Parliamentary questions
Robert Brown
1,531 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the longest period of detention was while awaiting a place in (a) secure accommodation and (b) an adult prison or young offenders institution in each of the last three years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: (a) A sentenced child may be temporarily held in a young offenders'' institution if at the time of sentencing by the court there is no place available in secure accommodation. The longest period that a sentenced child has been detained in these circumstances …
9 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under 18 have been detained in police cells for (a) one and (b) more than one night in each of the last three years, broken down by (i) police force and (ii) age.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of people detained in police cells is not held centrally. However it should be noted that people who are detained by the Police under Section 14 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act can only be detained for a maximum of six hours…
3 Feb 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the operation of sections 17 and 19A of the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Yes. Several reports from the Scottish Law Commission are currently under review, including a report on <i >Personal Injury Actions: Limitation and Prescribed Claims</i>. This report covers the operation of sections 17(2)(b), 18(2)(b) and 19A of the Prescript…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect children against any health risks from mobile phones in light of recent actions in France.
Answer · Shona Robison: The UK Health Protection Agency maintains an overview of emerging research on the health effects of mobile phones. They advise that no new evidence has emerged to alter their current advice. In keeping with that advice, the UK Chief Medical Officers strongly …
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many consulates and other international organisations with staff holding diplomatic immunity operate in Scotland.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20267 on 11 February 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/App…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many people based in Scotland hold diplomatic immunity.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There are approximately 24,000 individuals entitled to some form of diplomatic privilege and immunity in the UK.</p> <p >The detailed information requested is currently being collated. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a …
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities and law enforcement agencies have discretion on whether and how individuals with diplomatic immunity are reprimanded or notified when they are alleged to have committed road traffic or vehicle offences.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20265 on 11 February 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/App…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether individuals and officers with diplomatic immunity receive a written or verbal reprimand or notification when they are alleged to have committed road traffic or vehicle offences in Scotland.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: If a member of any diplomatic mission is alleged to have committed a road traffic or vehicle offence, the relevant police force should notify the Diplomatic Protection Group of the Metropolitan Police, who will then report it to the Protocol Directorate of th…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people have acquired a Scottish national entitlement card that is not a youth travel card.
Answer · John Swinney: As of 26 January 2009, there were a total of 248,470 cards issued to young people aged between 11 to 26.</p> <p >Of these, 186,492 were for those young people aged 11 to 15 and 19 to 26 inclusive i.e. those young people not eligible for the Young Persons Con…
29 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any local authorities have restricted access to leisure services where a Scottish national entitlement card has not been produced by a prospective user.
Answer · John Swinney: The national entitlement card (NEC) is a local authority administered scheme. We are not aware of any local authority restricting the access to local leisure services because an individual does not have a NEC.</p> <p >Alternative means of access are availabl…
29 Jan 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle the effect of the global economic downturn on employment in light of the latest employment statistics.
Answer · Jim Mather: <i > This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i><i ></i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0129-01.htm">http://…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what precautionary measures have been put in place to safeguard the privacy of the data gathered through the Scottish national entitlement card.
Answer · John Swinney: All data collected from a national entitlement card (NEC) application is collected in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 1998. Applicants are made aware of their rights under the act via the application form and a separate terms and conditions leaflet. …
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what alternatives are available to individuals who would like to access leisure services, including swimming pools, community centres and libraries, but do not wish to obtain a Scottish national entitlement card.
Answer · John Swinney: Not all local authorities use the national entitlement card (NEC) to access local leisure and/or library services. As the NEC is an additional means of access to local services the alternatives available will be the decision/choice of each local authority.</p…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish national entitlement card will be compulsory for individuals seeking access to local leisure services.
Answer · John Swinney: Not all councils use the national entitlement card (NEC) to access local services.</p> <p >For those councils who do offer access to local services via the NEC it is not compulsory for individuals to use it. The NEC is an additional convenient means of acces…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crown Office has issued guidance as to the circumstances in which young people under-16 charged with criminal offences should be prosecuted rather than referred to the children’s hearing system.
Answer · Frank Mulholland: The Lord Advocate has issued guidance to police forces in respect of offences alleged to have been committed by children which are appropriate for joint reporting by the police to the Procurator Fiscal and the Reporter to the Children''s Hearing.</p> <p >I r…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which criminal charges against young people under-16 are regarded as appropriate for prosecution rather than reference to the children’s hearing system and for what reasons.
Answer · Frank Mulholland: There are four categories of case which must be jointly reported to the Reporter to the Children''s Hearing and the Procurator Fiscal for discussion and therefore considered for prosecution.</p> <p >Where a child is under the age of 16 years, and, after disc…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it has adopted in deciding at what level to set the age of criminal responsibility.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: We have made clear our commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and to promoting and supporting the rights of all children in Scotland.</p> <p >Following the recent recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child …
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to investigate the disposals that have the most successful outcomes in preventing reoffending by young people charged with criminal offences.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: <i >Preventing Offending by Young People: A Framework for Action</i> (Bib. number 46408), which I published in June 2008, sets out a shared vision of what national and local agencies should do to prevent, divert, manage and change offending behaviour by young…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the introduction of community alcohol partnerships of the kind established in areas like St Neots, Cambridgeshire.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19077 on 15 January 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/Apps…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the Community Alcohol Partnership project in north Glasgow.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is not clear which specific partnership this question refers to. However, the Scottish Government is generally supportive of community partnership activity to tackle alcohol misuse and considers that this can play a valuable role in reducing alcohol-relate…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much alcohol-related illness cost the NHS in 2008.
Answer · Shona Robison: Estimates prepared by Scottish Government Analytical Services put the total cost of alcohol misuse to the NHS at £405 million in 2006-07. (These are the most recent annual figures available). Details of the estimates and a breakdown of the costs are available…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which community-based programmes to combat underage drinking it supports.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government provides funding to NHS boards to tackle alcohol misuse and it is for each board, working with its partners, to determine which services and programmes should receive funding according to identified need. Funding for diversionary activ…
28 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which community-based alcohol rehabilitation services and programmes receive support.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. The Scottish Government provides funding to NHS boards for treatment and support to address alcohol misuse and it is for each board, working with its partners, to determine which services and programmes should receive s…
22 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional community sentences are planned for as a result of its proposals on short-term prison sentences as outlined in Protecting Scotland’s Communities: Fair, Fast and Flexible Justice.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Our estimates on the number of additional community sentences which might result from the proposals contained in <i >Protecting Scotland''s Communities: Fair, Fast and Flexible Justice</i>, will be published in the Financial Memorandum accompanying the Crimin…
22 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made in the 2009-10 budget for supporting community sentences in light of the proposals in Protecting Scotland’s Communities: Fair, Fast and Flexible Justice.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: A total baseload allocation of £15,425,618 has been made to the Community Justice Authorities for supporting community sentences in 2009-10. This represents an increase of £2 million to support increased workload and to ensure the immediacy and speed of compl…
22 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any difference of approach to legislative consent motions compared with previous administrations.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: Our approach is to act always in the Scottish national interest.</p>
22 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many legislative consent motions, formerly Sewel motions, have been approved by the Parliament in each year since 1999.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: The information requested is set out in the following tables.</p> <p >Sewel Motions by Parliamentary Year - Session 1</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=center ><b> </b></p> </td> …
21 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it distinguishes between the start of a community service order induction period and the start of the work to be carried out in official monitoring records.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Normal practice is for time spent by an offender on induction to count towards the total number of hours specified by the court as constituting the community service order.</p>
21 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executivewhat percentage of orders commences (a) immediately, (b) within seven days, (c) eight to 14 days, (d) 15 to 21 days, (e) 22 to 28 days, (f) 29 days to two months, (g) more than two and up to six months and (h) more than six months after completion of a health and safety induction, broken d…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally. I refer to the answer to question S3W-20017 on 28 January 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="…
21 Jan 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of community service orders begins (a) within seven days, (b) between eight and 14 days, (c) between 15 and 21 days, (d) between 22 and 28 days, (e) between 29 days and two months, (f) more than two and up to six months and (g) more than six months after sentencing, broken…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally. The National Objectives and Standards for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System, which are currently being revised, will require offenders sentenced to community service to commence work within seven worki…