Phil Gallie

10 Jan 2000 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what specific discussions he has had with the Home Office and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the issue of asylum seekers.

Answer · Donald Dewar: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including asylum seekers. As a result, we have reached agreement that we will review operation of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in Scotland some 18 months aft…

5 Jan 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why 53% of charges laid by the police under section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1991, death by dangerous driving, have been downgraded to section 3, careless driving, by the Crown Office since 1991.

Answer · Andrew Hardie: Crown Office does not "downgrade" police charges. As a matter of law, the decision whether to prosecute an individual and, if so, on what charges, is a matter for the Crown, not the police. Charges preferred by the police following a fatal road traffic accide…

10 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the success or otherwise of the Hamilton Child Safety Initiative and what plans it has to extend it.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The Hamilton Child Safety Initiative was launched in October 1997 by Strathclyde Police in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council in three areas of Hamilton. Following a positive response from the local community supported by research, Strathclyde Police …

2 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will explain the delay in repealing the provisions listed under the Local Statutory Provisions (Exemption from Repeal) (Scotland) Order 1999 (SSI 1999/157).

Answer · Frank McAveety: Section 59 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 was introduced as a mechanism of requiring all new councils to review the local legislation they inherited at local government reorganisation in 1996. This was to ensure that such legislation was appropri…

22 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that the Home Office has taken over Adamton House in Monkton with a view to using it as a hostel for asylum seekers and, if so, at what stage plans are towards bringing it into use and what local consultation there has been.

Answer · Iain Gray: It has not. I understand that the Home Office has not yet contracted for the provision of any accommodation in relation to the new arrangements for supporting asylum seekers which comes into effect from 1 April, whether in Scotland or elsewhere.

18 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Ayrshire local authorities regarding concerns over the lack of detailed information available about funding for the recently announced new stretch of the M77.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive has received one representation, from South Ayrshire Council, seeking clarification on the funding arrangements for the new stretch of the M77.

17 Nov 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Ayrshire local authorities regarding concerns over the lack of detailed information available about funding for the recently announced new stretch of the M7

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive has received one representation, from South Ayrshire Council, seeking clarification on the funding arrangements for the new stretch of the M77.

28 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the convicted killers of Mark Ayton will be released from custody and how long Iain Wheldon and Ross Gravestock will have spent in custody from the date of their sentence.

Answer · Jim Wallace: In accordance with section 1(3) of the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993, Iain Wheldon, Ross Gravestock and Graham Purves will be released on parole on 23 November 1999. By that date they will have served 2 years in custody.

28 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the statement by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service on 22 October 1999 at Law Moss prison in which he referred to "acceptable overcrowding", whether it has changed its policy on prison overcrowding.

Answer · Jim Wallace: There is no change in the Scottish Executive's views on prison overcrowding.

22 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-605 by Susan Deacon on 13 October 1999, whether, upon the completion of the review, the Minister for Health and Community Care will make an early declaration on the future of cochlear implant services in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer Mr Gallie to my answer to his question S1W-2108.

22 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-605 by Susan Deacon on 13 October 1999, what stage the review of the provision of cochlear implant services is currently at, and when it will be completed.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The future provision of cochlear implantation in Scotland has been considered by the National Services Advisory Group, which advises The Scottish Executive on specialist services. The group is currently seeking the views of Health Board General Managers befor…

19 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many incidents involving a road death drivers have been charged with careless driving, in how many of these did the driver plead guilty, and how many were found guilty in each year from 1994 to 1998.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer to my answer as given in Written Answer S1W-803.

19 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions drivers have been found guilty, or have pled guilty, to a charge of death by dangerous driving in each year from 1994 to 1998.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The available information is given in the table below.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Persons with a charge proved in Scottish courts where the main offence was causing death by dangerous driving, 1994 -1997<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH…

19 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many road deaths occurred on Scottish roads on an annual basis from 1994 to 1998, and how many of those deaths were not of the driver of a vehicle.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The information requested is set out in the following table.<P ALIGN="CENTER"><CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp;</TD><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Deaths of drivers o…

19 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in each year from 1994 to 1998 charges of death by dangerous driving made by the police have been reduced to careless driving by the prosecution services.

Answer · Andrew Hardie: Case information is not recorded in a manner which allows the statistics sought to be extracted.

19 Oct 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in each year from 1994 to 1998 charges of dangerous driving have been taken to court.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The available information is given in the table below.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Persons called to Scottish court where the main offence was dangerous driving, 1994 -1997<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="25%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CE…

22 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many poindings were instigated by the Inland Revenue and by Customs and Excise in Scottish courts in 1997 and 1998, what was their total value in real terms, and how many of them eventually progressed to warrant sales

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information is not available. Returns are made on the numbers of poindings and warrant sales carried out but they do not give any indication of who instituted an action.

16 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to address the situation, described in the Scottish Prison Officers report Work and Health in the Scottish Prison Service, whereby the level of prison officer dissatisfaction has risen over the last five years from 10% to almost 40%.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Prison Service has taken into account this Report, and other information about staff views, in developing the Human Resources strategy contained in its Corporate Plan.

15 Sep 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to address the situation, described in the Scottish Prison Officers report Work and Health in the Scottish Prison Service, whereby the level of prison officer dissatisfaction has risen over the last five years from 10% to almost 40%.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The Scottish Prison Service has taken into account this Report, and other information about staff views, in developing the Human Resources strategy contained in its Corporate Plan.

14 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what grounds a charge of murder may be dropped to assault when a victim died as a consequence of that assault.

Answer · Andrew Hardie: In any case in which proceedings on indictment are instructed, either in the High Court or in the Sheriff Court, the final decision regarding the charge or charges to be libelled in the indictment is taken by Crown Counsel after careful consideration of all a…

1 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the numbers of police officers of all ranks in Scotland were in: (a) 1979; (b) 1997; (c) 1998, and (d) 1999.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information is shown in the table below.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><P ALIGN="CENTER"><CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=482><TR><TD WIDTH="35%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Rank</TD><TD WIDTH="18%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial"…

1 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to detail the increase or decrease in funding of the police force in Scotland every year since 1979 in real terms.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Police authorities receive a specific grant of 51% of net eligible expenditure. From 1996-97 the level of grant has been subject to a cash-limit.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The budgets for individual police forces are set by police authorities or joint boards and are …

1 Sep 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to put an end to the situation whereby minor technical discrepancies prevent court proceedings in cases where there is evidence of an individual's wrongdoing.

Answer · Angus MacKay: We keep the law governing criminal procedure and evidence under constant review. Technical discrepancies can be overlooked; but only the Lord Advocate and the courts can judge when such procedural errors make court proceedings inappropriate or unsafe.

26 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will examine public perceptions of the treatment of victims of crime by the judicial system.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is concerned to ensure that the criminal justice system recognises and meets victims needs. There is existing research on victims' views of, and satisfaction with, the criminal justice system.

26 Aug 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will examine public perceptions of the treatment of victims of crime by the judicial system.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is concerned to ensure that the criminal justice system recognises and meets victims needs. There is existing research on victims' views of, and satisfaction with, the criminal justice system.

25 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to the question S1W-747 by Mr Colin Boyd on 10 August 1999, what current steps are being taken to bring a case against any persons who may be responsible for the death of Ian Godley, how many police officers are involved in the pursuit of further evidence and whether…

Answer · Andrew Hardie: The circumstances of the death of Ian Godley are being kept under regular review. Matters affecting the deployment of police officers to investigate crime are for the local police commander and not the Lord Advocate. In accordance with the usual practice in c…

23 Aug 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-900 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 August 1999, whether emergency legislation to address the issues raised by the case of Noel Ruddle will be ready to introduce on 1 or 2 September.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Mental Health (Public Safety and Appeals) (Scotland) Bill, which closes the loophole identified in the case of Mr Noel Ruddle, received Royal Assent on 13 September 1999.

29 Jul 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers investigations into the death of Ian Godley, believed to have been killed by arsonists in February 1998, to be closed, whether the police consider that there is sufficient evidence to bring a successful prosecution in the case, and whether it is considered to be again…

Answer · Colin Boyd: Investigations into the circumstances of the death of Ian Godley in February 1998 are not considered to be closed. Crown Counsel do not consider there to be sufficient evidence to bring proceedings at this time against any person in connection with Mr Godley…

21 Jul 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether he is satisfied that the Scottish Parliament website is specified to a standard which conforms with the best practice.

Answer · David Steel: The specification for the Parliament web site was drawn up by reference to the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Information and Communications Technology (who reported to the Consultative Steering Group). The technical specifications were carefully desi…

21 Jul 1999 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether he is satisfied that the Scottish Parliament website has been assembled in accordance with the original specification and when the specification will be met in full.

Answer · David Steel: The original specification identified phases of work, starting with text-based initial content and subsequently enhancing the site with an underpinning database, once the format of the content could be confirmed and as the volume and complexity of published m…