David McLetchie

9 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much is to be paid to Mr John Rafferty in the light of the termination of his contract as Special Adviser to the First Minister.

Answer · Donald Dewar: Mr Rafferty will receive what he is due under the terms of his contract of employment. A copy of the model contract for Special Advisers is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

1 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what aspects of implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in relation to licensed taxis are devolved and how it intends to progress these matters.

Answer · Donald Dewar: Under schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998 the power to determine the technical specifications for public passenger transport vehicles, including taxis, under Part V of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, is a reserved matter.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">However the…

1 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2581 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 November 1999, for each Sheriffdom, how many judgements were outstanding at the latest date for which figures are available for more than (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) 12 months from the conclusion of hearings.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information is as follows:<TABLE CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=649><TR><TD WIDTH="52%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp;</TD><TD WIDTH="48%" VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=3><B><P ALIGN="CENTER">Cases at avizandum for over</B></TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="52%" VALIGN="TO…

24 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next lay before the Scottish Parliament an annual report on the way that Community Service Orders are working in accordance with s245(4) of the 1995 Act.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Section 245(4) provides that a report on the working of Community Service Orders shall be laid before Parliament each year or incorporated in annual reports already made. A report entitled <I>Costs, Sentencing Profiles and the Scottish Criminal Justice System…

24 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to ensure that s245(2)(d) of the 1995 Act, which places a statutory duty on local authorities to compile reports on the work done under a Community Service Order, is met.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Section 245(2)(d) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 provides for rules regulating the performance of work under a Community Service Order or Probation Order to include the upkeep of records of work done by any person under such an order. The Natio…

24 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many aggravated offences have been committed against the beneficiaries of community service work over the last five years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally.

24 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been made for extensions to the 12-month period for completion of Community Service Orders over the last five years and what this number is as a percentage of the total number of Community Service Orders issued over this period.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally.

24 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of convicted people are failing to complete their Community Service Orders within the 12-month period stipulated in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and what are the reasons for such failure.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally. Courts may, on application by the offender or supervising officer, extend the 12-month period specified in the 1995 Act for completion of work under a community service order if circumstances have changed since the orde…

16 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what target guidelines it has given to judges and sheriffs on the length of time that it believes should elapse between the conclusion of a hearing and the delivery of a judgement.

Answer · Jim Wallace: There are no guidelines on these matters, which are entirely for the independent judiciary. The length of time required to prepare and deliver a judgement will vary depending on the complexity of the issues which the Judge or Sheriff has to resolve.

1 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the cases currently under review by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission and in each case (a) specify the date of the first referral to the Commission or, if prior to the establishment of the Commission, the date on which the case was first referred to the Se…

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission has a duty of confidentiality to applicants whose cases are being reviewed both under statute and in terms of the privacy provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights. For this reason it is not possible …

27 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-813 by Mr Jim Wallace on 17 September 1999, whether the legal advice given to the Minister was to the effect that there was no statable case which could have founded an application for judicial review of the Sheriff's judgement in Mr Ruddle's case.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The legal advice given to Scottish Ministers was, as stated by the Lord Advocate in Scottish Parliament on 2 September, that there was no prospect of any success and no merit in going ahead with a judicial review (of the Sheriff's decision in Mr Ruddle's appe…

17 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the report prepared by the National Services Division of the NHS in Scotland, upon which it based its decision to transfer paediatric cardiac surgery from Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Sick Children to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill, Glasgow.

Answer · Susan Deacon: This issue was discussed fully during Open Question Time on 30 September. As the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice explained, the National Services Division work formed part of the wide range of advice which the Executive took into account before…

6 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of the outcome of the Alexander Reid appeal, it will lodge a similar appeal in relation to Noel Ruddle, and if not, why not.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Mr Reid's unsuccessful appeal to the sheriff, in 1997, was followed by judicial review of that decision, at Mr Reid's behest, on points of law. The Lord Ordinary's Judgement which favoured the Secretary of State was appealed by Mr Reid to the Inner House of t…

5 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister sees all papers prepared for other members of the Scottish Executive, and if not what criteria determine the papers which are copied to him.

Answer · Donald Dewar: The Scottish Executive operates on the basis of collective responsibility in the manner described in <I>Partnership for Scotland</I>. This means that all the business of the Executive must be handled with an appropriate degree of consultation and discussion. …

5 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government over the exclusion of Scottish beef from German markets and specifically whether it will request Her Majesty's Government to take action against the German government in the European Courts and to seek financial compensation…

Answer · Ross Finnie: It is for the EC&nbsp;Commission to monitor the position and take action as it judges necessary. The UK Permanent Representative to the European Union has already raised the German position with the Commission. All Member States have to comply with the Commis…

5 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients currently in Carstairs State Hospital have initiated proceedings on the same basis as Noel Ruddle.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 all patients, including those with a restriction order, have a periodic right of appeal to a sheriff against their sentence. These appeal provisions were introduced following a ruling of the European Court of Human …

5 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the best estimate of the number of patients currently in Carstairs State Hospital who suffer from the same mental disorder as Noel Ruddle.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Very few patients in the State Hospital at Carstairs have a sole diagnosis of personality disorder. Each case is dealt with on the basis of the individual's circumstances.

4 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any amendments to current legislation arising from the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights can have retrospective effect to permit the continued detention of patients currently in Carstairs State Hospital who may otherwise be released.

Answer · Jim Wallace: As I have made clear, we are urgently considering the law in relation to the detention of restricted patients in the light of the judgement in the Noel Ruddle case. In order to be within the power of the Scottish Parliament to legislate, any amendments, inclu…

4 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the timetable for the Lord MacLean Committee on serious violent and sexual offenders, and the Millan Committee on the review of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 to report, and in the light of the Noel Ruddle decision, whether the timetable will be brought forward with a view …

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer to the answer I gave to Ms Gillon's question (S1W-00900).

19 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the projected expenditure for the current financial year by local authority economic development departments in Scotland on (a) staff and administration and (b) economic development activities.

Answer · Jack McConnell: This information is not held centrally.

19 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total projected expenditure for the current financial year by local authority economic development departments in Scotland as a whole and in each local authority area.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The information relating to each local authority's budgeted net revenue expenditure is contained in the table.<P><P>COMMERCIAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=275><TR><TD WIDTH="61%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=19><P></TD><TD WID…

19 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total number of staff currently employed in local authority economic development departments for Scotland as a whole and in each local authority area.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The following extract from the most recent edition of the Local Authority Joint Staffing Watch (published jointly by the Scottish Executive and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) shows the number of full-time equivalent staff employed by Scottish l…

1 Jun 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what is the breakdown of the costs of the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood for - the building itself; and, transport and associated infrastructure.

Answer · David Steel: The current construction cost estimate for the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood is £62 million excluding fees and VAT. No cost estimates have yet been developed for &quot;transport and associated infrastructure&quot;.

1 Jun 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what is the current estimate for the total cost of the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood and how this compares to the original estimate.

Answer · David Steel: The current estimate for the total cost of establishing and equipping the Parliament's accommodation at Holyrood is £109 million, which can be compared with an original estimate of £90 million.

1 Jun 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what is the current estimate for the annual running costs of the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood.

Answer · David Steel: Early estimates of the likely running costs of a Parliament building at Holyrood made in March 1998, produced a figure of around £10 million per annum. These estimates will be refined, as more information on building systems, rateable value and capital charge…

1 Jun 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what is the current estimate of cancelling the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood.

Answer · David Steel: It is estimated that cost penalties of around £14 million would be incurred if the Holyrood Project were to be cancelled. Some of this might be recouped if the vacant site could later be sold.<FONT SIZE=2><P>&nbsp;