Parliamentary questions
Robert Brown
1,531 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects funding from dormant bank and building society accounts to become available in Scotland.
Answer · Jim Mather: It is anticipated that the Big Lottery Fund, identified in the UK Act as the fund distributor, will open the fund for business during 2010. This is dependent on the appointment and operation of the Reclaim Fund at the UK level.</p>
8 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make an announcement on the allocation of funds from dormant bank and building society accounts.
Answer · Jim Mather: A debate in the Parliament on the draft Order (under affirmative procedure) setting out the proposed priorities is currently expected to take place around October 2009.</p>
8 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it will use in determining the beneficiaries of funds from dormant bank and building society accounts.
Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish ministers are currently considering their priorities for dormant bank and building society accounts funds as the basis for an Order, providing the purposes for which and the kind of persons to which the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland may distribute tho…
8 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it anticipates, as predicted, that Scotland’s share of the money estimated to be available from dormant bank and building society accounts will remain at £40 million.
Answer · Jim Mather: In November 2008, the British Bankers'' Association and the Building Societies Association estimated that there may be between £250 million and £350 million of unclaimed funds in banks and up to £130 million in building societies. On this basis, the initial S…
5 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether police forces use the Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms as their policy on the deployment of police officers to carry weapons.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22948 on 7 May 2009. 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/Bus…
5 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made statutory instruments or guidance related to sections 53 to 55 of the Firearms Act 1968 relative to the authorisation of police officers to carry weapons.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Firearms Act 1968 is reserved to the UK Parliament, and Scottish ministers do not have the power to make statutory instruments or guidance under sections 53 to 55.</p>
5 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-22948 by Kenny MacAskill on 7 May 2009, whether it has responsibility for policy issues relating to when police forces can deploy police armed response units and, if so, whether guidance has been issued.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Deployment of police armed response units is an operational matter for which responsibility lies with the chief constable of the relevant police force. Responsibility for legislation on police use of firearms is reserved to the UK Parliament.</p>
3 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21716 by Adam Ingram on 18 March 2009, whether it will publish its work on the development of appropriate local indicators, specifically covering children’s involvement in play and physical activity and, if so, when this will be published.
Answer · Adam Ingram: Work on the development of appropriate local indicators to support the early years framework, including play and physical activity, is on-going. We plan to publish the findings in the autumn.</p>
3 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21713 by Adam Ingram on 19 March 2009, when it expects to make an announcement on the possible venture philanthropy fund to support play.
Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is continuing to work with Inspiring Scotland and is evaluating the research conducted by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) to see where funding would be best placed to support the play sector and children and young people. I expect to ma…
3 Jun 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals charged with rape have been granted bail in each of the last 10 years, broken down by police authority area.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table.</p> <p >Bail Orders made<sup>1,2,3</sup> where Main Offence was Rape, 1998-99 to 2006-07 and part of 2007-08<sup>4</sup></p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td n…
19 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many victims of violent crime underwent scar management plastic surgery procedures in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally.</p>
19 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals have undergone scar management plastic surgery procedures in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are no specific set of codes that define scar management plastic surgery. The following Information includes patients who have been treated for burns and those who have had treatment following the removal of growths (malignant or otherwise) in the speci…
19 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of animal cruelty were dealt with through the children’s hearings system in each of the last five years.
Answer · Adam Ingram: This is a matter for the Scottish Children''s Reporter''s Administration (SCRA). The information requested is not held centrally and is not available from SCRA.</p>
19 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of animal cruelty were recorded in each of the last five years and how many were successfully prosecuted, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The following tables contain information on the number of animal cruelty offences recorded by the police and the number of persons with a charge proven for such offences in each of the last five years.</p> <p >Animal Cruelty Offences<sup>1</sup> Recorded by …
19 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average amount was of compensation awarded in claims made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority for crimes of violence in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24100 on 1 June 2009. 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/Bu…
19 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many claims for compensation following a crime of violence were (a) made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and (b) upheld in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24100 on 1 June 2009. 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/Bu…
19 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many claims for compensation following a knife attack were (a) made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and (b) upheld in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is a cross-border public authority and an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. It operates the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme throughout Great Britain. As such, information on the GB-wide operation…
19 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many victims of knife crime underwent reconstructive surgery in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The requested information is not centrally available.</p> <p >It is not possible to specifically identify patients who were the victim of knife crime and who had undergone reconstructive surgery from centrally collected data.</p>
15 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been diverted into diversion from prosecution schemes in each year since 2005, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Social work diversion schemes aim to provide persons accused of minor offences with support and advice in relation to problems associated with their offending. In such cases, prosecution is deferred, subject to successful completion of the scheme.</p> <p >Fu…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-12020 by Fergus Ewing on 18 April 2008, for what reasons it does not hold information centrally on how much each local authority spends on the provision of CCTV facilities and whether it intends to hold this information in the future.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: It is the responsibility of each local authority, in conjunction with their Community Planning Partners, to allocate funding on the basis of their local needs and priorities “ having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of na…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been provided for the installation of CCTV in town centres in each of the last five years, broken down by funding stream.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Funding has been made available to all local authority Community Safety Partnerships over the period 2005-08 to identify and address local community safety priorities, which can include CCTV. Funding has also been provided under the Safe Cities and Towns init…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18668 by Fergus Ewing on 8 December 2008, whether it will issue the instruction to hold central data records of the number of public space CCTV cameras.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The strategic review of public space CCTV in Scotland includes a landscaping element which provides us with the figures for public space CCTV in Scotland covering a single year.</p> <p >This is the first time that such information has been gathered. Alongsid…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce regulations governing public space CCTV and the management of data captured.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23943 on 5 June. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p > <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Ap…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for how long images captured by public space CCTV are stored.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: It is for the operators and owners of CCTV systems to determine how long images captured on their CCTV systems are stored for, having regard to all relevant legal and other requirements.</p> <p >Guidance on this, and other CCTV issues, can be found on the we…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that all images captured by public space CCTV are stored securely.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: It is for the operators and owners of CCTV systems to ensure that they have systems and procedures in place in order to comply with all relevant legal and other requirements regarding storage of images.</p> <p >Guidance on this, and other CCTV issues, can be…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the strategic review of public space CCTV in Scotland will be published.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I have recently received the completed strategic review of public space CCTV in Scotland.</p> <p >My officials will shortly consult with key partners to confirm the accuracy of its findings. I intend that this should be a quick exercise and that the review i…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 have been held in prison establishments and young offenders institutions under section (a) 205 and (b) 208 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 in each year since 1999.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The information requested is shown in the following table.</p> <p >Number of individual children under 16 held in Scottish prisons or yo…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 have been held in prison establishments and young offenders institutions under section 51(1)(b) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 in each year since 1999.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >Information on the number of children under 16 held in a Scottish prison or young offenders institution under section 51(1)(b) of the Cri…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 have been held in (a) prison establishments, (b) young offenders institutions and (c) secure accommodation in each year since 1999, broken down by age.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The information requested is shown in the following table.</p> <p >Number of children under 16 held in Scottish prisons or young offende…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged (a) 12 to 15 and (b) under 12 have been convicted of an offence in each year since 1999, broken down by (i) age and (ii) offence.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The available information in given in the following table:</p> <p >Persons Aged 15 and Under with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts<sup>1</sup>, 1999-2000 to 2007-08</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=35 nowrap valign=bo…