Parliamentary questions
Kenny MacAskill
2,611 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22430 by Allan Wilson on 27 January 2006, whether it will provide an up-to-date breakdown of the number of approved money advisers for the Debt Arrangement Scheme by local authority area.
Answer · Allan Wilson: </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=bottom> <p align=center>Local Authority Area</p> </td> <td width=217 valign=bottom> <p align=center>Number of DAS Approved Money Advisers on 27 November 2006</p> …
20 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce the results of its consultation on the flood defence plan around the Water of Leith and, in particular the Murrayfield area, and when it intends that the implementation of the new defence plan will begin.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Our consideration of the Waterof Leith Flood Prevention Scheme has presented the Executive with many challengesin seeking to confirm a scheme which will deliver the maximum resilience againstflooding in a way which is fair to all. Following our public consult…
20 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29336 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 November 2006, whether there are any provisions in the contract for HM Prison Addiewell to reduce the annual payments if the population of the prison falls below capacity.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Yes.</p>
20 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29336 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 November 2006, what the staffing levels will be at HM Prison Addiewell; what the annual staff salary costs of the prison will be, and whether there is any provision in the contract for any part of the staffing costs to be…
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 staffing levels and salarycosts are matters for Addiewell Prison Limited, the contractor of HM Prison Addiewell.</p><p>There is no prov…
20 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent buying the land on which HM Prison Addiewell will be built.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>£722,000.</p>
20 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29336 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 November 2006, how many staff members of the Scottish Prison Service will be involved in overseeing HM Prison Addiewell from 2008 onwards and what the annual salary costs for these staff will be.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30011 on 4 December 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on …
20 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29336 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 November 2006, what the annual cost will be to the public sector of monitoring the HM Prison Addiewell contract.
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 SPS will finalise arrangementsprior to the prison opening around the end of 2008.</p>
20 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29336 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 November 2006, what discount rate was used in calculating the net present value costs of HM Prison Addiewell.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>3.5%.</p>
20 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29336 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 November 2006, what the unitary cost of HM Prison Addiewell will be.
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 net present value of theHM Prison Addiewell contract is estimated to be £369 million which equates to about£15 million per annum over t…
20 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29336 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 November 2006, what account is taken of the impact of inflation in the annual net present value costs of HM Prison Addiewell.
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 contract price for HM PrisonAddiewell is revised annually based on a formula specified in the contract and linkedto the Retail Price In…
17 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations on behalf of people on low and middle incomes in Scotland to the Financial Services Authority regarding the recent announcement by First Direct that it will charge customers who deposit less than £1,500 per month into their account a £10 monthly fee to…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29967 on 4 December 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…
17 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to investigate the impact on people on low and middle incomes of the recent announcement by First Direct that it will charge customers who deposit less than £1,500 per month into their account a £10 monthly fee to operate a current account.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29967 on 4 December 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…
17 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the impact on people on low and middle incomes of the recent announcement by First Direct that it will charge customers who deposit less than £1,500 per month into their account a £10 monthly fee to operate a current account.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a commercial decisiontaken by a financial services firm, which does not contravene the regulatory frameworkgoverned by the Financial Services Authority. It is for financial services firmsto decide what products they wish to offer to their customers an…
16 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been in funded posts in each year since 1999, broken down by force area.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
16 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ownership of Addiewell prison will revert to the Executive when the 25-year contract ends and, if so, whether there will be a cost to the Executive at that time; if there will be a cost, what it will be and on what calculation the payment will be made; if there will be no cost, on…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>When the 25 year contract forHM Prison Addiewell ends, ownership of the prison assets will transfer to the ScottishPrison Service. No cost …
15 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) passengers and (b) vehicles were carried on the North Channel ferry services in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The information requested isgiven in table 10.12 (a) of <i>Scottish Transport Statistics</i>, published bythe Scottish Executive in 2005, a copy of which is available in the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre (Bib. number 37306). Figures which have subsequ…
15 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign drivers have been prosecuted for road traffic offences in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The information requested isnot available from the statistics collected centrally on persons proceeded againstin court as these do not include information on the nationality of the accused.</p>
15 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children’s panel members there have been in each year since 1999.
Answer · Robert Brown: The information requested isprovided in the following table.</p><p>Children’s Panel Membership 1999to 2006</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td nowrap valign=bottom> <p align=center>Local Authority</p> </td> <td nowrap val…
15 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) qualified and (b) unqualified staff have been employed in the Procurator Fiscal Service in each year since 1999.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: The following table showsthe number of legally and non-legally qualified staff in post at 1 April eachyear since 1999. These figures are recorded on a full time equivalent basis anddo not include staff on unpaid leave or casual staff.</p><table border=1 cells…
15 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fiscal fines have been issued in each year since 1999.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: The following table showsthe number of conditional offers of Fiscal Fine issued to accused persons byProcurators Fiscal in each year since 1999.</p><p>Fiscal Fines Issued </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td nowrap> <p>Year</…
6 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of support and financial subsidy it has allocated to support and promote public transport links to the site of the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executiveawarded the City of Edinburgh Council £10.5 million from the fifth and final round of thePublic Transport Fund (PTF) in 2002 for its Improving Access to Employment andGrowth Areas public transport programme in the west, north and east of…
6 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dispersal orders it estimates will be used annually by each local authority.
Answer · Johann Lamont: Police forces, in consultationwith relevant local authorities, have discretion to use the power in appropriatecircumstances i.e. where antisocial behaviour is significant, persistent and serious.We are not in a position to estimate how frequently such circums…
6 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to re-opening a railway station in Portobello; what it estimates the cost would be of opening such a station, and what its reasons are for not yet having opened a station.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive hasno plans to re-open a railway station in Portobello and has made no estimationof the cost associated with such a station. Regional Transport Partnerships arebest placed to assess their local transport needs in conjunction with railin…
6 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been provided to establish park-and-ride schemes for Edinburgh in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The following table gives thelevel of funding allocated to the City of Edinburgh Council by the Scottish Executive underthe Public Transport Fund for rail and bus based park-and-ride schemes:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <…
6 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much support and funding has been provided for bus routes and services in (a) Scotland and (b) Edinburgh in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The following table sets outthe relevant figures:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=624> <tr> <td width=87 valign=top> <p> </p> </td> <td width=537 colspan=7 valign=top> <p align=center>*a Support for Buses GAE (£000)</p> </td> …
6 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of support has been provided to (a) Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority, or its successor organisation and (b) Lothian Buses in each year since 1999.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The funding provided by the ScottishExecutive to Strathclyde Passenger Transport/Strathclyde Partnership for Transportsince 1999 is set out in the following table. Lothian Buses has been in receiptof Bus Service Operators Grant, but we have no current plans t…
2 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many residential drug rehabilitation places there have been in each year since 1999.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24528 on 11 April 2006 which set out the number of residentialfacilities, beds and admissions from 2001-02 to 2004-05 as reported by Alcohol andDrug Action Teams through Corporate Action Plans. The figures incl…
27 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been on duty at Scottish courts in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally and is a matter for each police force.</p>
27 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much security at sheriff courts has cost in each year since 1999.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Scottish Court Service Costs for Security at Supreme and sheriff courts.</p><p>The costs contained in the followingtable are for both sheriff and Supreme Courts. The Scottish CourtService does not hold this information on a disaggregated basis.</p><table bor…
27 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual costs of Addiewell prison are from 2007 to 2017.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>No costs will be incurred forHM Prison Addiewell until the prison comes on stream towards the end of 2008. Thecontract will run for 25 year…