Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

20 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) males and (b) females imprisoned for the (i) abduction, (ii) serious assault and (iii) murder of a child in each of the last 10 years have been considered for parole and how many have had their application (1) refused and (2) granted.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information is not available in the form requested. Information relating to the release of prisoners on licence is published in the annual report of the Parole Board for Scotland. The board's report for 2001 was laid before the Parliament on 30 May 2002 a…

20 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged with, (ii) convicted and (iii) imprisoned for the (1) abduction, (2) serious assault and (3) murder of a child in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The available information is shown in the following table. Cases involving child victims of abduction and serious assault cannot be separately identified within the data held centrally.<P>Persons Accused of Cases Recorded<SUP>1</SUP> as Murder Involving a Chi…

13 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many daily doses of (a) methadone and (b) the opiate blocker Naltrexone were prescribed in each prison in 2001.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The information requested is not available.

13 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what risk assessment it has carried out into the community safety implications of prescribing heroin substitutes and blockers in prison, in order to reduce dependency on heroin following a prisoner's release.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Clear guidelines as to prescribing for drug misusers in prison are contained within SPS' Health Care Standards, a copy of which has been …

13 Aug 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what policies and procedures it has in place to ensure that any complaints made against the (a) Crown Office, (b) Office of the Procurator Fiscal, (c) Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman, (d) Law Society of Scotland, and (e) police forces are dealt with correctly and without prejudice again…

Answer · Colin Boyd: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has a complaints procedure, details of which are available on the Crown Office website. The policy is to respond to all complaints quickly, courteously, fairly and efficiently and to take appropriate action when …

17 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what policies it has in relation to criminal investigations by the police of fraud relating to tribunals operating in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive expects that any fraud relating to tribunals involving potential criminal activity would be reported to the police. It would be a matter for the appropriate police force to decide whether to pursue a criminal investigation and what form…

10 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) cost and (b) benefits are, in terms of potential mortality and morbidity, of treating drug-using prisoners in accordance with published European recommendations.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The Scottish Prison Service provides a range of services and treatments to drug-using prisoners. We have not undertaken a cost-benefit analysis…

10 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Prison Service spent on (a) heroin substitutes and (b) heroin blockers in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99, (iii) 1999-2000, (iv) 2000-01 and (v) 2001-02.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Figures are available only for 2000-01 and 2001-02. These are shown in the table:<P><P><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=561><TR…

10 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have suffered (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal overdoses from illegal opiates whilst receiving legal opiates in prison in each year from 1997-98 to the present date, broken down by prison.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>(a) None.<P>(b) The information requested is not available.

24 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Committee of the Council of Tribunals has any powers to investigate allegations of fraud in respect of tribunals and, in particular, employment tribunals and whether it will detail such powers.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals has no powers to investigate allegations of fraud in respect of tribunals. The committee's statutory role is to keep under review and to report on the constitution and working of tribunals and on matters such…

24 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase funding for the procurator fiscal service to meet the demands being placed on the service.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I have made an additional £16.5 million available to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in 2002-03, to take forward their modernisation plans. As part of the current spending review, I will be setting budgets for 2003-04 to 2005-06. The results of…

14 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive under which subject headings or names pathology information or information on death is stored in each hospital.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All trusts have in place rigorous systems for identifying retained organs, reports, associated tissue blocks and slides. Record-keeping is the subject of one of the hospital post-mortem examination standards being developed by the Clinical Standards Board for…

24 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or the Scottish Road Safety Campaign has any plans for a publicity campaign on the use of mobile telephones by drivers whilst driving and whether it will make representations to the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions in support of change in the law on th…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including mobile phones and driving.<P>The Scottish Executive shares with the UK Government responsibility for road safety publicity campaigns in Scotland. The Exec…

14 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list each record held in each hospital in respect of death, pathology and post-mortem of children following intrauterine transfusions in each year from 1975 to 1985.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Due to restrictions on the release of named patient data, it is not possible to provide details of the very small numbers of children who have had intrauterine transfusions. This information cannot be sufficiently anonymised in order to protect patient confi…

9 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children died in each year from 1975 to 1985 in Simpson's Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh, or following transfer to another hospital, after receiving an intrauterine transfusion.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There were no deaths at Simpson's Memorial Maternity Hospital during the years 1980 to 1985 following intrauterine transfusion. No intrauterine transfusions were recorded at the hospital during the period.<P>Information on deaths following intrauterine transf…

24 Apr 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken in order to deal with any delays in processing children's hearings caused during school holidays by the requirement for reports from educational professionals.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Association of Directors of Education Scotland has been encouraging education authorities to develop individual protocols with SCRA. SCRA is liasing with authorities to minimise delays during the school holidays and will monitor the provision of reports o…

17 Apr 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on proposals for a railway stop close to Edinburgh Airport.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Our study is progressing well. The consultants are now assessing demand for a number of feasible engineering options already identified for rail links to both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports.

12 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers are due to retire in each of the next five years, broken down by force, and how many people are expected to graduate from the Scottish Police College in each of these years, giving their prospective force destination.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Although the Scottish Executive receives estimates from forces relating to the costs associated with retirements in future years, no information is held centrally on the likely numbers of officers involved. Nor is detailed information held on the estimated nu…

22 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding is planned to be allocated for the (a) community right to buy and (b) crofting community right to buy elements of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Ross Finnie: As indicated in paragraphs 324 to 334 of the Scottish Executive's Financial Memorandum, which accompanied the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill on introduction to Parliament on 27 November 2001, various costs to the Executive are envisaged in relation to the commun…

22 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much lottery funding has been given to (a) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (b) the Scottish Land Fund in respect of the community right to buy and crofting community right to buy elements of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill; whether such contributions were allocated from Scotland'…

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Highlands and Islands Enterprise has received no lottery funding in respect of the Community Right to Buy and Crofting Community Right to Buy elements of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.<P>The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill does not make any financial provision …

21 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for the future funding of the maintenance of the Forth Road Bridge and its approach roads and whether the cost of such maintenance will be financed from road maintenance budgets or other budgets.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Toll revenue is used to fund the maintenance, management and operation of the Bridge, and this arrangement will continue with establishment of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority on 1 April 2002. The authority will however have the flexibility to use surplu…

21 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its current proposals are in relation to the Forth Road Bridge including any plans for the future management of the bridge and the removal of toll charges, and whether it is currently consulting, or plans to consult, on any such plans and, if so, with whom.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: On 1 April 2002 the Forth Estuary Transport Authority took over responsibility for management, maintenance and operation of the bridge. As well as establishing the new Authority the Executive has extended the present Tolling Order until 31<SUP> </SUP>March 20…

21 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much, and what percentage, of the money collected from tolls on the Forth Road Bridge was diverted to finance matters not directly concerned with the management of the bridge in each of the past three years.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: All expenditure of money received from tolls on the Forth Road Bridge was on matters relating to the undertaking. This included revenue spent on traffic management schemes that impacted on the bridge's operation, namely:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING…

21 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been done to show whether there is any adverse economic effect on local and national businesses caused by delays at bridge toll booths.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has not conducted any studies on this issue. Nor are we aware of any work carried out by other organisations.

15 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chief Dental Officer for Scotland (CDO) has decided that when sedation is used in the NHS by a dentist or an anaesthetist the sedation is limited to the use of a single drug; if so, under what authority the CDO acted in this matter and whether such action was contrary to any G…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: More than one sedation agent may be used when intravenous sedation is administered by a dentist or an anaesthetist in an NHS hospital setting, where there is immediate access to appropriately trained personnel and equipment in case of emergencies. In general …

15 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the cost of burning the organs of a deceased child which have been removed without parental consent or legal authority is met by the NHS.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In response to recommendations from phase one of the work of the independent Review Group on the Retention of Organs at Post-Mortem, the Executive issued guidance in January 2001 to all Scottish NHS trusts indicating that they should, in appropriate cases, me…

26 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22695 by Cathy Jamieson on 18 February 2002, how many cases have been brought back to Children's Hearings Panels for review in each of the last five years.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Detailed information on review hearings is an operational matter for the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration.<P>Supervision requirements must be reviewed by children's hearings no later than one year after they have been made. An earlier review may be…

19 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22622 by Lewis Macdonald on 15 February 2002, what its estimate is of the earliest timescale under which the Haddington to Dunbar expressway will be completed, taking into account any statutory procedures.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: On current predictions, the earliest date on which the new road will open to traffic is Christmas 2003.

15 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take following the appeal judgement on 14 February 2002 that, if sheriffs do not properly discharge the Intermediate Diet, the prosecution fails.

Answer · Jim Wallace: As the member will now know, the Criminal Procedure (Amendment)(Scotland) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 25 February, to reverse the decision of the High Court of Justiciary in the case of <I>Reynolds</I> v <I>Procurator Fiscal Linlithgow</I>, with retr…

4 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-4475 by Iain Gray on 24 January 2002, what options it is currently considering to access more detailed information about the prevalence of ethnic community languages and when it will have new arrangements in place for this purpose.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive is working with a number of partner organisations to develop a clearer picture of community language use across Scotland as well as considering possible specific research or surveys. This is continuing work and there is currently no fixed timeta…