Parliamentary questions
Gil Paterson
788 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27993 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 September 2002, why there are no plans to conduct research into the investigation and prosecution of cases involving allegations of rape.
Answer · Jim Wallace: While we have no plans to commission Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to undertake research into the investigation and prosecution of cases involving allegations of rape, we will consider further the need for research once the review mentioned in th…
19 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27993 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 September 2002, who will be involved in reviewing the guidance to police regarding the investigation of sexual assaults and what information will be used to inform the review.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The review is being led by officials within the Justice Department, but is necessarily a cross-cutting exercise involving a number of interests both within and outwith the Executive. As a first stage in this process, officials will be working with ACPOS to co…
19 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to pilot sexual assault referral centres.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no plans of this kind. It is for individual Chief Constables to make local arrangements for dealing with victims of sexual assault.
19 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Crown Office plans to focus on the prosecution of rape and sexual assault so that it can better deal with these crimes.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: Prosecutors will have a pivotal role in implementing the changes being introduced by the Sexual Offences (Procedures and Evidence) Act that comes into force on 1 November 2002. The act tightens up the rules about using evidence of a rape victim's sexual histo…
19 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the NHS's guidance on domestic abuse will be resourced and monitored across all NHS board areas.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Draft guidelines for health care professionals on responding to domestic abuse were issued in June for consultation. Respondents' comments will be analysed and the guidelines will be finalised in the light of these. Any additional resources and arrangements f…
19 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out into the (a) prevalence and (b) costs of on-going medical conditions as a result of domestic abuse.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In Scotland, the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland. The CSO is not currently directly fundin…
19 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of genital mutilation have been reported in each year from 1999.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: At national level, available health information is not recorded in a form that would allow such cases to be accurately identified.
12 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what training those working in genito-urinary medicine and family planning clinics receive regarding links between sexual coercion and teenage pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: There are not any courses specifically designed for those working in genito-urinary medicine and family planning clinics linking between sexual coercion and teenage pregnancy and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. All doctors are required to u…
12 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how childhood sexual abuse is recognised during the (a) teaching and (b) development of sex education programmes.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Recent guidance on sex education, contained in Circular 2/2001, <I>Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act: Conduct of Sex Education in Scottish Schools</I> offers a set of principles and aims for sex education which provides a framework within which issues o…
12 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its expert group to draw up a sexual health strategy will be examining links between teenage pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and sexual coercion.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The remit of the expert group is:<P>To draw up a National Sexual Health Strategy for Scotland, with particular reference to measures:<UL><LI>to reduce unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections;</LI><LI>to enhance the provision of sexual healt…
12 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on post-qualification training (a) for all clinical and medical staff and (b) per nurse by each NHS board in the last year for which figures are available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education spent £12,057,000 on post-qualification training in 2001-02, the latest year for which figures are available. Information about the amount spent on other clinical staff is not currently held c…
12 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether documents supplied by Disclosure Scotland are accessible to those with disabilities and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Disclosure Scotland is currently working on disclosure documentation for people with disabilities.
12 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to Disclosure Scotland for checks on volunteers are currently outstanding and for how long they have been outstanding.
Answer · Jim Wallace: At 20 September, Disclosure Scotland had 83 outstanding valid applications from volunteers that had been routed through the Central Registered Body Scotland. Of these 83, 59 are within the 10 working day target to which Disclosure Scotland is working for proc…
12 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27002 by Mr Jim Wallace on 5 July 2002, whether Disclosure Scotland is meeting its target and how many applications it is currently processing within 10 working days.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Disclosure Scotland began operations on 29 April 2002. Between that date and 18 September it had issued Disclosure Certificates within 10 working days for 97.38% of valid applications.
12 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration has been given to making domestic violence an aggravated offence and, if so, what the outcome was of any such consideration.
Answer · Margaret Curran: A working group established by the National Group to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland has carried out a review of legislation relating to domestic abuse and made a number of recommendations about how to increase the protection of women and children who expe…
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what access each NHS board has to interpretation services.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is committed to ensuring equity of access to all health services. NHS boards are responsible for arranging interpreting services for all patients that require them.<I><P>Fair for All: Working Together Towards Culturally-Competent Services</I> (B…
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any police forces are reviewing old sexual assault cases using new DNA technology and, if so, which forces are doing so and what the results have been.
Answer · Jim Wallace: All Scottish Police Forces operate a continuous process of review in respect of all outstanding crime scenes stains held on the national DNA database. To date, the results of this process include a conviction for a sexually motivated murder in 1975 within the…
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it currently has on the incidence and prevalence of sexual victimisation.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29191. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">…
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Crime Survey 2000 gathered any data on sexual victimisation.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Crime Survey asks about all incidents of personal victimisation. Household surveys such as the Scottish Crime Survey are not, however, ideal for picking up sensitive information such as sexual victimisations. The small number of incidents picked …
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27000 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 July 2002, what funding has been provided to evaluate the usefulness of hair analysis in detecting drugs in a person's system in order to provide corroborating evidence when a drug-assisted sexual assault has been allege…
Answer · Jim Wallace: Funding for particular research projects at universities is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and the UK Research Councils.
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the production of the strategic assessment of drug-assisted sexual assault, what action it plans to take to highlight the risk of such assault and what prevention strategies it plans to put in place.
Answer · Richard Simpson: As part of our "Know the Score" Drugs Communications Strategy, we are currently preparing a guidance leaflet for young people on the risks from drug-assisted sexual assault. In addition, it is likely that reference will be made to drug-assisted sexual assault…
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27353 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 August 2002, what level of risk of drug-assisted sexual assault it estimates will still exist following the production of the strategic assessment on the wider issue of drug-assisted sexual assault.
Answer · Richard Simpson: It is impossible to quantify the level of risk from drug-assisted sexual assault. The <I>Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency Strategic Assessment</I> examines the extent of drug-assisted sexual assault in Scotland, the drugs used in assaults and their effects on…
11 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation has been made of police training programmes for the investigation of rape and sexual assaults; when any such evaluation was undertaken, and what the outcome was.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Police College which is primarily responsible for the provision of this type of training has a training evaluation policy for the review of central police training in Scotland. All courses and component parts of courses delivered at the college a…
5 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is on introduction of an independent ombudsman to oversee police complaints; how many complaints have been made against each police force in each of the last three years, and how many such complaints were upheld.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The introduction of an ombudsman-type body is one of the options for change the Executive is currently considering to enhance the independence of the police complaints system following last year's consultation. The information requested in relation to complai…
2 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specialist training those who carry out forensic and medical examinations on alleged rape victims receive.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The type and extent of additional specialist training undertaken are matters for individual police surgeons, the body of police surgeons within each force, the force itself and the police authority.
2 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to update the guidance issued to police forces on the investigation of rape.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is working with the police to review the existing guidance on the investigation of complaints of sexual assault, including rape.
2 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27992 by Mr Jim Wallace on 26 August 2002, when the review will be completed and an announcement made on whether further research will be carried out.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is working with the police to review existing guidance on the investigation of complaints of sexual assault including rape. The outcome of this review will inform the need for further action (including the possibility of research).
2 Sep 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what use is made of colonscopy in the examination of alleged rape victims.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The use or otherwise of colposcopy is a matter for the examining surgeon but I understand that it is not a procedure which is used on a regular basis.
5 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27353 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 August 2002, whether a copy of the strategic assessment and guidance document produced by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency will be made available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Richard Simpson: It is not our intention to publish either the strategic assessment of drug-assisted sexual assault or the guide for investigators produced by the working group led by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency. Both documents contain sensitive information inappropr…
5 Aug 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to publicise Sexual Abuse Awareness Month in September 2002.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive welcomes the fact that local agencies involved in Sexual Abuse Awareness Month are planning a range of events and publicity. We recognise the importance of raising awareness of sexual abuse. We recently issued a research report <I>Beyon…