Parliamentary questions
Kenny MacAskill
2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it will have to the G8 summit's discussions on the G8 Counter Terrorism Action Group (CTAG).
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14805 on <br>9 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa…
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it will have to the G8 summit discussions on the G8's core principles on counter-terrorism.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Prime Minister has statedthat the priorities for the UK's Presidency of the G8, and therefore the GleneaglesSummit, are Africa and Climate Change. The UK Government is discussing withits G8 partners how other topics to which the G8 attaches considerable i…
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it can take to assist the G8 in its aims on counter-terrorism.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has playeda full part in helping to formulate commitments the UK Government has made on counter-terrorismin the forum of the G8 in the past. Work is on-going – in co-operation with theUK Government and our partners around the world – to…
28 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available on hourly rates of pay for (a) professional and (b) non-professional employees.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The preferred source for earnings estimates is the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which is carried out by the Office for National Statistics.</p> <p>ASHE 2004 estimates that the median gross hourly pay for full-time professional employee jobs is …
25 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been (a) created by supermarkets and (b) lost from high streets in each year since 1999.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The number of jobs created by supermarkets and the number of jobs lost from high streets is not held centrally. Table 1 shows the change in the level of employee jobs in the retail<sup>1 </sup>industry in each year since 1999.</p><p>Table 1 Annual Change in t…
25 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is regarding any legislation or other action being taken by it, or in conjunction with a UK department, to prevent convicted criminals benefiting from their criminal acts.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Proceeds of Crime Act2002 provides for the confiscation, civil recovery and taxation of theproceeds of unlawful conduct. Up to the end of December 2004, relevant assetsworth over £2 million had been confiscated or recovered in Scotland.</p><p>We are also…
25 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the existing rules and regulations are in respect of notifying victims of crime of the release of prisoners from custody and whether there are any plans to amend these rules and regulations.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Section 16 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, which commenced on 1 November 2004, determines the conditions under which victims of crime are given an opportunity to be notified when a prisoner is released, dies in custody, is transferred outwith Sco…
24 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place between it and the Home Office to promote Scotland as a place to settle for immigrants from the EU accession states.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14434 on 10 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.sea…
24 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop specific policies to attract economic migrants from the EU accession states and, if so, what these plans are.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Fresh TalentInitiative aims to attract bright, talented and hard-working individuals from allcountries, including the EU accession states, to come and live, work and study inScotland. Weare engaged in a number of activities to promote Scotland overseas, i…
24 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific methods it uses to attract economic migrants entering the United Kingdom from the EU accession states to Scotland and what funding has been allocated to support any such methods.
Answer · Tom McCabe: As part of the Fresh Talent initiative,activities are underway to promote Scotland as a place to live, work and study overseas, includingin the accession countries. For example, staff from the Fresh Talent team are attendingan education fair in Poland in Marc…
24 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the number of immigrants who enter Scotland originating from the EU accession states.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Immigration is a reserved matter,and statistics on the control of immigration are a matter for the Home Office.</p><p>The General Register Office forScotland compiles estimates of international migration into Scotland, forthe purposes of demographic estimatio…
24 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial cost was and (b) estimated annual cost is of the national prison induction programme referred to in the Scottish Prison Service's oral evidence to the Justice 1 Committee's inquiry into the effectiveness of rehabilitation in prisons (Official Report, c. 1076).
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The information as requestedis not available. Prison induction is an integral part of SPS operationalactivities and is not costed sepa…
24 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of prisoner inductions is for prisoners serving (a) less than three months, (b) three to six months and (c) six months to one year.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>Prisoner inductionarrangements are available for all prisoners following admission. Theinformation requested is not available.</p>
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any proposals to regulate the location and size of supermarkets.
Answer · Johann Lamont: National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG)<i> 8 : Town Centres and Retailing</i> gives priority to locating new retail developments in town centres or other centres well served by public transport. However, it is for planning authorities to assess all applicat…
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations and planning guidelines govern supermarkets and whether there are any plans to limit the size of floor space of future supermarket developments.
Answer · Johann Lamont: Relevant national planning policy is set out in National Planning Policy Guideline <i>(NPPG) 8: Town Centres and Retailing</i>. This requires a “sequential approach” to selecting sites for all new retail developments,including supermarkets. Town centres shoul…
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has in respect of the amount of local produce purchased by supermarkets and, if it does not have such information, whether it will obtain it in future.
Answer · Ross Finnie: We do not hold information on the amount of local produce purchased by supermarkets and have no plans to obtain such information in the future. When I meet the supermarkets, however, I stress the importance of sourcing local produce.</p>
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) suicides and (b) attempted suicides have taken place in each year since 1999, broken down by prison.
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 available information is</p><p>(a)</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center>Establishment…
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults by inmates on other inmates occurred in each prison in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The available data, which isconsistent with the totals given in SPS annual reports, is in the followingTable. </p><table class=MsoNorm…
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of speeding and road traffic offences committed by drivers of foreign-registered vehicles; how many speeding offences were not proceeded with or prosecuted due to the vehicle being registered outwith the United Kingdom in each year since 1999, and wha…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot separately identifiable in the available statistics.</p>
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on rates paid by new out-of-town developments and on congestion caused by such developments.
Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally.</p>
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated number of cases arising out of the judgement of Lord Bonomy in the Napier case concerning slopping out in prisons is and what the estimated costs are in respect of damages or payments to be made.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Napier <i>v</i> ScottishMinisters was not a test case. Lord Bonomy’s judgement related to theconditions in Barlinnie in 2003 and the e…
23 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on loss of individual retailers from high streets and elsewhere in Scotland as a result of supermarket developments and what plans it has to develop high streets affected by such losses.
Answer · Johann Lamont: The Executive’s commitment to the protection and enhancement of town centres is set out in National Planning Policy Guideline NPPG) 8:<i> Town Centres and Retailing</i>. This requires Planning Authorities to take positive measures to sustain and enhance town …
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding the Constructs programme received annually in each year since its inception.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: To date, £67,000 has been spent specifically on the work to bring Constructs up to accreditation standards. A further £500,000 per annum has been set aside to extend the provision of the Constructs programme, once it is accredited. </p><p>Prior to this work, …
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on throughcare services in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive provides ring fenced funding through Section 27 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to local authorities for the delivery of services to offenders. The following amounts have been allocated to local authority groupings for throughcar…
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on alcohol rehabilitation services for offenders in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive provides ring fenced funding through Section 27 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act1968 to local authorities for the delivery of services to offenders. The followingamounts have been allocated to authorities on specific programmes for tho…
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on drug rehabilitation services for offenders in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: JusticeDepartment</p><p><b>MrKenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): </b>Toask the Scottish Executive <a name=QuestionText>how much it has spent on drug rehabilitationservices for offenders in each year since 1999.</a></p><p align=right>(S2W-14667)</p><br clear=all…
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the public purse will be of completed or planned refurbishment and redecoration of buildings or sites associated with the forthcoming G8 summit, detailing work carried out or being planned and the buildings or sites involved.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Some limited refurbishmentand redecoration (amounting to less than £500) has taken place in a number ofpolice buildings as part of the planning being taken forward for the summit.Other property costs are being incurred or are planned in connection withsecurit…
22 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether the new immigration points system will be weighted in Scotland's favour and how arrangements for the system will work.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I welcome the recognition, in the Home Office’s Five Year Strategy for asylum and immigration, of Scotland's particular demographic challenges and look forward to working closely with the Home Office as the details, including those for the points system, are …
15 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any request or is aware of any request being made by the police or any other authority to a government or police authority outwith the United Kingdom for the use of equipment such as water cannons during the hosting of the G8 Summit and, if so, what request for what eq…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has made no such request, nor has it been made aware of any request by any other organisation in connection with the Summit. Tayside Police, which will have overall responsibility for the policing of the G8 Summit, stated in a press rel…
11 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, or plans to have, with the UK Government with regard to the impact of the potential increase in the use of Dungavel House immigration removal centre for the detention of asylum seekers following the UK Government's aim of increasing the use of detention centre…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The operation and managementof Dungavel are matters for the Home Office. Scottish Executive and Home Officeofficials have regular meetings to keep abreast of developments and discuss asylummatters as they relate to devolved services. The next meeting is sched…