David McLetchie

9 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the general members of the Mental Health Tribunal fell into each of the six sub-categories for the appointment of general members.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Information showing the number of general members falling into the six sub-categories is available on the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland website <a href="http://www.mhtscot.gov.uk/">www.mhtscot.gov.uk</a>.</p>

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22332 by Cathy Jamieson on 30 January 2006, (a) whether it will confirm that all eight police forces maintain the three types of list referred to in paragraph 1.4 of Registering the Risk: Review of Notification Requirements, Risk Assessment and Risk …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I can confirm that all eight police forces gather and maintain intelligence on registered sex offenders, non-registered sex offenders, violent offenders, dangerous offenders, and potentially dangerous persons. These are the agreed common definition of terms, …

30 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 6.8 of the report of the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee's Review of Remuneration Arrangements for Local Authority Councillors, whether the Committee’s understanding “that tax and national insurance will be payable at the appropriate statutor…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The SLARC report notes that HM Revenue and Customs are not able to give a view on the taxation rules that may apply to the scheme until the details are set out in regulations. HM Revenue and Customs has indicated that it will consider the taxation consequence…

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has established a childcare voucher scheme for its employees.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive is in the process of introducing a child care voucher scheme for all staff. A procurement exercise for a voucher supplier has been undertaken and the contractual agreement for the preferred supplier is currently being finalised. It is e…

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies have established childcare voucher schemes for their employees.

Answer · Robert Brown: The information requested is not held centrally. Childcare Vouchers is a taxation measure and therefore a reserved matter. Use of the scheme by non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) is an operational matter for individual NDPBs to consider.</p>

24 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have established childcare voucher schemes for their employees.

Answer · Robert Brown: The information requested is not held centrally. Childcare Vouchers is a taxation measure and therefore a reserved matter. Use of the scheme by Scottish local authorities is an operational matter for individual local authorities to consider.</p>

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the information in respect of registration categories in paragraph 1.4 of Registering the Risk: Review of Notification Requirements, Risk Assessment and Risk Management of Sex Offenders, published in October 2005, whether it will (a) specify those police authorities who mainta…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Every Scottish force maintains force-wide intelligence systems and has access to national databases such as the Violent Offender and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR). ViSOR allows forces to share information and will help them to assess and manage the risk posed…

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were placed on the sex offenders' register as a result of Operation Ore.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally. The Criminal History System (CHS) provides a central record of convictions in Scotland with a flagging system to indicate whether somebody is on the register. The CHS cannot be searched by reference to individual police…

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were issued with a fiscal warning as a result of Operation Ore.

Answer · Colin Boyd: While charges relating to Operation Ore cannot be identified separately on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s Case Management Database from other charges relating to the making of indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children and other …

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were found guilty in a Scottish court of a crime as a result of Operation Ore.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested cannot be identified separately in the statistical data held centrally.</p>

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were prosecuted in Scotland for a crime as a result of Operation Ore.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Charges relating toOperation Ore cannot be identified separately on the Crown Officeand Procurator Fiscal Service’s Case Management Database from other chargesrelating to the making of indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs ofchildren and other related of…

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many warning letters have been issued by procurators fiscal in each of the last five years, broken down by category of alleged crime.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s Case Management Database records all the charges against each accused person in terms of the specific common law or statutory offence that is alleged to have been committed.  Charge information is held at this …

5 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many debt arrangement schemes were entered into in the year to 30 November 2005, broken down by local authority area, showing the (a) total amount of debt covered by the schemes and (b) estimated average cost of administering each scheme.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Ninety-one debt payment programmes were approved in the year up to 30 November 2005.</p> <p>As of the 30 November 2005 the estimated average cost of administering each approved programme was £470 per case. Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) is administered nationa…

18 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18162 by Hugh Henry on 16 August 2005, how long the team of 27 Accountant in Bankruptcy staff will be retained in Edinburgh; what the cost is of maintaining the office in Edinburgh; what the total cost has been to date of the process of relocating th…

Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Gillian Thompson, Chief Executive of Accountant in Bankruptcy to respond. Her response is as follows</p> <p>As part of the transitional arrangements to transfer work, the agency has a planned programme of reducing staff numbers. At present, the p…

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the changes recently announced by Her Majesty’s Government in respect of the code of conduct governing special advisers and their relationship to civil servants applies to special advisers and civil servants working for the Executive and, if so, whether it will provide details of …

Answer · Tom McCabe: Yes, the changes will applyin the Scottish Executive.</p><p>The civil service Order inCouncil governing the appointment of special advisers has been amended to theeffect that special advisers are appointed to provide “assistance” to Ministers. Previously the …

29 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a like-for-like comparison of Scottish Office staff figures in each year from 1990 to 1999 with Scottish Executive/Scotland Office staff figures in each year from 1999 to 2005, taking into account changes in classification of jobs and transfers of functions.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Like-for-like comparisons of Scottish Office staff figures with Scottish Executive/Scotland Office staff figures are not possible.</p>

28 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all enquiries that were previously dealt with by Bankruptcy in Scotland when located in Edinburgh are now being exclusively dealt with by the office in Irvine and, if not, to whom enquiries are being referred for answer, where they are located and how many staff are engaged in pro…

Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Gillian Thompson, Chief Executive of Accountant in Bankruptcy to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>As part of Accountant in Bankruptcy’s transfer of work strategy the agency’s helpline was transferred to Ayrshire in April this year. Enq…

28 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff from Bankruptcy in Scotland transferred from Edinburgh to Irvine on relocation of the office and how many declined to do so.

Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Gillian Thompson, Chief Executive of Accountant in Bankruptcy to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>Following the announcement in December 2003 that Accountant in Bankruptcy was to relocate to Ayrshire, the then 65 substantive members of…

28 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has allocated directly to Events Scotland this year and each of the next three years.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Resources totalling £5million have been available to EventScotland in 2005-06, and in each of thefollowing years, 2006-07 and 2007-08. Funding in the years beyond the currentSpending Review period has yet to be agreed.</p>

28 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is for national demonstration projects for this year and each of the next three years.

Answer · Andy Kerr: There are three national health demonstration projects dealing with the early years (Starting Well), heart health (Have a Heart Paisley) and sexual health of young people (Healthy Respect). They provide a testing ground for innovative action to improve health…

28 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is for its Physical Activity Co-ordinator for this year and each of the next three years.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The budget for the Scottish PhysicalActivity and Health Co-ordinator for the current year is £60,000. Figures for thenext three years will be similar to this, subject to a projected compound 3% annualincrease to account for inflation.</p><p>Figures for the bu…

28 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget is for its Health and Food Co-ordinator for this year and each of the next three years.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The budget for the Scottish Foodand Health Co-ordinator for the current year is £70,000. Figures for the nextthree years will be similar to this, subject to a projected compound 3% annual increaseto account for inflation.</p><p>Figures for the budget includes…

19 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14194 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 March 2005, what Scottish Gross Value Added would have been in each year since 1997 had its growth rate since 1997 matched the UK average.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following table provides figures of the Scottish Gross Value Added (GVA), if Scottish growth had matched the UK average (excluding extra-regio) between 1997 and 2003.</p> <p>Table: Scottish Gross Value Added (GVA) if Scottish Growth had Matched the UK Ave…

19 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish Gross Value Added was in each year from 1997.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following table provides the Gross Value Added (GVA) for Scotland for each year from 1997 to 2003.</p> <p>Table: Scottish Gross Value Added (GVA), 1997 to 2003 </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>£ Million</p…

3 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fixed penalty notices have been issued to date under section 55 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 in relation to offences committed under sections 33(1)(a) or (c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and, if the information is not available, whether it inte…

Answer · Ross Finnie: This information is not held centrally and the Scottish Executive has no plans to directly collect statistics relatingto fixed penalty notices. However, local authorities are being encouraged to joinFlycapture, a national data base for flytipping incidents wh…

25 Feb 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the severance payments for councillors recommended in the report of the Councillors' Remuneration Progress Group would be tax free.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Councillors Remuneration Progress Group did not comment on the taxation status of its suggested severance scheme. Detailed arrangements for the severance scheme will be considered by the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee which has been est…

6 Jan 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12721 by Tom McCabe on 15 December 2004, whether the taxable status of the severance payments referred to is a reserved matter for determination in accordance with the provisions of the Income and Corporation Taxes Acts and what advice has been sough…

Answer · Tom McCabe: No such advice has been sought. Detailed arrangements for the severance scheme will be considered by the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee which will be established under the provisions of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. We would exp…

14 Dec 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether questions posed in local referenda on congestion charging should comply with the guidelines set out by the Electoral Commission on the framing of such questions and, if so, whether the questions proposed by the City of Edinburgh Council and West Lothian Council comply with these …

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The wording of such questions is a matter for the local authorities concerned. The Scottish Executive has no locus.</p>

30 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the severance pay for councillors provided for by Section 12 of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 will be exempt from income tax in accordance with the rules governing termination payments or any other provision in the tax code.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Detailed arrangements for the severance scheme will be considered by the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee which will be established under the provisions of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. Ministers will take decisions about the prec…

22 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the diet provided to prisoners meets the recommended nutritional requirement of five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The Scottish Prison Service aims to provide a balanced, nutritious diet. Prisoners are given menu options, and it is usually possible to ch…