Kenny MacAskill

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government in respect of the issue of identity cards (ID cards); what input it has had, or will have, with regard to any proposed legislation on the issue, and whether the Scottish Parliament will be consulted on any such proposal.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Home Office have continued to keep the Scottish Executive fully informed about proposals for the introduction of identity cards. During the development of the policy and the drafting of the legislation, Executive officials have had a number of discussions…

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role and powers it has in respect of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and what protocols have been agreed between it and the HSE.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has no formal role or powers in respect of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Health and Safety Commission(HSC) and Executive are non-departmental public bodies. The HSC is sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions and i…

10 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role and powers it has in respect of the (a) National Lottery, (b) New Opportunities Fund and (c) Community Fund; what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding possible legislation to change the structure and organisation of the National Lottery, and whether the Scott…

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Although the National Lottery is reserved to Westminster, and the policy lead lies with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, there is extensive executive devolution of the National Lottery in Scotland.</p><p>There are three Scottish lottery di…

9 Nov 2004 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will publish the financial models developed by Grant Thornton in respect of the preliminary financial cases for the Edinburgh Tram Bills.

Answer · George Reid: In September 2004, the Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Bill and Edinburgh Tram (LineTwo) Bill Committees commissioned ArupScotland to conduct independent reviewsof the updated Preliminary Financial Cases for both Edinburgh Tram Bills. </p><p>As part of these review…

4 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to refer decisions relating to the number of fire control rooms in Scotland to the UK Government; if so, on what basis and what the reasons are for such a decision and, if not, when it will make a ministerial statement on the issue.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive does not intend to refer decisions on the number of fire control rooms in Scotland to the UK Government. It will be for Scottish ministers in consultation with Scottish stakeholders to decide on the most appropriate arrangements for Sco…

3 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many firms registered for (a) civil and (b) criminal legal aid work with the Scottish Legal Aid Board in each year since registration was introduced.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The following table sets out the number of firms registered for criminal legal assistance in each year since registration was introduced in 1999. The figures relate to the position in December, when the register is published.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0…

3 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the nature is of the presumptive test carried out by drugs squads, and other police officers, in order to ascertain whether substances are prescribed drugs; how many such tests have been carried out in each year since 1999 and, of these, in how many cases the drugs were shown not to …

Answer · Hugh Henry: Presumptive tests, which involve chemical analysis of substances which are believed to contain heroin, cannabis, cannabis resin or amphetamine, are carried out in order to provide a quick initial indication of the type of drug involved. These tests, which may…

3 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the administration of the criminal and civil legal aid registration scheme has cost and how many staff have been employed by the Scottish Legal Aid Board in respect of the registration scheme, in each year since the inception of the scheme.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The table below sets out the administration costs and staff employed in respect of the criminal legal aid registration scheme for each year since 1998-99.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center> </p> </td> …

3 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many trials were adjourned to allow fresh legal representation to be obtained in each year since 1999, broken down by sheriff court.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>

2 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the building of new indoor stadia, announced by the Minister for Finance and Public Services on 29 July 2004, will be funded through PPP; if so, whether it will ensure that there is a maximum limit on charges to ensure that the facilities are available for youth and community grou…

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: There are no proposals at present for the use of PPP funding. The proposed level of charges will be considered as part of the assessment process to ensure that they are affordable by user groups. There will be conditions and agreements that will regulate char…

2 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement on 30 March 2004 by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport of funding for the Scottish Football Association’s (SFA) Action Plan for Scottish Youth Football, how much funding has now been allocated; when the remainder of the funding will be allocated, and …

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Executive and <b>sport</b>scotland have agreed to make available £12.2 million towards the agreed funding package of £31.1 million for implementation of the Action Plan for Youth Football. It will be for the Implementation Steering Group to determine how …

2 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a fund to enable junior, semi-professional, or amateur football clubs to install synthetic pitches, subject to an agreement that the pitches are made available to local communities and that the clubs will work in conjunction with local authorities or other agenci…

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: No. <b>Sport</b>scotland already operates a Building for Sport programme under the Lottery Fund, which is open to football clubs. However, any application would be considered against the criteria for the programme and how the project would contribute to the t…

1 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether prison officers employed at “bridging the gap” prisons will have the same employment rights as officers at other Scottish Prison Service prisons and, if not, what the differences in rights will be.

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 terms of employment of prison officers employed at any SPS site are and will be subject to negotiation between the SPS and the Pr…

1 Nov 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take on the Scottish Law Commission’s A draft Criminal Code for Scotland.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We welcome the Scottish Law Commission’s initiative in publishing the draft code, prepared by a group of leading academics, in order to stimulate discussion of the topic. We are looking forward to receiving from the commission the comments that have been subm…

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total annual value is of work carried out for it and its agencies by The Stationery Office (TSO), broken down by contract, and whether it has any powers of direction over TSO and, if so, what these are.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive and itsagencies spent £152,534 on acquiring official publications from January 2003 toOctober 2004, and £452,128 on sale and distribution services of publicationsfrom June 2001 to October 2004.</p><p>The Scottish Executive doesnot have …

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what land acreage was available to the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) on the site of HM Prison Low Moss; what the acreage is of the existing site development at Low Moss; what consideration has been given to a new build prison on SPS-owned land adjacent to the site, and what the reasons ar…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>The Scottish Prison Servicesite is about 15 hectares of which the existing prison occupies about onethird.</p><p>The SPS-owned land adjacentt…

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the pension rights will be of new prison officers at any new build prison on the Low Moss site.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><p>The pension rights of thestaff employed at the new prison will be a matter for the relevant employer.</p>

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to capitalise and build upon the world city of literature status awarded to Edinburgh and what funds have been (a) earmarked for this purpose and (b) allocated to relevant organisations.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executivewelcomes Edinburgh’s success in being granted the title: City of Literaturein the UNESCO Creative Cities Global Alliance. The Edinburgh World City ofLiterature project aims to work with UNESCO to identify potential partnercities in the d…

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government regarding the proposed new gambling legislation; what representations it has made in respect of Scotland; what the procedures will be for implementing any UK legislation, and what steps it will take to ensure that Scotland’s distin…

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues,including the proposed new gambling legislation. Scottish ministers will have a wider range of controls under the new systemincluding power to set licence fees and l…

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it received the Scottish Law Commission report, Title to Sue for Non-Patrimonial Loss; what action it has taken in relation to the report; what proposals it has to implement it, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Law CommissionReport on <i>Title to Sue for Non-Patrimonial Loss (SLC</i> <i>187</i>) waspublished on 8 August 2002. It made a number of recommendations for changes tothe categories of persons who are able to sue for non-patrimonial loss.</p><p>R…

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports it has received from the Scottish Law Commission in each year since 1999; of these, how many have been implemented, and what action it proposes to take regarding those reports which have not been implemented.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Law Commission has published 23 reports on particular subjects since the beginning of 1999, a number of which remain unimplemented in whole or in part. The reports cover a wide range of subjects, and it has not been possible to produce the detail…

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10861 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 October 2004, how many of the safeguarders referred to have been instructed in the last (a) year and (b) two years and whether safeguarders are withdrawn from Sheriff Clerks’ lists if they are no longer carrying out their…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot held centrally by Scottish Court Service. The list of safeguarders maintained bySheriff Clerks derives from the panel of safeguarders maintained by localauthorities under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.</p>

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address the system of house buying and selling; whether it is aware of any problems with the system and, if so, what these problems are.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Housing Improvement TaskForce reported in 2003 on policy issues concerning the quality of privatesector housing stock in Scotland. That report identified that although the Scottishhouse buying and selling system has a number of strengths, there werenevert…

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to appoint an inspectorate for the judiciary; if not, how it intends to monitor the performance of judges and sheriffs, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: There are no plans toappoint an Inspectorate for the judiciary.</p>

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the single survey scheme and how it will improve the scheme and ensure sufficient uptake of single surveys.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The progress of the Single SurveyPilot is being monitored by the project team through the collection of data on thenumbers of surveys commissioned and of feedback from housing market professionalsand consumers. The team will continue to promote the pilot and …

29 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish literature is promoted and used within the school curriculum for (a) English and (b) other studies; what mandatory study of Scottish literature there is in the school curriculum, and what minimum knowledge of Scottish literature is required for children completing their educ…

Answer · Peter Peacock: The nationalCurriculum Guidelines 5-14, for English language currently advise that Scottishtexts should be actively sought and used in classrooms, the aim being to fostera sense of personal and national identity through pupils' experience and study ofScots wr…

26 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10886 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 October 2004, what rights the Public Defence Solicitors Office has to represent or take action on behalf of accused persons appearing from custody; whether any changes have been made to these rights and, if so, what those…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Public Defence Solicitors have the same rights as any other solicitor so long as the accused person qualifies for criminal legal aid. No changes in these rights are proposed.</p>

21 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7415 by Mr Frank McAveety on 4 May 2004, whether a steering group on implementing the Action Plan for Scottish Youth Football has been established; if so, who is on it, when it was set up, when it has met, what the agreed outcomes have been to date, …

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Following the launch of the Action Plan for Scottish Youth Football in March, an Implementation Steering Group was established by the SFA and had its first meeting on 14 June. It has now met on three occasions with the most recent meeting on 9 November. Its m…

11 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) has been involved in immigration matters; whether its remit has been extended to include immigration, and what the remit of the (a) SDEA and (b) police is in respect of immigration and how these remits relate to the role of immigration offi…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: In the <i>SDEA’s 2003-04 Annual Report</i> (copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre, Bib. number 33130), the director made clear that the SDEA would be taking action “across all aspects of serious and organised crime to meet the thr…

8 Oct 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to page 24 of Building a Better Scotland Spending Proposals 2005-2008, under which section of Table 4.01 funding will be allocated for modernisation of the prosecution service, including additional capital expenditure on information communication technology and a major ref…

Answer · Colin Boyd: The additional funding for expenditure on information communication technology and the major refurbishment of the department’s Glasgow office has been allocated to the capital expenditure line in table 4.01. Further funding for the modernisation of the prosec…