Robert Brown

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the capacity is of HMP (a) Noranside and (b) Castle Huntly and what the occupancy has been in each month in the last five years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</b></p> <p >The design capacity of HMP Castle Huntly is as follows:</p> <p >1 January 2004 to 15 August 2005: 156</p> <p >15 August 2005 to 10 M…

6 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have absconded from 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:</b></p> <p >(a) The number of absconds and failures to return at Noranside are as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > …

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the appropriateness of university accommodation providers being exempt from tenancy deposit schemes.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38551 on 17 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/D…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make university accommodation providers exempt from tenancy deposit schemes.

Answer · Alex Neil: Regulations governing the approval of tenancy deposit schemes in Scotland will be laid before the Parliament for consideration during the current session.</b></p> <p >It is our intention that the regulations will apply to those tenancies covered by the landl…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to implement tenancy deposit schemes.

Answer · Alex Neil: Regulations for the approval of tenancy deposit schemes in Scotland were laid before Parliament on 21 January 2011.</p> <p >The regulations are subject to affirmative procedure. If passed by Parliament, this will enable potential scheme providers to submit p…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37905 by Kenny MacAskill on 7 December 2010, how many daily work places are available in prison work parties, broken down by establishment.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond.  His response is as follows:</b></p> <p >There are a range of activities and work opportunities offered to prisoners in jail which are defined as purposeful activities. The …

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37905 by Kenny MacAskill on 7 December 2010, whether it can estimate what proportion of prisoners are employed in work parties at any one time.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:</b></p> <p >There are a range of activities and work opportunities offered to prisoners in jail which are defined as purposeful activities.…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent abstinence-based alternative treatments to methadone are available to NHS patients, in light of evidence of the impact of methadone on the brain revealed by the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Information on the availability of specific abstinence-based treatments to NHS patients is not held centrally.</b></p> <p >However, the National Drug Treatment Waiting Times Framework collects information on the number of offers of different types of treatme…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the prescribing of methadone costs per year, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31787 on 1 April 2010. 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…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are being prescribed methadone, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: There is currently no national routine information which reports the number of people in Scotland who are being prescribed methadone, broken down by NHS board. This data has never been available.</b></p> <p >Work is underway to collect this information via …

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current two-year reconviction rate is for long-term prisoners released (a) immediately from the closed estate and (b) after spending time in the open estate.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, 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, using 2007-08 as the base year allows the calculation of one and two year rate…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current one-year reconviction rate is for long-term prisoners released (a) immediately from the closed estate and (b) after spending time in the open estate.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, 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, using 2007-08 as the base year allows the calculation of one and two year rate…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether prisons receive extra payments per prisoner when they are over-capacity and, if so, how much this is.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:</b></p> <p >Current practice is all public sector prisons are allocated a budget based on the number of prisoners they are expected to hold…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much capital investment there has been in HM Prison (a) Noranside and (b) Castle Huntly in each of the last three years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The capital expenditure in HMP Open Estate was:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=101 va…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the running cost of HM Prison (a) Noranside and (b) Castle Huntly (i) was in 2009-10 and (ii) will be in 2010-11.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</b></p> <p >It is not possible to provide the running costs separately for Noranside and Castle Huntly for the years in question, as they were fu…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes preparing offenders for release are available at HM Prison (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:</p> <p >Prisoners at both sites have access to educational opportunities and work skills training to assist them with preparation for release. At…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) work, (b) skills and (c) education opportunities are available at HM Prison (i) Noranside and (ii) Castle Huntly.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >Castle Huntly</p> <p >(a) Prisoners work in the kitchen, grounds and gardens, in cleaning parties and waste management and in limited de…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the adequacy of the 20 metre limit for notifying neighbours of a planning application

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38485 </b>on 20 January 2011. 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/…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which neighbouring owners of land require to be notified about planning applications

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38485 </b>on 20 January 2011. 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/…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it takes to ensure that local authorities notify owners of land significantly affected by planning applications.

Answer · John Swinney: Statutory requirements under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 (the DMR) oblige planning authorities to carry out neighbour notification and, in certain circumstances, local advertisement of planning …

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce procedural errors in appeals against planning decisions.

Answer · John Swinney: The Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals which handles planning appeals made to Scottish Ministers takes a number of steps to ensure that procedural errors in relation to appeals are kept to a minimum and that on the rare occasions when they hap…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that an amendment to the Public Records (Scotland) Bill would be an appropriate vehicle for imposing a requirement on local authorities to compile and maintain a comprehensive record of common good assets.

Answer · John Swinney: The Public Records (Scotland) Bill provides a general framework for the management of records by named public authorities in Scotland which should apply to all types of records created and held by those authorities and contractors which provide functions on t…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering imposing a legal duty on local authorities to compile and maintain a record of common good assets

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is not considering a legal duty on local authorities to compile and maintain a record of common good assets. Guidance issued by the Local Authority Scotland Accounts Advisory Committee (LASAAC) makes a clear requirement for local autho…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given direction to local authorities regarding the compilation and maintenance of a comprehensive record of common good assets.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government wrote to all local authorities in 2007 to remind them of their responsibilities under accounting codes of practice, best value guidance and statute in respect of their management of common good funds and assets. In addition, accounting…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £70 million Change Fund is to be distributed.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Change Fund has been established using a portion of the NHS uplift flowing to Scotland from the UK Spending Review. It will be distributed, subject to submission of appropriate Partnership plans, through NHS boards as part of the 2011-12 allocation, using…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the (a) £70 million Change Fund and (b) £5 million Carer Information Strategies funding will be available to support local carers’ organisations.

Answer · Shona Robison: The £70 million funding established for 2011-12 is subject to parliamentary approval of the draft budget. The Reshaping Care Change Fund will be allocated to partnerships to enable them to make better use of the total combined resources for older people. Guid…

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has not published the report of the short-life working group on school meals and clothing grants and when it will be published.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Consideration of the report has taken place in the context of the Draft Budget 2011-12 and has now concluded. It has been decided to publish this report on 24 January 2011. Ministers note the recommendations and that the majority of local authorities already …

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the report of the short-life working group on school meals and clothing grants before the end of the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Consideration of the report has taken place in the context of the Draft Budget 2011-12 and has now concluded. It has been decided to publish this report on 24 January 2011. Ministers note the recommendations and that the majority of local authorities already …

20 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has not considered the report of the short-life working group on school meals and clothing grants in the 21 months since it was submitted.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Consideration of the report has taken place in the context of the Draft Budget 2011 -12 and has now concluded. It has been decided to publish this report on 24 January 2011. Ministers note the recommendations and that the majority of local authorities already…

2 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is per firefighter of providing training at the Scottish Fire Services College

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Average costs for student training at the Scottish Fire Services College are calculated by dividing revenue costs by the average number of student weeks delivered or planned for the three years from 2008-09 to 2010-11, this gives a cost of:</p> <p align=lef…