Parliamentary questions
Michael Matheson
1,154 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
20 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31487 and document Bib. number 25002, what the nature was of the incidents of concerted indiscipline in quarter 1 and quarter 2 of performance year 4 of the operation of HM Prison Kilmarnock.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Both incidents occurred within one of the houseblocks but involved different groups of prisoners. In the first incident, three prisoners obstru…
20 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31487 by Mr Jim Wallace on 22 November 2002 and document Bib. number 25002, what the nature was of the incident of failure to comply with agreed reporting procedures in quarter 1 of performance year 4 of the operation of HM Prison Kilmarnock.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Staff on a local hospital escort were absent from the recovery room in the early stages of a prisoner regaining consciousness after an op…
19 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25983 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 May 2002, whether the assault reported in the Metro of 15 May 2002 will be counted towards the key performance indicators of the Scottish Prison Service relating to serious assaults on staff in the year 2002-03 and what …
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Yes. The incident met the criteria.
19 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S1W-25983 and S1W-32018 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 May and 10 December 2002 respectively and with regard to document Bib. number 25435 in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, why no serious injury assault on a staff member at HM Prison Kilmarnock is…
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The incident to which the answer to question S1W-25983 referred is being investigated by the police. Should that investigation result in a pros…
18 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32366 by Mr Jim Wallace on 17 December 2002, what is meant by "normal circumstances" in addition to prosecutions under clauses 59 and 69 of the Criminal Justice Bill.
Answer · Jim Wallace: It is anticipated that print publications from other states of the European Union would be imported on a UK-wide basis. As any breach of reporting restrictions would relate to criminal proceedings in England and Wales, it would normally be that enforcement wo…
18 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32366 by Mr Jim Wallace on 17 December 2002, where a publication whose area of distribution is restricted to Scotland, or a part of Scotland, includes a report in contravention of the reporting restrictions in clauses 59 or 69 of the Criminal Justice…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32784 on 13 January 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…
18 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32366 by Mr Jim Wallace on 17 December 2002, whether courts have any power to prevent the importation of a print publication from the European Union or its distribution where it includes a report in contravention of the reporting restrictions in clau…
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Criminal Justice Bill does not include powers to prohibit the importation of material containing a prohibited report contrary to the reporting restrictions in clauses 59 and 69. As indicated in the answer to question S1W-32366, it is the proprietor, edito…
18 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32365 by Mr Jim Wallace on 17 December 2002, under what other circumstances prosecuting authorities in Scotland will ignore an offence committed under clauses 59 and 69 of the Criminal Justice Bill in Scotland on the basis that a similar offence has …
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32784 on 13 January 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…
18 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32365 by Mr Jim Wallace on 17 December 2002, whether it will be an offence in Scotland under clauses 59 and 69 of the Criminal Justice Bill for an internet service provider providing a service in Scotland to allow for the downloading of material from…
Answer · Jim Wallace: In Scotland, the police, the Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service are responsible for dealing with suspected offences. If the provisions on reporting restrictions in the Criminal Justice Bill are enacted it would be for the Crown Office and Procurat…
17 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it plans to bring the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill into force.
Answer · Ross Finnie: We are on track to implement most of the provisions of the Land Reform Bill in 2003, provided it completes its remaining parliamentary stages before the end of the session. Secondary legislation is required before the bill provisions can be fully implemented.…
13 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31637 by Mr Jim Wallace on 2 December 2002, whether there is any difference in the fixed fees, as defined in Ga and Gb in paragraph 6 of schedule E to the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services …
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>No.
13 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates a written notice has been given under section 34.1 of the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock requiring the contractor to provi…
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=482><TR><TD WIDTH="27%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Date of Notice</TD><TD WIDTH="49%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Number …
13 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional prisoner places, as defined in section 34 of the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock, have been recorded in the daily rep…
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Fotry-eight additional prisoner places have been available each day since July 2000.
13 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32017 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 December 2002, what projections it has of the number of unfit places in the prisons estate in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>As I indicated in the answer given to question S1W-32017, and previously in response to question S1W-29749 on 7 October 2002, the number …
13 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the provider of education services in each Scottish Prison Service prison since 1 April 2000 to date, showing the dates on which each provider began and ceased provision of such services.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>All the providers of education in Scottish prisons continue as they have been since 1 April 2000:<P>Aberdeen College provides SPS with ed…
13 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32013 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 December 2002, whether any internal bid was considered as part of the competitive tendering of education services in prisons.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>No. The SPS does not have education provision capacity internally.
13 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32013 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 December 2002, whether it made any examination of the value for money of contracting out education services in the Scottish Prison Service prior to tendering for such services.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>No. The SPS made a value for money comparison as part of our procurement process.
11 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31974 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 December 2002, how many prisoners were transferred from HM Prison Greenock to HM Prison Kilmarnock in the same 12-week period.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>None.
11 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31971 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 December 2002, when it expects to make an announcement on the site for the new private-build, private-operate prison.
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>When the SPS submits the appropriate planning notification to the relevant authority.
11 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31971 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 December 2002, why the Scottish Prison Service does not intend publishing the project plan and timetable for the new private-build, private-operate prison and whether this position accords with the Executive's policy on …
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The procurement of the new prison will be undertaken by the SPS using the PRINCE 2 project management methodology. Under PRINCE, detailed…
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether clauses 59 and 69 of the Criminal Justice Bill can be enforced against print publications imported from other states in the European Union.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The enforcement of the reporting restrictions set out in clauses 59 and 69 of the bill are subject to the offence provisions in clauses 60 and 70 respectively. Clause 60(2) and 70(2) both provide that where the publication which includes the report in contrav…
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will enforce clauses 59 and 69 of the Criminal Justice Bill on restrictions on reporting for publications on the internet where the server on which the publication was originally made is located outside the UK.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The proposed restrictions are for the purpose of preventing jurors or potential jurors in England and Wales from becoming prejudiced. As internet material could be viewed in England and Wales, the prime responsibility for dealing with the matter would lie wit…
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the division of responsibilities between the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice and the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, where it is unclear whether a parliamentary question refers to an operational or policy matter, what procedure is used to det…
Answer · Jim Wallace: Any such determination would be agreed between me and the Chief Executive on a case-by-case basis.
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the division of responsibilities between the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice and the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), what definition is given to matters of (a) policy and (b) operation.
Answer · Jim Wallace: There are no formal definitions set out in the SPS Framework document; the normal sense of the terms "policy" and "operational and contractual" therefore apply. In general terms policy matters which, are for me, include setting key perform…
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S1W-29277 and S1W-31448 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 October and 3 December 2002 respectively, why the response to S1W-31448 was given by the Chief Executive of the Prison Service.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The response to question S1W-31448 was given by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service because it explained the nature of the operational and contractual matter to which question S1W-29277 referred and for which the agency is responsible.
5 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31450 by Mr Jim Wallace on 2 December 2002, which budgets within the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) are delegated to individual prisons and other establishments within the SPS; what each such budget covers, and what expenditure relating to prisons and…
Answer · Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Budgets are allocated to areas best placed to manage them at any point in time. For example, when a process is relatively new the costs may be …
3 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the multi-agency group on youth crime will report on the proposed national framework of outcome standards and objectives for Scotland's youth justice system, as referred to by the Minister for Education and Young People in the debate in the Parliament on the youth justice system on …
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We expect the group's report to be available in December 2002, as stated in <I>Scotland's Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002</I>.
26 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases resulted in a sentence of three years or less for causing death by dangerous driving in each of the last five years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: In the years 1996-2000 a total of 11, 11, eight, 10 and three persons respectively received a custodial sentence of three years or less where the main charge was causing death by dangerous driving. Data for 2001 are expected to be available in December.
26 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-31088 and S1W-31487 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 and 22 November 2002 respectively, whether it will show the performance points accrued by the operating company of HM Prison Kilmarnock broken down by sub-section in section 2.4(b) of Schedule F to the Min…
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>Figures relating to item 2.4(b) were given in answer to question S1W-25569 on 24 May 2002, but due to a clerical error they were omitted from t…
26 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have been transferred from HM Prison Greenock to each other Scottish Prison Service prison in each of the last 12 weeks.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=608><TR><TD WIDTH="19%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Week Commencing</TD><TD WIDTH="12%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Barlin…