Richard Baker

1 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many temporary and agency staff it employed in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10, broken down by (i) directorate and (ii) cost.

Answer · John Swinney: The following information relates to the core Scottish Government.</p> <p>Overall, the number of agency workers has reduced from 987 to 840. Spend has increased from around £6 million to £9.4 million. This is mainly because, over the two year period, fewer a…

1 Jun 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police support staff are employed in each police force.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The numbers of police support staff employed in each force at 31 March 2010 are shown in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=239 valign=top > <p align=center >Force</p> </td> <td wi…

26 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Grampian were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of occupied bed days in NHS Grampian where a diagnosis of assault by sharp object is recorded is presented in the following table.</p> <p >Number of Acute Occupied Bed Days^1,2 in NHS Grampian Connected with an Assault by Sharp Object<su…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the 1,000 extra police officers put in place will still be in place on 4 May 2011.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the comments by the chief constable of Grampian Police reported in The Herald on 18 May 2010 that “It is meant to be a tripartite arrangement between ministers, chief constables and local police boards. For civil servants to be taking over is extremely conce…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that civil servants play an appropriate role in the tripartite arrangement between ministers, chief constables and local police boards.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role civil servants play in the tripartite arrangement between ministers, chief constables and local police boards.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has instructed chief constables to start cutting back the number of (a) police officers and (b) civilian staff and, if so, when and by how many.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: No such instruction has been issued. It is a matter for chief constables to decide on the composition of the workforce within each force.</p>

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the civil servants in the Directorate General for Justice and Communities are aligned to the policy direction of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Yes.</p>

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the comment by the chief constable of Grampian Police reported in The Herald on 18 May 2010 that “We have a positive relationship with the Justice Secretary but we come out of a meeting with him and then the civil servants give us a completely contrary messa…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The remark attributed to the chief constable of Grampian refers to a dinner between myself and six out of the eight chief constables. I was supported by two civil servants on that occasion. The meeting provided an opportunity for chief constables to raise any…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimate is of how many civilian job losses police forces will make by the end of the current parliamentary session, broken down by police force.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police forces it expects to experience budget deficits before the end of the current parliamentary session, broken down by (a) police force and (b) estimated scale of the deficit.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: None. Police funding is at a record level of £1.4 billion in 2010-11. Additional calls for funding have been met, including fully funding the new pension arrangements meaning police forces no longer have to meet the costs of pensions from their running costs.…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the comments of the chief constable of Grampian Police reported in The Herald on 18 May 2010 that chief constables have been forced into an impossible situation with regard to maintaining police numbers, given that police officers cannot be laid off under la…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Providing a visible police presence on Scotland''s streets is a priority for the Scottish Government. We are therefore committed to a well resourced police service. Police funding is at a record level in 2010-11 but decisions on future levels of funding can o…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the comments by the chief constable of Grampian Police reported in The Herald on 18 May 2010 that he and other chief constables are increasingly concerned by civil servants driving their own agenda and that “The civil servants are now more and more running p…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it (a) was aware of senior civil servants advising or (b) instructed senior civil servants to advise chief constables that, if forces allowed police numbers to fall, the final tranche of a £40 million Scottish Government funding package would be withheld.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of claims by chief constables reported in The Herald on 18 May 2010 that senior civil servants intimated that, if the chief constables allowed police numbers to fall, the final tranche of a £40 million Scottish Government funding package would be withheld.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is committed to maintaining funding for 1,000 extra police officers for the duration of the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of statements by chief constables reported in The Herald on 18 May 2010 that senior civil servants from the Directorate General for Justice and Communities are “driving their own agenda by ignoring looming budget deficits” and encouraging chief constables to de…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it (a) was aware of senior civil servants advising or (b) instructed senior civil servants to advise chief constables not to reduce police numbers until autumn 2010, when a decrease could be blamed on UK Government spending cuts, and what action it plans to take.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 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/Bu…

19 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of claims by chief constables reported in The Herald on 18 May 2010 that they were urged by senior civil servants not to reduce police numbers until autumn 2010, when a decrease could be blamed on UK Government spending cuts, and what action it plans to take.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to delivering 1,000 additional police officers in our communities by April 2011. Police funding is at a record  level - £1.4 billion in 2010-11, including funding specifically for the training, recruitment and s…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since January 2010 on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Since the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth announced on the 21 December 2010 to proceed with the scheme significant progress has been made.</p> <p >The relevant Schemes and Trunk Road Orders were made and laid before the Scottish Parliame…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-6711 by Stewart Stevenson on 30 April 2010 (Official Report c. 16959), whether the Scottish Futures Trust is actively being considered as a potential funding mechanism for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-10135 on 15 April 2010 which is available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-6711 by Stewart Stevenson on 30 April 2010 (Official Report c. 16959), when it will announce what funding mechanism will be used for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-10135 on 15 April 2010 which is available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it expects to be created during each stage of the lifecycle of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project; for how long, and what impact it will have on the local economy.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-9075 on 14 January 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…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30121 by Stewart Stevenson on 15 January 2010, whether it remains its position that it expects construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to commence in 2011.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-10610 on 20 May 2010 which is available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-10/s…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the most up-to-date estimate is of the completion date of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-10610 on the 20 May 2010 which is available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-…

18 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers that the legal challenge to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will have on the timescales for delivering the bypass.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-10610 on 20 May 2010. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the official report can be viewed at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialRepo…

17 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions have been brought under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 for offences relating to mephedrone and other cathinone derivatives since their ban on 16 April 2010, broken down by (a) type of offence and (b) police force area.

Answer · Frank Mulholland: Since 16 April 2010 five charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 relating to Mephedrone have been libelled in court proceedings. Of these five, two are under section 5(2), namely being in possession of a controlled drug, and the remaining three are under s…

17 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences have been recorded by the police under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and other relevant legislation for offences relating to mephedrone and other cathinone derivatives since their ban on 16 April 2010, broken down by (a) type of offence and (b) police force area.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>

17 May 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates that an increase in VAT from 17.5% to 20% would cost the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency in one year.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Increasing VAT from 17.5% to 20% would cost the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency an estimated additional £74,000 per annum.</p>