Parliamentary questions
Richard Baker
2,136 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to extend curfew orders.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: We have no plans currently. However, as part of the new antisocial behaviour framework <i >Promoting Positive Outcomes: Working Together to Prevent Antisocial Behaviour in Scotland</i> (Bib. number 47915) we propose to consult on any changes to Antisocial Beh…
9 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it makes of calls from Northern Constabulary for increased powers to impose curfews on young people who repeatedly commit crime or behave in an antisocial manner.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Cabinet Secretary for Justice met with representatives from Northern Constabulary on 14 April 2009 to discuss their proposal. Officials are now in consultation with Northern Constabulary to discuss options for taking this forward to address their needs an…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on 24 October 2008 of £1 million additional funding to deliver speedier community penalties, whether it considers that community justice authorities will require additional funding to (a) deliver speedier community sentences…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The government has already invested an additional £2 million in the current year to support local authorities'' increased workload on community penalties and to help them to deliver community service orders which start “ and finish “ much more quickly.</p> <…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on 24 October 2008 of £1 million additional funding to deliver speedier community penalties, whether it intends to provide further funding to allow community justice authorities to (a) deliver speedier community sentences an…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The government has already invested an additional £2 million in the current year to support local authorities'' increased workload on community penalties and to help them to deliver community service orders which start “ and finish “ much more quickly.</p> <…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests have been made to the Scottish Court Service by local authorities to revoke community service orders due to a backlog or an inability to meet demand in the last 12 months, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: This information is not held centrally.</p>
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving local authorities who are experiencing difficulties meeting the current level of demand for community service orders.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: As part of the 2009-10 funding settlement for Community Justice Authorities an additional £1 million has been provided to reflect the increased numbers of community service orders. This is additional to the extra £1 million announced last October to assist lo…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of recent media reports, whether it is concerned that some local authorities are reported to have approached the Scottish Courts Service to ask for community service orders to be revoked due to a backlog and an inability to meet demand.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We are not aware of any approaches to the Scottish Court Service for revocation of orders for the reasons suggested. Local authorities can, however, apply in individual cases to courts for an extension beyond the 12 months period set out in existing legislati…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community service orders were revoked before they were completed in 2008, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The information requested is given in the following tables. The numbers are shown in the first table, with percentages in the second.</p> <p >Terminations of Community Service Orders<sup>1</sup> by Local Authority Area: 2007-08 (Numbers)</p> <table border=…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders sentenced to serve a community service order in 2008 are still waiting to start their order, broken down by local authority area and waiting time since sentencing.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22851 on 23 June 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/Apps2/B…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders sentenced to serve a community service order in March 2009 are still waiting to start their order.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22851 on 23 June 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/Apps2/B…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders sentenced to serve a community service order in February 2009 are still waiting to start their order.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22851 on 23 June 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/Apps2/B…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders sentenced to serve a community service order in January 2009 are still waiting to start their order.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22851 on 23 June 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/Apps2/B…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of offenders sentenced to serve a community service order had their first appointment with a criminal justice social worker within (a) one day, (b) seven days and (c) one month of sentencing in 2008, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22851 on 23 June 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/Apps2/B…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time between sentence and the commencement of a community service order was in each quarter since May 2007, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22851 on 23 June 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/Apps2/B…
8 Apr 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the longest waiting time between sentence and the commencement of a community service order was in each quarter since May 2007, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Historically the data requested has not been held centrally. Recognising the need for more information, the government commissioned an audit of individual local authority performance of start and completion timescales in respect of community service orders ba…
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19798 by Kenny MacAskill on 28 January 2009, whether it plans to introduce a knife-crime text hotline in Scotland.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22439 on 23 April 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/Apps2/…
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19797 by Kenny MacAskill on 27 January 2009, what assessment it has made of the suitability for Scotland of the knife-crime text hotline run by Crimestoppers UK in England and Wales.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22439 on 23 April 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/Apps2/…
30 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19797 by Kenny MacAskill on 27 January 2009, what assessment it has made of the success of the knife-crime text hotline run by Crimestoppers UK in England and Wales.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is committed to reducing violence and knife crime in our communities and takes an interest in initiatives in other areas which could contribute to our efforts. Crimestoppers are currently evaluating the knife carrier text service and p…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many admissions to accident and emergency departments there were in the last year where a glass bottle was used as a weapon, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Unintentional injury is a common cause of emergency hospital admissions and accounts for 1 in 9 of all admissions for adults aged 15 and over. However, there is no recognised diagnosis code for assault where a glass bottle was used as a weapon, and ISD (Infor…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to reduce the incidence of glass bottles being used as weapons.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22306 on 21 April 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/Apps2/…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its assessment is of the scale of the problem of glass bottles being used as weapons.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: All violence, with or without a weapon, is unacceptable and that is why the Scottish Government is working in partnership with local authorities and the national Violence Reduction Unit to support initiatives “ both in licensed premises and in the community -…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents where a glass bottle was used as a weapon were recorded in the last year, broken down by police force.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.</p> <p >The Scottish Government does not hold individualised data on any crimes or offences recorded by the eight police forces in Scotland, and as such does not hold information on the nature of the crime or the circu…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is concerned at the finding in The nature and extent of illegal drug and alcohol-related litter in a Scottish social housing community: A photographic investigation by Alasdair J M Forsyth and Neil Davidson that 54% of all discarded glassware was Buckfast tonic wine bottles or …
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22303 on 21 April 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/Apps2/…
24 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its assessment is of the findings in The nature and extent of illegal drug and alcohol-related litter in a Scottish social housing community: A photographic investigation by Alasdair J M Forsyth and Neil Davidson and what action it intends to take.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government has not yet seen the study to which the member refers and understands that it has not yet been published, so I am unable to comment on the specifics.</p> <p >Local authorities have primary responsibility for dealing with litter in the…
23 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is concerned about the consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages and their effect on drinkers’ behaviour and, if so, what action it intends to take.
Answer · Shona Robison: Research on the effect of mixing caffeine and alcohol is limited and inconclusive. The Scottish Government considers that the main issue is not the consumption of particular drinks or drink combinations but the sheer volume of alcohol that is being consumed i…
23 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to deal with specific alcohol products that have been identified as problematic in relation to offending behaviour and that will not be affected by its proposed minimum pricing policy.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: There is strong evidence that a minimum price per unit of alcohol can make a significant contribution to reducing excessive alcohol consumption and the harm caused by such consumption. Alcohol has become nearly 70% more affordable in Scotland since 1980 and c…
23 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the finding in Alcohol and Violence among Young Male Offenders in Scotland (1979-2009), published in January 2009, that suggested that a prohibitive price increase to alcohol products would foster an illegal market, perhaps with alcohol drinkers turning to illegal drug use an…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Our detailed proposals for minimum pricing will be proportionate, reasonable and effective, not prohibitive.</p>
23 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of findings in Alcohol and Violence among Young Male Offenders in Scotland (1979-2009), published in 2009, that prisoners questioned felt that increasing the prices of cheaper alcohol products would not reduce consumption but encourage the consumption of stronger alcohol product…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Our document <i >Changing </i><i >Scotland</i><i >''s Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action</i> (Bib. number 47805) sets out a package of measures to rebalance Scotland''s relationship with alcohol. Some actions are specific legislative measures…
23 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the findings in Alcohol and Violence among Young Male Offenders in Scotland (1979-2009), published in January 2009, that prisoners questioned felt that increasing the prices of alcohol products would have little positive impact on their behaviour and that this policy might im…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Our document <i >Changing </i><i >Scotland</i><i >''s Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action</i> (Bib. number 47805) sets out a package of measures to rebalance Scotland''s relationship with alcohol. Some actions are specific legislative measures…
23 Mar 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the finding in Alcohol and Violence among Young Male Offenders in Scotland (1979-2009), published in January 2009, that price was not a major constraint on alcohol consumption among these young offenders, what its assessment is of this finding and what action it intends to ta…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The research referred to aims to develop understanding of the use of alcohol and violence among male young offenders in Scotland. This is a very specific remit and should not be taken to be representative of the population as a whole. We note the report with …