Parliamentary questions

Robert Brown

1,531 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage pay rises have been awarded to each grade of senior police officer in Strathclyde Police in each of the last three years and whether further pay rises are proposed.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The percentage pay rises for all senior police officers in Scotland, for the last three years are as follows: 2.65% effective from 1 September 2008 2.6% effective from 1 September 2009 2.55% effective from 1 September 2010.…

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected cost of the proposed new Strathclyde Police headquarters is.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the police board. According to the Stage 1 Business Case published by Strathclyde Police Authority, the total projected capital cost of the project is £37.97 million.

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the project for the new Strathclyde Police headquarters in Dalmarnock has been approved and, if not, what stage it is at.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the Strathclyde Police Authority. I have made clear to the authority my view that consideration of this project should be put on hold, and that no significant sums of public expenditure should be committed to it, until decisions about the…

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the development of a play and communication strategy.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government currently has no plans to develop a specific play and communication strategy but addresses the benefits of using play to develop language and learning outcomes for children through the Early Years Framework and Curriculum for Excellenc…

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are to ensure that all prisoners undergo structured work, education and training or treatment throughout the normal working day.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: There is currently a requirement for all convicted prisoners to work during the core day Monday to Friday. This also includes a range of …

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-39218 by Adam Ingram on 16 February 2011, what decisions were reached following the consideration of the short-life working group on school meal and clothing grant provision in the context of the draft budget for 2011-12.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Under the relevant legislation, the responsibility for the provision of free school meals and school clothing grants rests with the education authorities. The decision was taken to publish the short-life working group''s report on 24 January 2011 to allow the…

2 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, given that the Metropolitan Police has invested £600,000 in a specialist team in the five Olympic boroughs to combat an expected surge in trafficking, whether specific resources have been allocated to the identification and support of women trafficked to Glasgow for the 2014 Commonwealth…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Strathclyde Police 2014 Games Planning Team includes officers that are responsible for planning the security surrounding the construction programme, and their remit includes considering the potential for human trafficking. These officers can seek support …

2 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the progress made by the Blue Blindfold awareness programme run by Strathclyde Police and the UK Human Trafficking Centre at the 2014 Commonwealth Games site.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: A human trafficking awareness session was delivered to key contractors when construction commenced on the National Indoor Sports Arena. This process will be repeated at all other games related construction sites as building commences.

2 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the progress made in identifying and supporting women trafficked for sex during the construction phase and the games fortnight by the multi-agency group that considers security issues for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is working closely with the police and other enforcement agencies on security planning for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. This includes potential issues which may arise not just during games time but from the build programme itse…

31 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the report of the short-life working group on school meal and clothing grant provision was not published until 22 months after it was completed.

Answer · Adam Ingram: As noted in the answer to question S3W-38465 on 26 January 2011, consideration of the report took place in the context of the Draft Budget 2011-12. The report was then published once ministers concluded consideration of the recommendations.

25 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38511 by Kenny MacAskill on 24 January 2011, how much has been paid to prisons to hold prisoners beyond the base level in each of the last three years, also broken down by establishment, and for what projects the money has been used.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The following table shows the amount paid to Scottish prisons over the last three years for holding prisoners beyond their base level…

24 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants for free (a) personal and (b) nursing care are awaiting a decision on their application.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38986 on 1 February 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business…

24 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants who qualified for free (a) personal and (b) nursing care in Glasgow received it in the last year for which information is available.

24 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for free (a) personal and (b) nursing care in Glasgow were approved in the last year for which information is available.

24 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people applied for free (a) personal and (b) nursing care in Glasgow in the last year for which information is available.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information in the format requested is not available. However, Scottish Government statisticians have been working with COSLA and local authorities on developing a new data collection system that records the eligibility criteria and waiting time of clients re…

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions each prison breached its assessed operational limit in 2010.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The assessed operational limit (AOL) was last reported in the answer to question S3W-32621 on 15 April 2010. However it has not been…

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of self-harm by prisoners there were in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010, broken down by institution.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The following table illustrates the total number of self-harm incidents recorded as such on the Prisoner Record System broken down by est…

12 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether recordings of interviews under caution with Tommy and Gail Sheridan by police officers of Lothians and Borders Police were officially released to the BBC and, if not, what action has been taken regarding the use of this material in the BBC programme, The Rise and Lies of Tommy She…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Recordings of interviews under caution with Tommy and Gail Sheridan were not released to the BBC by the police or the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Both the police and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service must adhere to st…

12 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what documents were released by the police, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service or the court to the press or public in connection with the prosecution of Her Majesty’s Advocate v Thomas Sheridan and Gail Sheridan.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service made the following documents available to the media for use in the event that Thomas Sheridan was found guilty. These were: i. Barbara Scott''s handwritten notes from 9 November 2004 meetin…

12 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines cover the release of information and documents by the (a) police, (b) Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (c) courts to the press or public in connection with criminal prosecutions.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The police, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and the courts are required to comply with the relevant legal requirements such as the provisions of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information (Sc…

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the importance of the role played by prison visiting committees in opening up prisons to wider scrutiny.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government launched a formal consultation on 14 January, to gather evidence on the most effective, and efficient way of providing independent monitoring of prisons across Scotland. We will take a view on the future of independent monitor…

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budgets have been for (a) prison visiting committees and (b) the Association of Visiting Committees in each of the last three years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: The following table details the direct budgets allocated to and spent by prison Visiting Committees (VCs), the Association of V…

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the (a) extra cost of gritting and (b) cost of repair to roads, streets and pavements to ensure a safe standard due to the recent severe weather conditions.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government will make an extra £15 million available to local authorities to deal with urgent repairs on local roads and cover the extra costs of winter roads maintenance. Transport Scotland, which is responsible for trunk roads and motorways in S…

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that methods of road surfacing are sufficiently robust to ensure that urban streets are safe and usable by motor vehicles and pedestrians and whether it is conducting research into the issue.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places a statutory responsibility for the repair, maintenance and improvement of local roads on local authorities. Local authorities have been allocated an increased share of public spending but it is for them to choose how to sp…

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support local authorities in tackling the condition of urban roads following the recent severe weather.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has provided local government with an extra £15 million this financial year to deal with urgent repairs on local roads and cover the extra costs of winter maintenance as a result of the recent severe weather. The distribution …

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to follow the example of other countries that collect and recycle road grit.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has no plans to recycle road grit from trunk roads. It will be for individual local authorities to consider whether to recycle road grit.

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what bonuses have been paid to Scottish Prison Service staff in each of the last five years, broken down by grade, and for what purpose.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has paid two types of bonus to its staff over the last five years: 1. Performance Bonus: p…

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional prison place funding has been paid to each prison in each of the last five years and for what purpose.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: The additional prisoner place funding paid to each public sector establishment over the last five years is as follows: <ta…

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what income has been received from prisoner work at HMP (a) Noranside and (b) Castle Huntly in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The income received from prisoner work related activities within each establishment over the last ten years is as follows. <…

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service owns or rents HMP (a) Noranside and (b) Castle Huntly.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Both sites are owned by the Scottish Prison Service.