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what posts were held by staff from the Scottish Criminal Record Office who signed off final reports in respect of each of its last 100 cases.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The posts held by the stafffrom the Scottish Criminal Record Office who signed off the last 100 JointReports were Principal Fingerprint Officers, Senior Fingerprint Officers and FingerprintOfficers.</p>

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of its total expenditure has been allocated to (a) higher and (b) further education in each year since 1999 and what this figure represents in (a) cash terms and (b) as a percentage of expenditure on education as a whole.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Thefigures requested are not held centrally.</p><p>Percentage of ScottishExecutive expenditure allocated to higher and further education in cash termssince 1999.</p><p>Total Scottish Executiveexpenditure and the amounts made available to the Scottish Higher E…

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many signatories are required within the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) to confirm fingerprint evidence; what qualifications the signatories possess, and how often has evidence confirmed by signatories been rejected (a) internally within SCRO and (b) by an external agent.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Three signatures of authorisedfingerprint experts are required for fingerprint identification – the expertwho identifies the mark, followed by two separate fingerprint experts forverification. In certain cases a mark may have less than 16 points and in thesei…

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the responsibilities of the (a) Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (b) Justice Department are in respect of the (i) Scottish Criminal Record Office and (ii) fingerprinting policy.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Criminal RecordOffice (SCRO) is a common police service established through section 36 of thePolice (Scotland) Act 1967, under which the facilities and servicessupplied by the organisation are provided and maintained by the Scottish ministersfor …

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made with regard to Her Majesty's Government's draft Asylum and Immigration Bill laying out the rights of appeal of asylum seekers, in respect of any impact it may have on its responsibilities.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is inregular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including theimplications for devolved matters in Scotland of its legislative programme. This contact reflectsthe approach, set out in Devolution Guidance Note 1 in …

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3508 by Colin Boyd QC on 14 November 2003, how many cases have been examined since 14 May 2001 and how many marks have been identified and how many of these contained impressions that have been verified by independent fingerprint evidence.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Between 14 May 2001 and 19 July 2001 atotal of 465 cases were examined and 1,341 marks containing 2,099 impressionswere identified, all of which were verified by independent fingerprintevidence. Routine independent verification of fingerprint evidence wasdisc…

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3413 by Cathy Jamieson on 12 November 2003, whether it will now consider recording this information on the submission of fingerprint evidence and collecting it centrally and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We do not at present haveany plans to collect centrally information on the number of cases where the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) has submitted fingerprint evidence and theaccused has been found guilty.</p><p>It is for the Crown todecide what eviden…

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the relationship is between the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Minister for Justice in respect of responsibility for the Scottish Criminal Record Office.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4463 on 12 December 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/…

26 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3454 by Colin Boyd QC on 12 November 2003, whether it will now consider recording the number of cases in which evidence of the Scottish Criminal Record Office is disputed and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Disputes over fingerprintevidence where the evidence of one fingerprint expert is challenged by that ofanother expert will be drawn to the attention of Crown Office.</p>