Parliamentary questions

Robert Brown

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

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent estimate it has made of the proportion of criminal activity attributable to people under the age of 16 as (a) victims and (b) perpetrators.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: (a) This information is not held centrally. The Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey 2005-06 has information on victims by age, but the survey only covers adults aged 16 and older who live in private residences. (b) No estimates have been made. T…

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which business improvement districts have crime prevention as part of their funded strategies.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. The projects which individual business improvement district companies take forward are a matter for each company, based on its local knowledge, the decisions of its members and in line with its business plan. </…

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to promote closer working and engagement between safer neighbourhood and community police teams and young people.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government promotes closer working and engagement between safer neighbourhood and community police teams and young people. We encourage police involvement with the CashBack for Communities programme, which offers diversionary activities for young…

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many premises with a premises licence or a club premises certificate have closed in each of the last three years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were convicted for (a) possessing and (b) distributing prohibited (i) weapons and (ii) ammunition in each police board area in each of the last five years.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information relating to the crime of handling an offensive weapon is given in the first table below, for the years 2002-03 to 2006-07. Data for 2007-08 will be available on 28 April 2009. Persons with a charge proved in Scottish courts …

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many prosecutions there were and (b) what the average fine was for offences related to driving without insurance in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: In 2005-06 and 2006-07, the latest years for which information is available, there were 8,606 and 8,739 persons with a charge proved respectively for driving without insurance, where this was the main offence. The average fines in these years was £242 (8,290 …

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) sickness days were taken and (b) working days were lost on average per police officer due to assault in 2007-08, broken down by police board, and what the cost was to each board.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally. General sickness absence information is recorded by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland and is available at www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/925/0076738.pdf.

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many students with speech and language difficulties attended further education colleges in 2008-09 and what proportion was included in mainstream vocational programmes.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally.

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training children’s panel members receive in understanding and responding to people with speech and language difficulties.

Answer · Adam Ingram: All children''s panel members are provided with high-quality pre-service and in-service training, which covers all aspects of the children''s hearings system and their role within it. This is supplemented by a comprehensive training resource manual provided …

10 Mar 2009 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what other options for carrying out the functions of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body supported bodies it considered in making recommendations to the Review of Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Supported Bodies Committee.

Answer · Tom McCabe: In considering options to form the submission to the Review of SPCB Supported Bodies Committee (RSSB Committee) the SPCB considered the following: A Complaints Handling and Standards Body comprising the functions of the existing Scottish Pu…

10 Mar 2009 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it considers that the Parliament’s decision to establish a standalone office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland to advocate for children and work with them is no longer relevant and, if so, on what basis.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The SPCB is not suggesting that the functions of the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland are no longer relevant. In the SPCB''s evidence to the RSSB Committee on 10 March 2009 it proposed that, as part of a wider Rights Body, leg…

10 Mar 2009 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what account it took of the Paris Principles in making recommendations for the reorganisation of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body supported bodies.

Answer · Tom McCabe: In its submission to the Review of SPCB Supported Bodies Committee (RSSB Committee) dated 13 January 2009, the SPCB recognised the Paris Principles in relation to the independent and budgetary aspects of any national human rights institutions. <…

10 Mar 2009 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it proposes to carry out a detailed cost-benefit analysis of the potential for saving public funds through the merging of the core administration infrastructure functions of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body supported bodies.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The SPCB has proposed, in evidence, to the Review of SPCB Supported Bodies Committee that, should the Committee make recommendations to change the present structural landscape of the SPCB supported bodies, the SPCB will work with the committee and the office…

10 Mar 2009 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what evidence it took from the bodies concerned or relevant stakeholders before submitting its proposal to the Review of Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Supported Bodies Committee to reduce the number of Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body supported bodies from …

Answer · Tom McCabe: Parliament has established the Review of SPCB Supported Bodies Committee to consider and report on whether alterations should be made to the terms and conditions of the office-holders and the structure of the bodies supported by the SPCB; to consider how an…

10 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the success of the play aspects of the Early Years Framework.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Measures of success of all aspects of the early years framework, including play, will be based on outcomes and appropriate indicators, rather than on implementation of specific actions. The Scottish Government and local partners have committed to working toge…

10 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make the provision of play facilities a statutory requirement on local authorities.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The early years framework makes clear the commitment of the Scottish Government and COSLA to improving outcomes for children the importance of play in meeting that commitment. The concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA sets out the terms…

10 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support pilot initiatives on play linked to the Early Years Framework.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The early years framework sets out a long-term objective to have high-quality play opportunities in every community. It will be for each community planning partnership to decide how services, including pilot initiatives, should be planned and delivered locall…

10 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be available to support the play aspects of the Early Years Framework.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is currently working with Inspiring Scotland on a possible venture philanthropy fund to support play. If research shows that such a fund can improve outcomes, the Scottish Government is prepared to invest £4 million over the first two …

5 Mar 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive ask the Scottish Executive what it considers the advantages would be of the acquisition of borrowing powers.

Answer · John Swinney: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0305-01.htm">http://www.scot…

26 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times a Taser gun has been used (a) on a child and (b) within 10 metres of a child in each of the last two years, broken down by police authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: (a) Taser guns have never been used on a child in Scotland. (b) No statistics are available to show whether Taser guns have been used within 10 metres of a child.

26 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its policy to introduce minimum alcohol pricing would require an exemption to be sought under the Competition Act 1998.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to answers to questions S3W-15628 on 9 September 2008 and S3W-18002 on 26 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <a h…

26 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive under what legal or other mechanism minimum alcohol pricing could be introduced.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: As set out in Changing Scotland''s Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action (Bib. number 47805) we will pursue the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol as a mandatory condition of Premises Licences and Occasional Licences grant…

26 Feb 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to deal with overcrowding at Polmont Young Offenders Institution.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill : This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0226-01.htm">http://www.scot…

26 Feb 2009 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government remains opposed to the UK Government’s ID card scheme.

Answer · Alex Salmond: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0226-01.htm">http://www.scot…

25 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it provides for programmes in young offenders institutions aimed at tackling prisoners’ learning disabilities.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: The SPS is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all young offenders and where possible seeks to provide young offenders with…

25 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many young offenders in each young offenders institution have a learning disability.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service does not centrally collate data on the number of young offenders who have a formal diagnosis of learning…

25 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what educational and employment programmes are available in young offenders institutions and how many places on such programmes are available in (a) Scotland and (b) YOI Polmont.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service provides a range of educational and employment programmes in all prisons, including HM yoi Polmont. T…

25 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what alcohol rehabilitation programmes are available to prisoners under 21 years old who offended while under the influence of alcohol and how many places on such programmes are available in (a) Scotland and (b) YOI Polmont.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: In 2007-08 a total of 944 substance related interventions were delivered in Scottish prisons against a target of 800. Of these 139 (14.7%)…

25 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are serving short-term prison sentences of under (a) three and (b) six months and, of these, how many have a previous history of incarceration.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: The following table illustrates the number of prisoners serving less than three months and less than six months and the total of those who…

25 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners are held in each young offenders institution and how many have a previous history of incarceration.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: The number of young offenders held in each young offender''s institution and the number of those who have a previous period in custody is …