Parliamentary questions
Robert Brown
1,531 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the age is of the youngest Scot who has a DNA sample and profile retained on the Scottish DNA Database.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre:</p> <p >Document Title: Information on Forensic Databa…
18 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals aged 18 and over have their DNA (a) samples and (b) profiles retained in the Scottish DNA Database, broken down by the power under which the samples and profiles are retained.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre:</p> <p >Document Title: Information on Forensic Databa…
18 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged (a) 16 or 17, (b) 12 to 15 and (c) under 12 currently have their DNA (i) samples and (ii) profiles retained in the Scottish DNA Database, broken down by the power under which the samples and profiles are retained.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre:</p> <p >Document Title: Information on Forensic Databa…
17 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the establishment of a veterans’ centre in Glasgow along the lines of those currently operating in Edinburgh and Dundee.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government provides financial and other support to a range of veterans'' organisations across Scotland that own and manage facilities such as Veterans First Point, Holybush House and Mark Wright House in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, …
17 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the treatment of ex-service personnel by local authorities under homelessness legislation.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government monitors homelessness applications from ex service personnel through the statistical return from local authorities. There are several questions relating to homeless applicants'' circumstances which allow the Scottish Government to anal…
17 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ex-service personnel are a priority category for housing under homelessness legislation and whether it intends to legislate further on this issue.
Answer · Alex Neil: Under Scottish homelessness legislation, a person who is vulnerable as a result of having been discharged from any part of the regular armed forces should be treated as in priority need. The 2012 target will mean that all those considered unintentionally home…
17 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were referred to children’s hearings on offence grounds in 2008-09; in how many of these cases the grounds for referral were not accepted, and in how many the sheriff decided that the grounds were established.
Answer · Adam Ingram : This is an operational matter for the Scottish Children''s Reporter Administration (SCRA). The information requested is not held centrally. I have therefore asked the Principal Reporter to provide this information to the member.</p>
11 Feb 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the number of foster parents.
Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government values the role played by foster carers to improve the life chances for children and young people in the care system. It is for local authorities to consider whether there are sufficient foster carers in their area.</p> <p >The Scott…
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many charges of assault on a police officer have been reported to procurators fiscal in each of the last five years, broken down by court jurisdiction.
Answer · Frank Mulholland: The following table shows the number of charges of assault on a police officer under the Police (Scotland) Act 1967, Section 41(1)(a) which have been reported to procurators fiscal.</p> <p >CHARGES: POLICE (SCOTLAND) ACT 1967, S:41(1)(a)</p> <table borde…
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults were reported against police officers in each of the last five years, broken down by police force.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The police recorded crime statistics collected centrally are based on an aggregate return, and do not record the occupation of the victim. However, following the introduction of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act in 2005, a new distinct crime classification…
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how and by whom the Strathclyde Police Taser pilot will be evaluated before a decision is taken to roll out the use of Tasers on a force-wide basis.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Firearms legislation is reserved, and is the responsibility of the UK Government. The deployment and use of firearms is an operational matter for chief constables. Strathclyde Police are responsible for drawing up the terms of reference for the evaluation and…
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, given that only trained firearms officers are currently authorised to carry Tasers, what its position is on the adequacy of three days of training to equip a police officer with the necessary competency, knowledge, skills and judgement to safely use such a weapon.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31609 on 3 March 2010. 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/Apps2/B…
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, given that Strathclyde Police is piloting the use of Tasers outwith authorised firearms operations, under what circumstances they will now be deployed.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31609 on 3 March 2010. 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/Apps2/B…
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, given that Strathclyde Police is piloting the use of Tasers outwith authorised firearms operations, what policy and guidance will govern such use.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Firearms legislation is reserved, and is the responsibility of the UK Government. The deployment and use of firearms is an operational matter for chief constables. Scottish police forces follow guidance contained in the <i >Association of Chief Police Officer…
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland regarding the proposal by Strathclyde Police to move away from current policy that Tasers should be used only by specially trained, authorised firearms officers.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31607 on 3 March 2010. 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/Apps2/B…
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Strathclyde Police regarding its decision to move away from current policy that Tasers should be used only by specially trained, authorised firearms officers.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government held no discussions with Strathclyde Police or any other police body regarding Strathclyde''s decision to pilot these arrangements. Firearms legislation is reserved, and is the responsibility of the UK Government. The deployment and us…
8 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-255 by Kenny MacAskill on 6 June 2007, which stated that the policy of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland provides that Tasers will only be issued to authorised firearms officers, whether it considers the decision by Strathclyde Pol…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Firearms legislation is reserved, and is the responsibility of the UK Government. The deployment and use of firearms is an operational matter for chief constables. It is for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland to decide, in consultation with …
3 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the paper on the analysis of capital projects issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 2 February 2010, what the implications are of the reduction of £3 million in the 2010-11 capital budget allocated to the Glasgow School of Art rebuilding project.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council has advised that there is no cut in the overall project budget for the Glasgow School of Art and the project is being delivered as planned. As the complete business case is still being finalised to ensure it…
2 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether police or Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service procedures are in place to encourage best practice in the handling of stalking and harassment cases and, if so, whether it will publish the relevant procedures.
Answer · Frank Mulholland: The Police and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service take cases of stalking and harassment very seriously. There are no specific offences of stalking or harassment in Scots law but such cases can be prosecuted as breach of the peace or threats and ca…
2 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of (a) stalking and (b) harassment have been reported to the police and how many resulted in (i) prosecution and (ii) conviction in each of the last three years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There are no offences of stalking and harassment in Scots Law. Any such provable conduct reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service would be prosecuted as a breach of the peace. As a result it is not possible to say how may convictions there h…
28 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 in the period since July 2009 have related to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link and, of those, how many have been (a) accepted and (b) refused.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In the period from July 2009 to date a total of 14 requests for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 relating to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link have been received. All of the requests have received a response broken down as requeste…
28 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 have been rejected as invalid in each month from January 2006 to January 2010.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p>
28 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its directorates and agencies comply with the guidance of 27 January 2010 from the Scottish Information Commissioner as to their approach when applicants request copies of documents.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: The Scottish Information Commissioner has just published guidance on the impact of a recent Court of Session decision which clarified that the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 provides a right to information not documents. We are working closely wit…
28 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidance or instructions to its directorates and agencies about their approach to requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: Yes, a range of guidance is available for Scottish Government staff on how to handle freedom of information requests. Most recently, interim guidance has been provided on a Court of Session case which found against the Scottish Information Commissioner. This …
26 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Transport Scotland can request funding for enhancement projects under Network Rail’s Regulatory Asset Base and, if so, whether such a request has been made regarding the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland may request Network Rail to consider the use of Regulated Asset Base finance with the approval of the Office of Rail Regulation for appropriate projects having regard to overall affordability constraints.</p> <p >Such finance has been requ…
26 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought contributions from stakeholders to the cost of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: During the progress of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill through the Scottish Parliament in 2006-07 a number of stakeholders including: Glasgow Airport Limited; Glasgow City Council; Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, Renfrew Chamber of Commerce, and Scottish Ente…
26 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the cancellation of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link has cost in terms of the loss of economies of scale.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The cancellation of the Branch Line element of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link has not resulted in any loss of economies of scale.</p> <p >The reason for this is that the identified economies of scale were associated with the integration of the Glasgow Airport…
26 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the public policy purposes are of the (a) Paisley Corridor Renewal and (b) additional platform capacity at Glasgow Central Station work, both originally approved to support the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Paisley Corridor Renewal is a Network Rail planned project to renew the existing signalling on the Glasgow to Paisley rail corridor which has become life expired. It is appropriate that the equipment is renewed in a manner which caters for anticipated gro…
26 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the proposals and information in the thgRAIL report, NEWGARL - a strategy for the completion of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31076 on 4 February 2010. 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/Apps…
26 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, given the CO2 emissions from surface traffic accessing Glasgow Airport, what impact the cancellation of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link will have on its target to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-8422 on 12 November 2009, which indicates that the maximum reduction in the peak pm traffic occurs in 2030 and would see traffic reduce by 21 cars in an hour.</p> <p >We would therefore only expect there to be…