Gil Paterson

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what process it follows when considering funding bids and awarding funding to voluntary organisations and who is directly involved in making decisions regarding funding awards.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25381.

23 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in order to ensure that proposals for funding from the Changing Children's Services Fund (a) add value to existing services and (b) do not duplicate or substitute work already being carried out.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25302 today, setting out arrangements for considering proposals against the criteria for the Changing Children's Services Fund, which include those referred to in the question.

23 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role smaller voluntary agencies have played, or will play, in allocating the funds from the Changing Children's Services Fund for 2002-03.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Guidance issued on the fund advised that proposals would need to show real evidence of participation by key voluntary organisations (both the larger national organisations and smaller community-based organisations) at each stage in the process. This will be o…

23 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used for deciding which projects will receive funding from the Changing Children's Services Fund.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The proposals will be considered by an assessment panel, including officials from the Scottish Executive Development, Education, and Health Departments and a voluntary sector representative, against the criteria set out in the guidance on the fund.

23 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation will be made of how money from the Changing Children's Services Fund is allocated for 2002-03.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Indicative allocations for each local authority area were announced on 30 October 2001, based on a distribution formula weighted for relative population of children and young people, deprivation factors and rurality. An assessment panel will consider whether …

23 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Changing Children's Services Fund will be allocated for 2002-03.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Indicative allocations for each local authority area were included in the guidance issued by the Scottish Executive Education Department on 30 October 2001. As indicated in that guidance, it is intended that feedback on proposals will be given in May/June 200…

18 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24252 by Jim Wallace on 21 March 2002, which other recommendations from the Expert Panel on Sex Offending's report, Reducing the Risk: Improving the response to sex offending, have been implemented and when it will implement any other of the committe…

Answer · Jim Wallace: I plan to publish the Executive's full response to the report of the Expert Panel on Sex Offending next month. In the meantime, we have included in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill provisions to implement the recommendations which will improve the informa…

10 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish its guidance on questioning children in court.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24968 on 8 May 2002.

10 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the implementation group on the report of the Lord Advocate's Working Group on Child Witness Support to publish its findings.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The group was set up to implement the recommendations in the Lord Advocate's working group's report. It has set up three sub-groups examining, respectively, support for child witnesses through the investigative and criminal justice processes, the pre-trial ga…

10 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the NHS's guidance on domestic abuse will be published.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A Short Life Working Group has prepared draft guidance for health care workers on responding to domestic abuse. This guidance will be published for wide consultation in June 2002 after submission to the National Group to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland at …

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether software which helps prevent young people from viewing potentially harmful or adult material on the web, as developed by the Internet Content Rating Association, will be installed on all computers in public places and whether it will assist in advertising this software to parents …

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Executive will continue to give support and priority to initiatives which afford greater protection to children and young people, including those which raise public awareness and promote safer use of the internet. There is a range of web content filtering…

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation has been undertaken on projects funded by the Domestic Abuse Development Fund from its inception to March 2002 and when the results of any such evaluation will be available.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The National Group on Domestic Abuse is committed to tackling the key actions set out in the <I>National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland</I>. Monitoring the fund and undertaking an assessment of the impact upon improving local provision is one …

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to stop unsolicited pornographic pictures, adverts for pornographic sites and e-mails advertising pornography appearing on the internet.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The regulation of the internet is a reserved matter under the Scotland Act 1998. However, the criminal law is devolved and the general position in law is that what is illegal off-line is also illegal online. The statutory provision on the display of obscene m…

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the third supplementary question to question S1F-1777 on 21 March 2002, whether the technology to stop tobacco advertising on the web will also be suitable for stopping the advertisement of pornographic material on the web.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Regulation of pornographic content on the internet is a reserved matter.

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what new programmes have been introduced, or are planned to be introduced in the next 12 months, by the Scottish Prison Service to fulfil its commitment in preventing violence against women - action across the Scottish Executive to "extend further its core programmes and develop a range …

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The SPS is currently reviewing the range of interventions available elsewhere to specifically address violence against women, and hopes t…

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training is currently provided within teacher training courses to provide teachers with the necessary skills to support young people experiencing domestic abuse.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Guidelines for Courses of Teacher Education in Scotland sets out Scottish ministers' policy on content, nature and duration of courses leading to teaching qualifications. The precise form of individual courses is determined by the higher education institu…

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are available in schools to support young people experiencing domestic abuse.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Last year the Scottish Executive piloted the Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust's "Respect" package in schools and youth groups in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The aim of this package is to raise awareness amongst young people of the issues around domestic abuse, and …

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-4876 by Ms Margaret Curran on 14 March 2002, what training will be provided to ensure that the respect project is successfully rolled out to schools and how any such training will be funded.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The issue of the provision of training and how such training will be funded forms part of the discussions I am holding with other ministers on how the Executive will proceed with the "roll-out" of the Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust's "Respect" materials to s…

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22969 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 March 2002, when the consultation document on vulnerable witnesses will be published.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Consultation Paper will be published on 1 May 2002.

20 Mar 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next have discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues.

12 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many projects under the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund have had their funding discontinued and how many of these will continue to be funded by the other funding partner.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Nine projects from the first round had funding discontinued in this round. It is a matter for other funding partners to decide whether they should continue their support.

12 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made a decision not to fund training posts under the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund; if so, when this decision was taken, who made it and how it was transmitted to those applying for funds.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The second round of the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund received applications to fund 83 projects at a cost of £2,314,928 - an oversubscription of £814,928.<P>A decision has been taken to continue to fund those training projects already supported by t…

12 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many bids were received for funding under the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund in 2001-02.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Forty-eight applications were received for the first round of the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund. Most were for two year funding and covered the financial years 2000-01 and 2001-02. A further 10 projects were approved later to take up the full fundin…

12 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the #50,000 for a barrier free refuge in Glasgow announced on 5 March 2002 will be used for.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The funding is a contribution towards the start up costs for the new barrier free refuge. It will help pay for the specialised furniture and fittings necessary to provide access for the disabled.

12 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the sustainability plan is for the barrier free refuge in Glasgow announced on 5 March 2002.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Glasgow Women's Aid has been granted £50,000 from the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund for a contribution to the set up costs of the barrier free refuge being developed under the Refuge Development Programme. Sustainability is not an issue for this pro…

12 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions took place before it was agreed that Steven Beech could move to Aberdeen and who these discussions involved.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Grampian Police were alerted in advance to Mr Beech's intention to move to Aberdeen. Subsequently there has been very close co-operation between the relevant statutory agencies and the voluntary sector over the appropriate arrangements for him.

12 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the source will be of the funding to keep Steven Beech under 24-hour surveillance.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Costs incurred by Aberdeen City Council in providing 24-hour surveillance of Mr Beech will be reimbursed by the Scottish Executive under the 100% funding arrangements for criminal justice social work services.

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5439/2002, when the process of recruiting more prosecutors for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal service will begin and when it expects these prosecutors to take up their duties.

Answer · Colin Boyd: A Depute Procurator Fiscal recruitment exercise is currently under way. The closing date for applications was 15 March 2002. Interviews will be held in April. Successful applicants are expected to take up post from June onwards. Sixteen trainee solicitors wil…

8 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-4668 by Mr Jim Wallace on 14 February 2002, what the proposed measures are in respect of making UK and foreign nationals convicted of sex offences abroad subject to the same registration requirements as such offenders convicted in the UK.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The measures proposed would be to enable the police, if they become aware that such an offender is in the UK, to apply to a court for an Order to Register as a Sex Offender. The intention is to impose the same requirements on an individual and have the same p…

25 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to ring-fence money to health boards and trusts for the provision of services for survivors of sexual abuse following the findings by researchers from Swansea NHS Trust that abused children have more health problems than non-abused children.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have no such plans.