Bill Aitken

19 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many summary trials fell at the first instance in each sheriffdom and what percentage those trials were of the total number of summary trials in each of the last three years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Information is not readily available in the form requested. The following table details the number of cases called for trial at a first or subsequent trial diet and which did not proceed in the last three years. As the table shows in some cases the trial fell…

19 Jul 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many failure to appear warrants were issued by sheriff courts in each month in the last three years, broken down by sheriffdom.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information provided by the Scottish Court Service on how many failure to appear warrants were issued for both Solemn and Summary business in the last three years is set out in the following table. Warrants may be issued at different stages in the process…

24 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that the Glasgow Housing Association devolves the control of the houses being transferred from Glasgow City Council to smaller local housing associations.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Framework Document "Better Homes Stronger Communities" made it clear that a shared aim of the housing transfer was to promote local community empowerment, control and ownership. This was reinforced in both the Stage 1 and Stage 2 consultation do…

20 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the current limit of #750 in respect of small claims court actions in the light of inflation.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive has reviewed the small claims limit and has twice laid orders before the Scottish Parliament to increase it to £1,500. On both occasions the orders have been withdrawn following representations to the Justice Committees. The issue remains under …

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has made, or action it has taken, over the delay in making publicly available the audited accounts for Glasgow City Council for the year ended 31 March 2001.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26657.

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to ensure that Glasgow City Council has complied fully with the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 1985 which inter alia require audited accounts to be laid before a meeting of the authority within two months of their receipt from the auditor, gi…

Answer · Peter Peacock: Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that they comply with their statutory responsibilities and are expected to do so. In this instance I understand Glasgow City Council regret the delay and its consequences. Audit Scotland has been discussing the c…

11 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what changes it proposes following its review of the provisions of the Local Authority Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 1985.

Answer · Peter Peacock: We have made a commitment to undertake such a review after work preparing the Local Government in Scotland Bill has been completed. It is therefore too soon to say what changes to the regulations might be proposed.

16 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of compliance with community service orders social work departments consider acceptable before reporting a breach of such an order.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The compliance standards expected are set out in the National Objectives and Standards for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System, part 2, Service Standards, Community Service, paragraphs 75 to 100. These standards set out disciplinary procedures…

3 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to remove the right to buy fishing rights from part three of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Ross Finnie: No. I have no plans to introduce an amendment to the bill, which would have this effect.

1 May 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the level of compliance with community service orders imposed by courts as an alternative to custody.

Answer · Richard Simpson: Breach applications made to the courts in 2000-01 in respect of Community Service Orders amounted to around one in every four orders. There is always scope for improvement but the breach rate is not dissimilar to that found for other community disposals.

17 Apr 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its current plans are on the establishment of neighbourhood warden schemes.

Answer · Richard Simpson: We have no plans for community support officers with police powers to undertake neighbourhood patrols. However, the Executive has provided funding under the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund for a pilot to explore the use of neighbourhood wardens in part of …

9 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the Summary Justice Review Committee and when the committee's findings will be made fully public.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Summary Justice Review Committee is currently undertaking a public consultation exercise on first order issues. Its consultation document can be found at:<P>http://www.scotland.gov.uk/summaryjusticereview.<P>On the current timetable, the committee's repor…

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its Policy Memorandum on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, on what grounds it is satisfied that the provisions in the bill on access, community ownership and crofting community ownership are compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has been aware from the outset that many of the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill would require to be formulated carefully to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights. Ministers consider that the provisions in the…

18 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what average length of sentence was served by people released from serving life sentences in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The following table contains the information requested. It should be noted that the figure for any one year can be skewed by the release on life licence of one or more prisoners after serving especially long periods in custody.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELL…

18 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations exist to control the overnight parking of heavy commercial vehicles in residential streets and what powers local authorities have to enforce any such regulations.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, local authorities have a general duty to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. This general duty is met by the local authority making traffic regulation orders, which can be introduced for…

12 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposals for access rights in Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill (a) are necessary and (b) are proportionate with need and (c) comply with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill for the first time creates clear and unambiguous rights of general access to land. In recommending the creation of rights of responsible access to land, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Access Forum highlighted the c…

6 Mar 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are given to police forces with regard to the execution of failure to appear warrants.

Answer · Jim Wallace: It is for Chief Constables to determine how best to discharge their duties in relation to court orders after having due consideration to the original offence and, where necessary, in consultation with the Procurator Fiscal.

28 Feb 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether there have been any attempts, successful or otherwise, to hack in to the Parliament's computer system and what action has been taken on this issue.

Answer · David Steel: The Scottish Parliament, like all high profile organisations with a presence on the internet, is a target for attempted hacking and for virus attacks. The Parliament employs several layers of security in line with BS7799 and IT Security best practices, to pro…

20 Feb 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider compiling statistics centrally on the number of persons subject to failure to appear warrants.

Answer · Jim Wallace: We have no plans to start collecting such statistics centrally.

14 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what factors the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice took into account, and upon whose advice he relied, when he considered the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill to be within the legislative competence of the Parliament.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The factors which I took into account in reaching my conclusion that the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill was within the legislative competence of the Parliament were those set out in section 29 of the Scotland Act 1998. <P>For the rest, the policy of the Executiv…

13 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who the 15 responses referred to in paragraph 33 of the Policy Memorandum on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill were from and whether it will place a copy of each response in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The 15 replies referred to in paragraph 33 of the <I>Policy Memorandum</I> on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill were from the following: <P>Bidwells Property Consultants<P>Crofters Commission<P>The Highland Council<P>Highlands and Islands Enterprise<P>Laid Graz…

13 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who the members are of the Crofting Consultative Panel referred to in paragraph 33 of the Policy Memorandum on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The membership of the Crofting Consultative Panel referred to in paragraph 33 of the <I>Policy Memorandum</I> on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill is as follows:<U><P>Organisations</U><P>Argyll and Bute Council<P>Assynt Crofters Trust<P>Borve and Annishader Tru…

2 Jan 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many current warrants in respect of failure to appear were outstanding at Glasgow Sheriff Court at 31 October 2001 and what the corresponding figure was for 31 October 2000.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is not readily available.

29 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases there were in which accused persons had been committed for trial and for which indictments had not been issued as at 1 November 2001 and how many such cases there were as at 1 November 2000.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The time limits for the service of indictments following full committal contemplate such service at any time up to 11 months thereafter. During that time, the cases are investigated and prepared. Except in relation to potential High Court cases, such cases ar…

29 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the explanation is for the increase in the number of fiscal fines issued during the period October 2000 to September 2001.

Answer · Colin Boyd: Crown Office statistics show no discernible increase over this period. Natural fluctuations occur dependent on the numbers of cases suitable for Procurator Fiscal fines.

6 Nov 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3959 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 November 2001, whether it will consider consulting Her Majesty's Government on the feasibility of deducting fines from benefit in the interest of avoiding custodial sentences.

Answer · Iain Gray: The courts may at present apply to the Department for Work and Pensions under the Fines (Deductions from Income Support) Regulations 1992 to allow for a deduction from the personal allowance of a single claimant. Decisions on whether a fine should be repaid i…

26 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any requests from industry bodies to be included in the membership of the Committee on Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland since membership was announced.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Since the membership of the Nicholson Committee was announced, the Scottish Retail Consortium has requested representation on the committee.

26 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which member of the Committee on Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland was appointed to represent the views of the off-trade licensed sector during their review of liquor licensing law.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The licensed trade in general is represented by Maureen McKerrow of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association and Gordon Millar of the Brewers' and Licensed Retailers Association of Scotland.

26 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of its Committee on Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland are drawn from organisations representing the (a) on-trade and (b) off-trade licensed sectors.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Nicholson Committee on Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland includes one member each from the Brewers' and Licensed Retailers Association for Scotland (BLRAS) and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA). The BLRAS provides on-trade representation and t…

26 Oct 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many premises currently hold an off-trade liquor licence.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The information requested is given in Table 3 of Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin CrJ/2001/3 - <I>Liquor Licensing Statistics, 2000</I> - a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17139).