Robert Brown

22 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes to monitor the number of children who are waiting for a place in a fostering household to become available; how often it collates this, and what mechanisms are in place for taking action on any negative results.

Answer · Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36465 on 1 October 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/Apps2…

22 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes to monitor the number of (a) local authority and (b) independent agency fostering households; how often it collates this, and what mechanisms are in place for taking action on any negative results.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government does not directly monitor how local authorities discharge their duties in relation to foster care. Local authorities are best placed to determine the level of services required to meet the needs of those children best suited to this ty…

22 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are waiting for a place in a fostering household to become available, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally.</b></p> <p >The placement of children who have been assessed as needing to be looked after is a matter for local authorities.</p>

22 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what shortage of fostering households exists, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally.</b></p> <p >It is for local authorities to consider whether there are sufficient foster carers in their area.</p>

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to merge police forces into (a) three forces or (b) a single force.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Work to explore options for releasing additional savings in policing is at an early stage, and initial findings will be reported to the Scottish Policing Board on 6 December.</p> </

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek a debate in the Parliament on the outcomes of the work of the Scottish Policing Board exploring police force structural reform.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: If and when the Scottish Government has any proposals in relation to police structures it will of course inform the Parliament.</p>

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what bodies the Scottish Policing Board will consult in its work exploring police force structural reform options

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Work to explore options for releasing further savings in policing will be taken forward by a sub group of the Scottish Policing Board involving the Scottish Government, COSLA, Police Authority Conveners, Chief Constables and staff associations. The sub group …

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Policing Board will complete its work exploring police force structural reform options.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information presented to the Scottish Policing Board on 13 September 2010 showed that efficiency savings alone are unlikely to be sufficient to meet the scale of financial challenges beyond 2012-13. The board decided that further work should be done to explor…

15 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in view of the lacuna in the law inhibiting the prosecution of certain domestic abuse cases, when it will commence section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: A Commencement Order has been made which will bring section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 into force on 6 October 2010.</p>

7 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of processing an offender on (a) arrival and (b) release from prison.

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 >The SPS does not record the average cost of processing an offender on (a) arrival and (b) release from prison.</p>

7 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of crime is committed by offenders who have previous convictions.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: It is not possible to directly measure the proportion of crime committed by repeat offenders. However, of the 90,049 unique individual offenders who were convicted of an offence in 2008-09, 59 per cent (53,208 individuals) had a conviction for a previous offe…

7 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is to the criminal justice system of each incident of reoffending that leads to reconviction.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Precise cost estimates for Scotland are not currently available. Estimating such costs is not straightforward, as it is not possible to directly attribute all crimes and offences to individual offenders or reoffenders.</b></p> <p >However, a social exclusion…

7 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost of reoffending is to the criminal justice system.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Precise cost estimates for Scotland are not currently available. Estimating such costs is not straightforward, as it is not possible to directly attribute all crimes and offences to individual offenders or reoffenders.</b></p> <p >However, a social exclusion…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale it has in place for its prospective review of data handling procedures in public bodies.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is responsible for data handling across central government in Scotland. As a result of the 2008 Data Handling Review we have put in place a number of measures across core Scottish Government, agencies and non-departmental public bodies…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any new review of data protection protocols will include an assessment of existing databases and IT system procedures with a view to addressing existing flaws and areas of non-compliance.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government continues to be absolutely committed to compliance with the Data Protection Act of 1998 and this is reflected in the protocols and procedures we have put in place to ensure consistent and robust standards for the processing, security a…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in view of recent findings on the loss and theft of personal data by public bodies, when it expects to publish its guidelines on identity management and privacy principles.

Answer · John Swinney: The analysis report for the consultation of the draft identity management and privacy principles is due to be published in September 2010. After considering the analysis report, we expect to publish the final text during autumn 2010.</b></p> <p >It remains t…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what educational rationale supporting the proposed merger of the three central Glasgow colleges underpinned its advice to ministers to approve the merger.

Answer · Keith Brown: Ministers have now published the main evidence on which the decision to approve the merger was based. That evidence includes the educational rationale for the merger cited jointly by the three merging colleges, and the advice provided to ministers by the Scot…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, given an absence of citation of the evidence underpinning it, whether it is satisfied that the Scottish Funding Council’s consultation process on the Glasgow college merger was sufficiently transparent.

Answer · Keith Brown: I understand that the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) consulted on the future curriculum which might be delivered by Glasgow colleges. However, it was the Scottish Government, and the colleges themselves, which consulted on the merger proposal. I am unaware of…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Scottish Funding Council is sufficiently independent of the merger decision process to enable it to report satisfactorily to the Parliament and ministers on the development and implementation of the new City of Glasgow College plan.

Answer · Keith Brown: The role of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) is set out in statute. It includes the provision of advice to ministers, and the duty to secure the coherent provision of further and higher education. Ministers do not consider that the provision of advice on th…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the role and remit of the Scottish Funding Council is in overseeing the implementation of the City of Glasgow College merger and when the first progress report on the college’s development will be made.

Answer · Keith Brown: In line with good practice, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) reviews the progress of all mergers. With specific regard to City of Glasgow College, Ministers have asked the SFC to work with the college to develop the exceptional leadership and management whi…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any engagement has taken place between the proposed City of Glasgow College and trade unions with a view to agreeing the harmonisation of pay and conditions and, if so, what outcomes have emerged.

Answer · Keith Brown: Negotiations on pay and conditions are a matter for individual colleges and their recognised trade unions. In giving approval to the merger, Ministers indicated their strong expectation that the City of Glasgow College will engage genuinely and productively w…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role it foresees for Stow College within the wider college sector in Glasgow.

Answer · Keith Brown: Stow College has made a significant contribution over many decades to the delivery of vocational education and training within Glasgow. The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has indicated that it wishes to ensure the continued viability of Stow College. I have a…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what capital funding has been made, or is to be made available, to support the newly created City of Glasgow College.

Answer · Keith Brown: The provision of capital funding to individual colleges is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) rather than ministers. The SFC will take a decision on capital funding in relation to the newly created City of Glasgow College once a business case has…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what implications the merger between the central Glasgow colleges is likely to have on existing jobs within the colleges and what measures are being put in place to reduce any negative impact that might arise.

Answer · Keith Brown: Employment issues within colleges are a matter for the institution and its recognised trade unions, rather than ministers. We have been encouraged however to learn of the intention of the new City of Glasgow College that there should be no compulsory redundan…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has approved the curriculum proposals for the City of Glasgow College and, if so, whether these have implications for other colleges.

Answer · Keith Brown: It is not a requirement that ministers approve the curriculum delivered by individual colleges. The activity for which colleges may be funded is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). I have asked the Chief Executive of the SFC to write to the membe…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the place of engineering and science specialities in the new City of Glasgow College.

Answer · Keith Brown: The responsibility to fund a coherent system of high quality college education lies with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), rather than with Ministers. I have asked the Chief Executive of the SFC to write to the member to outline its approach to the future f…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to ensure the future of Stow College in light of the creation of the new City of Glasgow College.

Answer · Keith Brown: The funding of individual colleges is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) rather than ministers. I have asked the Chief Executive of the SFC to write to the member.</b></p>

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide greater detail on the likely capacity of the third Paisley Corridor Improvement (PCI) track, in light of claims that it is likely to have an extra four trains per hour in comparison with the original Glasgow Airport Rail Link’s (GARL) proposal of an extra 6 trains …

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The original proposal for the GARL passenger service, as envisaged in the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill - Promoters Memorandum was as follows:</b></p> <p >DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED SCHEME</p> <p >14. The proposed scheme is shown schematically in Figure 1. …

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on asking a UK authority to circumvent the decisions made by the Scottish Parliament in the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Act 2007 by amending the statutory documents relating to the Paisley Corridor Improvement (PCI) works and, if so, whether it considers that this has c…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36030 on 13 September 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/Busin…

2 Sep 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of Transport Scotland’s plans to use the powers of the Office of the Rail Regulator to change the statutory documents relating to the Paisley Corridor Improvement (PCI) works.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The PCI project is being delivered by Network Rail Infrastructure Limited in accordance with the rights and obligations conferred by the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Act (2007) and its supporting documentation.</b></p> <p >Transport Scotland has no plans to cha…