Parliamentary questions
Robert Brown
1,531 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged (a) 12 to 15 and (b) under 12 have been proceeded against in the criminal courts 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 Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts<sup>1</sup>, 1999-2000 to 2007-08</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=41 nowrap valign=botto…
13 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged (a) 16 or 17, (b) 12 to 15 and (c) under 12 have their DNA profiles retained in the Scottish DNA Database, broken down by the power under which the profiles are retained.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Section 18 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (˜the 1995 Act'') gives the police powers to take DNA if a person is arrested or detained for an imprisonable offence, and to retain the DNA sample and profile indefinitely if the person is convicted in…
8 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding allocation for the establishment of a community court in Glasgow is made in the 2009-10 budget and what the estimated costs, both capital and revenue, are to progress the current plans with the Community Justice Project Board.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: As recorded in the Programme Initiation Document, capital funding of £1 million was set aside for the establishment of the Glasgow Community Justice Centre, subject to a robust and deliverable business case for the project being agreed by all the stakeholders…
8 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it regards the resolution of the Parliament on motion S3M-4065 on Thursday 7 May 2009 as being binding on it.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government has noted the views expressed by the Parliament in its resolution on motion S3M-4065 and continues to discuss with Glasgow City Council how best to deliver benefits envisaged for the Glasgow Community Justice Centre through mainstream …
8 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Community Justice Project Board to implement the Parliament’s will to progress plans for a community court in Glasgow since the vote on motion S3M-4065 on Thursday 7 May 2009.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There have been no discussions with the Community Justice Centre Project Board since the vote on motion S3M-4065. Officials are meeting with representatives from Glasgow City Council to discuss the extent to which the potential benefits from the community jus…
8 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the public domain the feasibility study and other relevant documents relating to its consideration of the Glasgow community court project.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The feasibility study “ the programme initiation document (Bib. number 48175) “ and copies of the letters from the Chair of the Community Justice Centre Project Board to the Chief Executive of Glasgow City Council (Bib. number 48173) and his response (Bib. nu…
8 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reverse the decision not to proceed with the Glasgow community court project in light of the resolution of the Parliament on motion S3M-4065 on Thursday 7 May 2009.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There are no current plans to reverse the decision not to proceed with the Glasgow Community Justice Centre project. While the Scottish Government accepts that the model has strengths, the high revenue costs of creating and staffing a new court facility did n…
7 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how often medical assessments are carried out in prisons in order to identify prisoners experiencing mental health problems.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >Medical assessments by a member of the establishment''s Nursing team and General Practitioner are carried out on all prisoners when admitt…
7 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners experiencing mental health problems have been transferred to medical facilities in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >Centrally collated data regarding all transfers to medical facilities of prisoners experiencing mental health problems is only available f…
7 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners are receiving medication or other treatment for mental health problems, broken down by type of treatment.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23660 on 15 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on th…
7 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners with mental health problems have accessed advocacy support in each of the last five years, broken down by institution.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >This information is not available.</p>
7 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners experiencing severe and enduring mental health problems are subject to the Act2Care strategy.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23660 on 15 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on th…
7 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have been diagnosed as having severe and enduring mental health problems in each of the last five years, broken down by institution.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond.</p> <p >His response is as follows:</p> <p >I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23660 on 15 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availa…
7 May 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have been diagnosed with any form of mental health problem in each of the last five years, broken down by institution.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >This information is not available. However, the 2008 SPS Prisoner Survey reports that one in five prisoners have accessed their curr…
30 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the implications that the UK Government’s e-Borders programme will have on Scottish waterways, in particular on domestic ferry journeys to Scottish islands.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The UK Government''s e-Borders programme relates to travellers entering and leaving the UK. The programme does not include domestic travel, so there are no implications for ferry journeys between the Scottish mainland and Scottish islands.</p>
30 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has had with the UK Government regarding the e-Borders programme.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Whilst responsibility for border control and immigration matters (including the e-Borders programme) are reserved to th<a name=DeadlineWarning></a>e UK Government we have sought to be kept informed on the development of the programme at both official and min…
27 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to link its planned minimum pricing for alcohol to alcohol duty and, if so, how.
Answer · John Swinney: We have no plans to link our minimum pricing policy for alcohol to alcohol duty. Such an approach would transfer the anomalies in the duty system to the minimum pricing arrangements.</p>
27 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the UK Government’s alcohol duty escalator.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government believes that the entire system of alcohol duty needs to be reformed. For example, it makes little sense to tax the alcohol content of Scotch Whisky more heavily than that of wine or beer, or to tax 4% ABV lager more heavily than 7.5% …
27 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on consumption of the rising cost of alcohol following the increase in alcohol duty in the UK Budget 2009.
Answer · John Swinney: No assessment has been made of the impact on consumption of the rising cost of alcohol following the increase in alcohol duty in the UK Budget 2009. However, we note that the UK Government''s position is that the purpose of alcohol duty is to raise revenue an…
27 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage retailers to pass on to customers the increase in alcohol duty in the UK Budget 2009.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not have the power to intervene with retailers in this way.</p>
27 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the increase in alcohol duty in the UK Budget 2009 was sufficient was sufficient to meet the Scottish Government’s alcohol policy objectives.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government''s overall alcohol policy objective is to change Scotland''s relationship with alcohol, and our<i> Framework for Action</i> (Bib. number 47805) sets out a series of measures to work towards achieving this. Some are specific legislative…
27 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the rising price of alcohol following the alcohol duty increases in the UK Budget 2009.
Answer · John Swinney: The current system of alcohol taxation is a historical anomaly in need of urgent review. Increasing taxes on alcohol shows that the UK Government agrees with our long-standing position that alcohol is not an ordinary commodity, but the UK Budget 2009 persists…
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support engineering.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government provides a wide range of support to manufacturing companies “ including in the engineering sector “ directly and through Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Development International, local authorities and S…
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is provision in the budget to support the continuous professional development of teachers in science centres in 2009-10.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Funding for teachers'' continuous professional development was a £13.5 million strand of the National Priorities Action Fund which was rolled up into the 2008‘09 local government finance revenue settlement. It is for each local authority to determine how that…
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is provision in the budget to support the transport costs of school visits to science centres in 2009-10.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Grant Offer Letters for the 2009-10 financial year that were issued to the Scottish Science Centres on 1 May again include an element of funding to support transport costs of visitors to the centres from remote, economically and/or socially disadvantaged …
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget was for the Fairer Scotland Fund in each of the last three years and how it was spent.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Fairer Scotland Fund (FSF) was introduced in 2008-09. Over the period 2008-11, all 32 Community Planning Partnerships will receive an allocation from an annual budget of £145 million based on relative levels of multiple deprivation.</p> <p >The fund is i…
24 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to continue with the Fairer Scotland Fund after 2010-11.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Fairer Scotland Fund will be rolled up and included as part of the local government finance settlement from 2010-11. Decisions on future funding beyond 2010-11 will be subject to the next spending review.</p>
20 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been admitted to hospital for injuries that occurred at school from (a) assault by a blunt object, (b) assault by a sharp object and (c) gun shots in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information is not available centrally about whether hospital admissions caused by injuries are due to assault by a blunt object, assault by a sharp object and gun shots occurred at school.</p>
20 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been admitted to hospital for injuries from (a) assault by a blunt object, (b) assault by a sharp object and (c) gun shots in each the last 10 years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows the number of children admitted to hospital as a result of an injury caused by (a) assault by blunt object, (b) assault by sharp object and (c) gun shot.</p> <p >Number of hospital admissions<sup>1</sup> as a result of assault by bl…
20 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults by prisoners on prison officers were recorded in each (a) prison and (b) young offenders institution in each year since 1999.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The information requested regarding Prisoner on Staff assaults is available from calendar year 2001 and is detailed in the followin…