Lewis Macdonald

23 Apr 2012 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will provide additional funding to community projects to reduce reoffending.

23 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to police (a) staff and (b) officers regarding how a reported theft of a mobile phone should be recorded.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) issues general guidance to police forces on the Scottish Crime Recording Standard (SCRS). The SCRS is the method by which police officers and staff record all thefts, including mobile phones. Additi…

23 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the incidents that have been (a) reported to or (b) recorded by each police force in each year since 2007 have been (i) classified as crimes, (ii) classified as offences and (iii) recorded but not classified as a crime or an offence.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The number of incidents that have been reported to each police force in Scotland is contained in the Scottish Policing Performance Framework (SPPF) Annual Report 2010-11. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PoliceSPPF. Table 5.…

23 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been given to police forces regarding the recommendations of the 2008 HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report, Scottish Crime Recording Standard.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There were five recommendations made in the 2008 report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland and it is satisfied through follow-up audits in 2010 and 2012 that these have largely been discharged. As a result of the 2008 review, an 800 page Scottis…

23 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether police forces have introduced a standardised identification of crimes that do not require further or full investigation, as was recommended by the 2008 HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report, Scottish Crime Recording Standard, and, if so, what types of crime were identified.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This recommendation is not about the recording of crime per se, or a debate about crime types, but rather about the proportionality of further investigation in circumstances where there are few or no realistic investigative options. In that regard, a national…

23 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it carried out the review of the suitability of the counting rules for crime recording that was recommended by the 2008 HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report, Scottish Crime Recording Standard, and, if so, what the outcome was.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government has discharged this recommendation and initially hosted a meeting in May 2008 with all Force Crime Registrars when it was agreed that a new Counting Rules Sub Group be formed. This forum is chaired by a Crime Registrar with the attenda…

17 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether money seized under proceeds of crime legislation is being used to fund the 2012 Scottish Open golf championship and, if so, how much.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government recently announced that it will contribute £2 million over the next three years through to 2014, to support the Scottish Open Golf Championship. This includes a contribution of £125,000 a year over the three years from the CashBack for…

17 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive  how much has been seized under proceeds of crime legislation in each year since 2003.

Answer · Lesley Thomson: The total amount of money secured by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (including both the Serious and Organised Crime Division and Civil Recovery Unit) through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, broken down per year is as follows: 2003 – 04 £2,19…

17 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been provided to organisations by the CashBack for Communities programme in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area,

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Since the inception of Cashback for Communities in 2007, over £45 million recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 has been invested or fully committed to a wide range of community projects and facilities throughout Scotland, directly benefitting over 6…

17 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for organisations to receive funding from the CashBack for Communities programme.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Proceeds of Crime Act allows the Scottish Government to seize illegal gains from organised crime and uniquely, through the highly successful CashBack for Communities initiative, invest the ill-gotten gains of crime into community programmes, facilities an…

28 Mar 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the decision was taken to relocate post-production staff in the forensic services.

22 Feb 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects work to begin on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the A90/A96 Haudagain junction.

16 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with any organisations regarding the establishment of the Scottish Sentencing Council.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The judicially-led independent Sentencing Commission examined the issue of consistency in sentencing in our criminal courts. The central recommendation of the commission’s 2006 report, The Scope to Improve Consistency in Sentencing, was the creation of a proc…

16 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has consulted on the establishment of the Scottish Sentencing Council.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05715 on 28 February 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Busine…

16 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit of the Scottish Sentencing Council will be.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Section 2 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 provides that the objectives of a Scottish Sentencing Council will be to seek to promote consistency in sentencing practice, assist the development of policy in relation to sentencing and pro…

16 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Sentencing Council will be established.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05715 on 28 February 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Busine…

7 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to assist schools in protecting pupils from cyberbullying.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government funds the national anti-bullying service, respectme, that works with organisations across Scotland, including schools and local authorities, to give them the practical skills and confidence to deal with any bullying behaviour including…

7 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been charged with breach of the peace in relation to offences on the internet in each of the last five years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information held centrally on persons proceeded against for breach of the peace cannot identify whether the offence was internet related.

7 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government in the last five years regarding the prevention of cyberbullying.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The UK Council for Child Internet Safety was established in September of 2008 and brings together over 170 organisations and individuals from government, industry, law enforcement, academia and charities – including groups representing parents and children. T…

7 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to prevent cyberbullying.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government funds the national anti-bullying service, Respectme, that works with organisations across Scotland, including schools and local authorities, to give them the practical skills and confidence to deal with any bullying behaviour including…

7 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with organisations regarding cyberbullying in the last five years and, if so, what organisations.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Anti-Bullying Steering Group is co-ordinated by the Scottish Government and meets three to four times per year. The group aims is to steer, co-ordinate and promote developments in anti-bullying work, including cyberbullying. The group includes r…

7 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to support victims of cyberbullying.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended) places a duty on education authorities to identify, meet and provide for the additional support needs of all children for whose school education they are responsible, and to tail…

25 Jan 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met the Scottish Court Service.

19 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the (a) administration and (b) policing arrangements for the proposed referendum on independence and whether it has discussed this with the UK Government.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The Scottish Government’s proposals for the referendum were published in the consultation document Your Scotland, Your Referendum on 25 January. The UK Government has accepted our invitation to discuss the referendum and the meetings are being arranged.

17 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many part-time or retained firefighters are employed in each fire and rescue service and were employed in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2008-09, (d) 2007-08 and (e) 2006-07.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Headcount of Retained Duty System Officers as of 31 March: FRS 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Central 155 156 * 155 144 Dumfries and Galloway 216 220 * 225 213 Fife 104 104 * 102 111 Grampian 441 439 * 437 425 Highlands…

13 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to each Aberdeenshire school receiving funding under the Scotland's Schools for the Future programme.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government will provide of up to £19.76 million of funding for the replacement of Ellon Academy and up to £9.73 million for the replacement of Mearns Academy under the Scotland’s Schools for the Future building programme. However, the final level…

13 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which Aberdeenshire schools the Scottish Futures Trust has approved for funding under the Scotland's Schools for the Future programme.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has approved funding under the Scotland’s Schools for the Future building programme for the replacement of Ellon Academy and Mearns Academy.

13 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what schools were included in Aberdeenshire Council’s submission to the Scottish Futures Trust for funding under the Scotland's Schools for the Future programme.

Answer · Michael Russell: In their submission to the first phase of the Scotland’s Schools for the Future building programme, Aberdeenshire Council requested funding from the Scottish Government for the replacement of Mearns and Ellon Academies. With regard to the next phase of the p…

11 Jan 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting the delivery of new schools by Aberdeenshire Council.

22 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it expects that the VAT liability will be of a single (a) police force and (b) fire service.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The estimated costs and savings associated with the reform of both the police and fire and rescue services, including potential VAT liabilities, were identified in the Outline Business Cases published in September 2011. These can be found on the Scottish Gove…