Parliamentary questions
Robert Brown
1,531 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers protective cost orders to be sufficient to meet the requirements of access to justice without prohibitive cost in environmental matters as set out in the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Envir…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government considers that the justice system in Scotland, including protective expenses orders, meets the requirements of the Aarhus Convention. </p>
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Court of Session Rules Council will take account of the recent decision of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee regarding protective cost orders in environmental cases in its consideration of new rules governing the award of such orders.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the Court of Session Rules Council.</p>
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Court of Session Rules Council to promulgate new rules governing the award of protective cost orders in environmental cases.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the Court of Session Rules Council and the Lord President.</p>
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what preparation the Court of Session Rules Council is making regarding new rules governing the award of protective cost orders in environmental cases, following the Scottish Government’s response to the Report of the Scottish Civil Courts Review.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Court of Session Rules Council has considered and recommended draft rules in relation to protective expenses orders (draft minutes from the relevant meeting of the council are available at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/session/rules_coun…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people convicted of possessing cannabis received (a) a custodial sentence, (b) a community sentence order, (c) a probation order, (d) a drug treatment and testing order, (e) a fine or (f) another disposal in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37725 on 2 December 2010. 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…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people convicted of possessing amphetamines received (a) a custodial sentence, (b) a community sentence order, (c) a probation order, (d) a drug treatment and testing order, (e) a fine or (f) another disposal in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37725 on 2 December 2010. 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…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people convicted of possessing heroin received (a) a custodial sentence, (b) a community sentence order, (c) a probation order, (d) a drug treatment and testing order, (e) a fine or (f) another disposal in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37725 on 2 December 2010. 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…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people convicted of possessing ecstasy received (a) a custodial sentence, (b) a community sentence order, (c) a probation order, (d) a drug treatment and testing order, (e) a fine or (f) another disposal in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37725 on 2 December 2010. 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…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people convicted of possessing cocaine received (a) a custodial sentence, (b) a community sentence order, (c) a probation order, (d) a drug treatment and testing order, (e) a fine or (f) another disposal in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10, broken down by police force area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table. Information for 2009-10 is due to be published on 25 January 2011.</p> <p >Persons with a Charge Proved for Possession of Drug Offences<sup>1</sup>, by Drug Type, 2008-09<sup> </sup></p> <table bor…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been convicted of possession of illegal drugs in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10, broken down by (i) police force area and (ii) type of drug.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37723 on 2 December 2010. 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…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been prosecuted for possession of illegal drugs in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10, broken down by (i) police force area and (ii) type of drug.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table. Information for 2009-10 is due to be published on 25 January 2011.</p> <p >Persons Proceeded Against for Possession of Drug Offences<sup>1</sup> by Police Force Area and Drug Type, 2008-09</p> <tabl…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it expects to complete its consideration of the report of the short-life working group established to review school meal and school clothing grant provision.
Answer · Keith Brown: No date has yet been set for completion of consideration of the short-life working group''s final report.</p>
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the short-life working group established to review school meal and school clothing grant provision submitted its report.
Answer · Keith Brown: The short-life working group submitted its final report in March 2009.</p>
9 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether prisoners working in Scottish Prison Service Industries production workshops gain qualifications.
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 working in timber workshops can work towards a range of qualifications at Peterhead, Shotts and Glenochil. Those prisoners work…
9 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the income of Scottish Prison Service Industries has been in the last year; what the cost of production has been, and how the money has been used.
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 cost of production of Prison Industries products for the Financial Year 2009-10 was £1,041,187 which generated General Revenue Income…
9 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hours per day on average prisoners carry out (a) work and (b) training or education, broken down by (i) length of sentence and (ii) prison.
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 >This information is not available in the format required.</p>
9 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what kind of work opportunities are available in Scottish Prison Service Industries production workshops.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >Industries production workshops exist at Peterhead, Perth, Shotts, Glenochil, Barlinnie and Greenock. Work opportunities range from cutti…
9 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have worked in Scottish Prison Service Industries production workshops in the last year.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The number of daily work places currently available in the SPS Industries production workshops is 426. The breakdown by establishme…
9 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Prison Service Industries products are manufactured in all prisons.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >Six prisons currently manufacture Scottish Prison Industries products including Peterhead, Perth, Shotts, Glenochil, Barlinnie and Greeno…
9 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how appearance rates for solicitors compare with those for advocates.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The fees for solicitors in the sheriff court are laid down in the Act of Sederunt (Fees of Solicitors in the Sheriff Court) 1989, which has periodically been updated by amendments. There is no corresponding fees table for advocates.</p> <p >Information may b…
9 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hours advocates have spent in the sheriff courts in the last year.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not collected by the Scottish Government or by the Scottish Court Service.</b></p>
9 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been of advocates appearing in the sheriff courts in (a) criminal, (b) civil and (c) children’s cases in the last year.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: In relation to publicly funded legal assistance, the responsibility for administering payments to advocates and solicitors for legal aid work lies with the Scottish Legal Aid Board. It is not possible to restrict the payment information to appearance work onl…
4 Nov 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many electroencephalograph (EEG) technicians are in post and what support the NHS provides for out-of-hours EEG access for people with suspected acute epileptic seizure activity.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information on the number of electroencephalograph (EEG) technicians in post is not held centrally.</b></p> <p >In terms of NHS support for out of hours access to an EEG, we expect NHS boards to follow the recommendations in the Scottish Intercollegiate Gui…
22 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum length of time it has taken to obtain guardianship orders under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 for dementia patients in hospital beds in the last year, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37061 on 4 November 2010. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Busines…
22 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how long it takes on average to obtain guardianship orders under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 for dementia patients in hospital beds, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information requested is not available.</b></p> <p >However, I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36009 on <br> 9 September 2010 which is available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottis…
22 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are awaiting a placement in a care home in each NHS board area and what the (a) average and (b) maximum length of wait is, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Shona Robison: Latest information on NHS delayed discharge patients awaiting placement in a care home, as recorded at the July 2010 Delayed Discharges census, is shown in the following tables.</b></p> <p >A delayed discharge occurs when a patient, clinically ready for dis…
22 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds in residential care homes have been commissioned by each local authority in each month of the last three years.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not available in the format requested. However, information is collected quarterly on the number of people each local authority supports financially in a care home. A copy of this information entitled <i >Number of Residents Supported by L…
22 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since it agreed to undertake a review of the school clothing grant system in 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: A short life working group was established in 2008 to undertake a review of both free school meal and school clothing grant provision across Scotland. The working group comprised a partnership involving the Scottish Government, COSLA and The Third Sector. The…
22 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase and standardise the school clothing grant available across Scotland to parents on low incomes, given that a qualifying child currently receives £47 in Glasgow, £50 in Edinburgh, £55 in Aberdeen and £65 elsewhere in Scotland.
Answer · Keith Brown: A short life working group was established in 2008 to undertake a review of both free school meal and school clothing grant provision across Scotland. The working group comprised a partnership involving the Scottish Government, COSLA and the third sector. The…
22 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the assertion by the Scottish Human Rights Commission that the use of taser guns on children is likely to breach international human rights standards, in particular the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The relevant human rights law with regard to firearms in the UK is the Human Rights Act 1998. Chief Constables are obliged to ensure that officers act in accordance with the law and in a manner compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. It would…