Parliamentary questions

Richard Baker

2,136 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

28 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people convicted of handling an offensive weapon in each of the last 10 years were aged (a) under 16, (b) 16 to 21, (c) 21 to 30 and (d) over 30 at the time of the offence.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table. Persons Convicted of Handling an Offensive Weapon1 by Age, 1998-99 and 2007-08 <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=54 nowrap valign=b…

28 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to figures for charges proved for handling an offensive weapon in Tables 6(a) and 6(b) of Criminal Proceedings In Scottish Courts, 2007/08, what the age of the offender was at the time of the offence, broken down by sex.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table. Persons Convicted of Handling an Offensive Weapon1 by Sex, 2007-08 <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=92 nowrap valign=bottom > <p align=cen…

28 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to figures for charges proved for handling an offensive weapon in Tables 6(a) and 6(b) of Criminal Proceedings In Scottish Courts, 2007/08, how many relate to (a) males and (b) females aged under 16.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: There were six males aged under 16 and no females aged under 16 with a charge proved for handling an offensive weapon in 2007-08.

26 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many domestic noise complaints were made in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The information requested is collated and published on Audit Scotland''s website <a href="http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/performance/service/index.php?year">www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/performance/service/index.php?year</a>. Prior to 2005, Audit Sco…

23 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20278 by Fergus Ewing on 10 February 2009, whether it (a) considers that it would be helpful to hold information on the test purchases of knives as it does in relation to alcohol and (b) intends to collect this information in future.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Information on test purchasing is not routinely collected, whether for alcohol or any other product, although this is currently under consideration.

23 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of test purchasing on the sale of knives to young people.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Test purchasing of knives may well be a valuable tool to prevent the sale of knives to young people and may also be considered to help enforce the conditions of the Knife Dealers'' Licensing Scheme once the licences under that scheme come into force. However,…

23 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the independent evaluation of the campus cop scheme will be published.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The independent evaluation of the campus cop scheme in Scotland will be published early in the new year.

21 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19446 by Kenny MacAskill on 15 January 2009, what enhancements it is making to the crime level data for the 2009 index and when it expects this data to be published.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government published the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2009 General Report on 29 October 2009, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49652). The report can also be accessed via th…

21 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19446 by Kenny MacAskill on 15 January 2009, what further consideration it has given to plans to make available to communities in Scotland neighbourhood crime maps, as introduced in England and Wales by the Home Office on 6 January 2009.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We have no immediate plans to replicate the Home Office scheme in Scotland, but will continue to monitor the impact of this innovative approach to public engagement with interest. The Scottish Government Justice and Communities Analytical Services Di…

21 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the comments of Donald Findlay QC reported in The Times on 21 October 2009 in relation to “googling jurors”; whether it intends to take action, and, if so, what action.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There are sufficient arrangements in place to enable the presiding judge to direct jurors to have regard only to the evidence heard in court in relation to the case, including the giving of specific directions regarding jurors conducting their own research. T…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commit to (a) maintaining or (b) increasing the number of firefighters on the front line in the future years.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Decisions on current and future resourcing requirements within the fire and rescue service are entirely for local government to take. It is clear that local government will be operating within a more challenging economic climate in the future and the…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the comments of Ken Ross of the Fire Brigades Union to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 that “our priority is to ensure that at the very least the number of firefighters on the front line is maintained if not increased. That can be done by redirecting fundin…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has made clear its expectation that future spending decisions should, wherever possible, protect the frontline services on which our communities depend. We are clear that when considering the delivery of services, local government shou…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is concerned at the comments of Ken Ross of the Fire Brigades Union to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 that the COSLA was unable to tell the fire service “what formula or criteria it was using to determine the allocation that the fire service was going to get” and that …

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The allocation of revenue funding to fire and rescue services is currently a decision for their constituent local authorities, taking into account their statutory obligations and national and local priorities. We believe that local government is best…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the comments of Ken Ross of the Fire Brigades Union to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 that the effect of removing ring fencing for the fire service has led to the fire service having to “horse trade with other services to get the necessary funding, which i…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The fire service currently receives over £300 million per year to meet its revenue obligations, as set out in the Fire Scotland Act 2005 - core responsibilities being to extinguish fire, free casualties from road traffic collisions and educate the public abou…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact that (a) overcrowding and (b) reduced prison officer numbers is having on the safety of prison officers.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: Current staffing levels have been agreed with local trade union partners and there are a number of protocols and contingencies in p…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the comments of John Speed of the Prison Officers Association to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 concerning a reduction in frontline prison staff that he stated has a massive impact on the health and safety of prison officers; whether it intends to take act…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: The written evidence subsequently sent to the committee by Mr Speed on 19 October 2009, clarified that the concerns referred to by …

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the comments of Calum Steele of the Scottish Police Federation to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 that “the fundamental duty of any Government must be the safety and security of the public. My fairly simple position is that cuts in funding are simply wrong”…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: For 2010-11, we are faced with a £500 million cut in planned expenditure imposed on Scotland by the UK Government, and accelerated capital expenditure. However, despite this pressure we are providing an increase of 3.1% in police grant, which is £586.7 millio…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that any reduction in police staff numbers as described by the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 would impact on the roles carried out by police officers and is likely to negatively impact on the length of time that offic…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This government is providing specific funding directly to police authorities to deliver on our commitment to providing an additional 1,000 police officers in our communities by 2011. There is therefore no question of this commitment having a negative impact o…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the comments of the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 in relation to possible staff redundancies that “at some point, if we could not balance the books, we would have to consider compulsory redundancies. I would look t…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The composition of police staff is an operational matter for chief constables. This government is providing specific funding directly to police authorities to deliver on our commitment to providing an additional 1,000 police officers in our communities by 201…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the comments of the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 in relation to possible staff redundancies that “I am afraid that I take a fairly clear position on that. The public want to see police officers; therefore, we woul…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28155 on 27 October 2009. 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…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the comment of the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 that maintaining police officer numbers at current levels would result in support staff redundancies (Official Report c. 2270).

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The composition of police force staff is an operational matter for chief constables. This government supports the efforts of the chief constables across Scotland to ensure that as many officers as possible are deployed on frontline policing in our communities…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the comment of the Chief Constable of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 in relation to maintaining officer numbers through 2010-11 that “every force will have looked at profiles of what it might mean if budgets are not at the level …

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28037 on 28 October 2009. 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…

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the Chief Constable of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary’s comments to the Justice Committee on 6 October 2009 that it may not be possible to maintain police officer numbers at current levels through 2010-11 (Official Report c. 2265).

9 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the police officers recruited since May 2007 have been funded from (a) core police grant, (b) local authority funding and (c) Scottish Government funding, broken down by (i) police force and (ii) local authority area.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Police authority budgets are comprised of funding from constituent local authorities and police grant from the Scottish Government. It is not possible to separate funding of police officer recruitment between these two funding mechanisms. The Scottish Governm…

6 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that all police forces attach sufficient priority to community policing and, if not, what action it will take.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government worked with police and stakeholders to develop and disseminate the Scottish Community Policing Engagement Principles earlier this year. This work, taken alongside the continuing high priority attached by Scottish Police Forces to ensur…

6 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines community policing.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Community policing refers to the way in which policing takes place in our communities. This is at the heart of the government''s commitment to strengthening operational policing in our communities. The Community Policing Engagement Principles set out…

6 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police forces follow the approach to community policing taken by Strathclyde Police.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Each chief constable, working with local police authorities, is using their policing capacity and additional resources to best deliver the type of frontline policing that their communities want. The report of the Justice Committee''s Inquiry into…

6 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made on implementing each of the recommendations in the Justice Committee’s Report on Inquiry into Community Policing.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The development of the Community Policing Engagement Principles by the Scottish Government, and subsequent work being taken forward locally by police forces and police authorities to develop their own community policing engagement standards, takes full accoun…

6 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what actions it has taken to address the absence of a commonly agreed definition of and inconsistencies in approach to community policing across Scotland as highlighted in the Justice Committee’s Report on Inquiry into Community Policing.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Following the Scottish Government''s work with police forces, police authority convenors and other key policing stakeholders on the development of the Community Policing Engagement Principles, I wrote to chief constables and convenors earlier this year to enc…

6 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the additional police officers recruited since May 2007 are engaged in community policing, broken down by police force.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There are currently 1,044 more officers in our communities than at May 2007. The deployment of these officers is an operational matter for chief constables but it is long-standing practice that all new recruits gain operation policing experience. The majority…