Scott Barrie

22 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it carried out to ensure that its crofting community right to buy proposals contained in the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has to be satisfied that its legislative proposals are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. It has been aware from the outset that the legislation on the Crofting Community Right to Buy would require to be formulated…

9 Jan 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by the Child Health Support Group.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Child Health Support Group has made considerable progress in the year and a half since it was formed. It has produced a national Template for Child Health Services and is currently planning a conference on child health, to take place on 27 February.

12 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its further proposals for improving the criminal justice system.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We will publish today a White Paper, <I>Making Scotland Safer: Improving the Criminal Justice System</I> covering proposals across a broad range of criminal justice matters. These include provisions to strengthen the use of community-based disposals, includin…

7 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any decision has been reached on whether to establish a Scottish Human Rights Commission, following the consultation exercise which ended on 30 June 2001.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The majority of consultation respondents favoured establishing a separate Scottish Human Rights body. The analysis of the consultation exercise can be found on the Scottish Executive website.<P>I am pleased to announce that Scottish ministers have decided in …

6 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many ex-offenders were offered employment by local authorities on their release in each of the past three years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Peter Peacock: This information is not held centrally. As independent corporate bodies, it is for local authorities to determine those officers that should be appointed for the proper discharge of their functions and, in doing so, act within the law.

6 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has given to the consultation exercise by the Department of Trade and Industry on the European Commission's proposal for a new Council regulation on state aid to the coal industry.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a reserved matter entirely within the remit of the Department of Trade and Industry. The Scottish Executive is not a statutory consultee although we have been kept fully informed of the Commission's proposals by the Department of Trade and Industry.

3 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Community Right to Buy and Crofting Community Right to Buy elements of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will come into effect.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 27 November. The Bill's timetable thereafter is a matter for the Parliamentary Bureau. Once the Bill receives Royal Assent, secondary legislation will need to be prepared and passed by Parliament.

3 Dec 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to publish its Agricultural Holdings Bill.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I plan to publish a draft Agricultural Holdings Bill for consultation in spring 2002. The timetable for the Bill will depend on the outcome of consultation and the availability of parliamentary time.

14 Nov 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to reduce the number of children abused and neglected in Scotland and improve services offered to those children.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Jack McConnell announced a multi-disciplinary Child Protection Review in March 2001 to promote the reduction of abuse or neglect of children and to improve services. The review is due to report next summer. The <I>Action Plan on Better Integrated Children's S…

9 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are for the establishment of a second pilot drug court now that referrals are being made to the drug court in Glasgow.

Answer · Iain Gray: A second pilot drug court will be established in Fife. The plans are for it to be in operation by summer of 2002. It will follow the Glasgow model building on the experience of establishing the Glasgow Drug Court.

6 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to consult on the procedures of a victim's statements scheme in accordance with the commitment given in the Scottish Strategy for Victims.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I am pleased to announce that the consultation document on the procedures for a victims' statement scheme is being published today. Copies are being sent to a range of voluntary and statutory agencies. It is also available through the Parliament's Reference C…

31 Oct 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in recognising the importance of children's play.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Our <I>Programme for Government</I> sets the objective of providing children with a stimulating environment for playing, developing and learning. <P>The pre-school education curriculum is founded on the concept of learning through play. Physical development a…

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would consider reviewing the terminology used within the Children's Hearings system, including the name itself, with a view to more accurately reflecting the function it fulfils and the roles of its officials.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: In its response to the recommendations of the Youth Crime Advisory Group, the Scottish Executive agreed to consider changing the name of the Children's Hearings system. No clear consensus on a new name has emerged from the consultation. The Executive intends …

4 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in relation to increasing the age of criminal responsibility.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has asked the Scottish Law Commission to consider the issue of the age of criminal responsibility. The commission issued a consultation paper setting out its preliminary views on 31 July 2001 and is due to report to Scottish ministers a…

26 Sep 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in ensuring that the international ferry link between Rosyth and continental Europe will be operational by next year.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Superfast Ferries and Forth Ports who wish to develop the link have submitted applications for Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) to fund the project. Consideration of these applications has been given top priority but the European Commission has still to respond…

24 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reform the law on psychiatric injury.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish ministers made a reference to the Scottish Law Commission on 4 July in the following terms:<DIR><DIR><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">&quot;To examine the law of Scotland relating to psychiatric injury caused by another person and to make recommendations as to…

20 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the basis for the funding of local authority criminal justice services.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Following agreement between the Scottish Office and CoSLA, funding of mainstream local authority criminal justice services has, since April 1999, been based on a formula approach focused on workloads and needs factors. There are no plans to change this approa…

20 Sep 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) community service orders, (b) probation orders, (c) supervised attendance orders and (d) custodial sentences were imposed in each of the past three years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested on community service orders and probation orders is given in tables 7 and 13 of the Statistical Bulletin <I>Criminal Justice</I> <I>Social Work Statistics, 1999-00</I>; published by the Scottish Executive in November 2000, a copy of …

26 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for the use of Restriction of Liberty Orders following the completion of the pilot scheme.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Following the success of the pilot schemes, I am pleased to announce that Restriction of Liberty Orders (RLOs) will be rolled out to other courts. Arrangements will now be made to tender for contracts to supply the electronic monitoring services.<P>It is prop…

25 Jun 2001 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Executive will ensure that the message of its new initiative on drug driving reaches all sections of society.

Answer · Henry McLeish: The Scottish Road Safety Campaign, which is funded by the Scottish Executive, has produced a new leaflet which provides advice about police powers in relation to drug driving and the penalties faced by offenders. The leaflet is being distributed by police for…

20 Jun 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what further progress has been made in implementing measures to tackle youth crime since the publication of the report of the Advisory Group on Youth Crime and the Executive's response to the report last year.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Our aim is to reduce offending by young people, particularly the small group who commit a disproportionate number of offences. Local authorities will provide a national network of effective community-based programmes. These will help tackle offending behaviou…

29 May 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the arrangements between general practitioners and pharmacists regarding repeat prescriptions.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Yes. <I>Our National Health</I> commits the Executive to improving the provision of repeat medication and we will be considering options for taking this forward.

23 May 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the way in which procurator fiscals' offices communicate with prosecution witnesses.

Answer · Neil Davidson: Yes. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is piloting its Victim Liaison arrangements in Aberdeen and Hamilton. The VLO will operate in every region by next spring. The full roll out of the service will take account of what is learned from the pilot…

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what key targets it has set for the Student Awards Agency for Scotland for the financial year 2001-02.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: I have set the Student Awards Agency for Scotland the following key performance targets for the financial year 2001-2002:<B><P>Service:</B><P>To acknowledge 85% of applications within 7 calendar days of receipt and the remainder within 12 calendar days of rec…

28 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what business targets it has set for the Scottish Prison Service in 2001-02.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have taken the opportunity to review the targets which I set for the Scottish Prison Service. The service's performance in previous years has shown a continuing improvement against a series of progressively more difficult targets. However, the targets do no…

6 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to clarify the repayment arrangements under section 17 of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986.

Answer · Jim Wallace: An issue has been identified by the Scottish Legal Aid Board regarding its powers under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 to aggregate expenditure on certain kinds of legal aid case. This is a very technical matter but between 1991 and 1999, the board deducte…

28 Feb 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households will benefit from the transitional water and sewerage charges relief scheme.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I estimate that more than 180,000 households will benefit from the scheme.

16 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when Scotland will have a drug court in operation.

Answer · Iain Gray: I can today announce that Sheriff Principal Bowen has agreed to chair a working group for piloting of a drug court in Glasgow. The working group will include representatives from the lead agencies with an interest in the establishment of a Glasgow drug court.…

31 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reached its conclusions on the response to last year's consultation exercise on the extent of problems caused by high hedges in Scotland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: In response to the consultation paper published last year, we received 90 formal responses. At the same time the Executive also received over 120 letters from members of the public, many of whom went to great lengths to describe the difficulties they were exp…

18 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements the use of the materials Looking after Children in Scotland: Good Parenting, Good Outlook have made to contemporary practice in this area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: These materials are designed to achieve better outcomes for children through more systematic planning and measurement of their needs. Their use can strengthen working partnerships between key people in a child's life as they cover the critical aspects of educ…