Jamie Hepburn

5 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected spend on construction associated with the M80 upgrade is and how this compares with the original forecast.

Answer · Keith Brown: The cost of construction was included in the overall contract price in 2009, and there has been no change to this figure.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions the Crown Office has issued regarding the precognition of fingerprint or other forensic experts when they have submitted evidence in respect of criminal cases.

Answer · Lesley Thomson: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has issued guidance on the precognition of expert witnesses, including fingerprint and forensic experts. The guidance provides that where an expert witness has been instructed by the Crown and the witnes…

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training police officers have in relation to forensic examination of scenes of crime involving firearms and who provides such training.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The primary role of police officers at any crime scene is one of preservation of evidence. The examination of forensic evidence is the domain of forensic scientists. As recruits, police officers are trained at the Scottish Police College and must complete a m…

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place for the forensic investigation of scenes of crime involving firearms.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the Scottish Police Services Authority and the police.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, whether it will make available the scenes of crime examination standards and procedures referred to by the Scottish Police Services Authority's Director of Forensic Services in evidence to the Fingerprint Inquiry on 13 November 2009.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the Scottish Police Services Authority.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions since November 2009 the national scenes of crime examination standards and procedures have been updated.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the Scottish Police Services Authority.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next inspection of the Scottish Police Services Authority by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland is scheduled.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland presently have no plans to inspect the Scottish Police Services Authority.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many precognitions of Scottish Police Services Authority fingerprint experts were or have been undertaken by the Crown Office in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011, broken down by fingerprint bureau.

Answer · Lesley Thomson: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) does not retain a database of the number of fingerprint experts precognosced by COPFS staff.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many precognitions of Scottish Police Services Authority forensic experts, excluding fingerprint experts, were or have been carried out in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011, broken down by forensic service.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the Scottish Police Services Authority.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it, or any of its agencies, has been advised of a recommendation to relocate the Scottish Police Services Authority and, if so, where the recommendation originates.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have not been advised of any new recommendation to relocate any of the services provided by the Scottish Police Services Authority from their existing locations across Scotland, other than those announced to parliament on 2 December 2010.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many recorded crimes there were or have been in which a firearm was discharged in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of crimes and offences recorded by the police in which a firearm was alleged to have been used or where a firearm was stolen is published, on a financial year basis, by the Scottish Government in the Recorded Crimes and Offences invo…

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the findings were of the internal investigation by Northern Constabulary in 2010 following its failure to find a kitchen knife involved in a murder in Balintore in April 2010 when searching the scene and what lessons have been learned.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is an operational matter for Northern Constabulary.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Police Services Authority checks for non-compliance with the scenes of crime examination standards and procedures and how many instances of non-compliance have been recorded since their introduction.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the Scottish Police Services Authority.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who accredited the scenes of crime examination standards and procedures referred to by the Scottish Police Services Authority's Director of Forensic Services in evidence to the Fingerprint Inquiry on 13 November 2009.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This is a matter for the Scottish Police Services Authority.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether established procedures for the forensic investigation of scenes of crime involving firearms were adhered to in relation to the double shooting at a cottage near Tomintoul on 12 April 2011.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The incident in question is still the subject of ongoing crown counsel consideration. Given this, it would be inappropriate for Scottish ministers to make comment.

26 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the scenes of crime examination standards and procedures referred to by the Scottish Police Services Authority's Director of Forensic Services in evidence to the Fingerprint Inquiry on 13 November 2009 were first introduced.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I am informed that the national procedures for scenes of crime examination were developed under the auspices of the Scottish Police Services Authority Forensic Science Service over the period 2007 to 2010. The procedures were introduced and fully implemented …

23 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities must allow construction of infrastructure for utilities supply on land that they own when planning permission has been granted and, if so, whether mobile telephone masts are considered such infrastructure.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Planning permission does not in itself allow developers to construct on other people’s property. The powers, responsibilities, obligations and other requirements to construct on local authority land, or other parties’ land, are set out in various pieces of le…

23 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedural differences exist between the circumstances in which it (a) has to consider an appeal regarding a rejected planning application and (b) decides to call in a planning application.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: In the case of delegated appeals, an appointed reporter issues the decision on behalf of Scottish Ministers. In the case of called-in applications, the Planning Minister issues the decision. There are no other handling differences.

7 Sep 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to social and environmental measures as an alternative to GDP as a means of assessing living standards in Scotland.

31 Aug 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the findings arising from the first HMIE inspections under the newly introduced inspection framework.

29 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01963 by Keith Brown on 25 August 2011, what the journey time will be from (a) Cumbernauld and (b) Greenfaulds railway stations to Glasgow Queen Street station, following completion of Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) works on the Cumbe…

Answer · Keith Brown: Detailed timetable work is currently underway to test and prove the optimum timetable for EGIP services, including journey times on a newly electrified Cumbernauld Line. The conclusion of this process will confirm journey times on this route. The service pro…

29 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01962 by Keith Brown on 25 August 2011, to provide a breakdown of the estimated £52 million cost of the construction of the Garngad Chord.

Answer · Keith Brown: Following a detailed option review the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme Board (EGIP) have confirmed that the Garngad Chord is not required in order to realise the EGIP journey time objectives. The most recent estimate for the cost of constructing the …

9 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fostered children have been returned to their parents in each of the last five years.

Answer · Angela Constance: Information on the number of looked after children whose last accommodation type immediately prior to leaving care was “in foster care” and whose initial destination on leaving care was “home with (biological) parents” is only available since 2008-09. During…

9 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been fostered outwith their local authority area in each of the last five years.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not centrally collect information on the number of children who are fostered outwith their local authority area. This information would only be available by contacting individual local authorities.

9 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children who have been looked after by a kinship carer have been returned to their parents in each of the last five years.

Answer · Angela Constance: Information on the number of looked after children whose last accommodation type immediately prior to leaving care was “with friends/relatives” and whose initial destination on leaving care was “home with (biological) parents” is only available since 2008-09.…

9 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered foster carers it estimates are required to match assessed care needs.

Answer · Angela Constance: It is for local authorities to assess the care needs in each of their areas and recruit and register foster carers to match the need. The Scottish Government is supporting local authorities by working with, and funding activities through, The fostering netwo…

9 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to continue supporting kinship carers.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the outcomes of young people in kinship care. This means continuing to work with local authorities and corporate parents to support kinship carers. In particular, we are actively seeking changes to the benefit…

9 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered foster carers there are.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not collect information centrally on the number of registered foster carers. This information would only be available by contacting all the fostering services that are registered with the independent regulator, Social Care and Soc…

9 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding exempting kinship care payments when calculating entitlement to support from the Department of Work and Pensions.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government has met with the UK Government and discussed the issue of benefit entitlement for kinship carers numerous times since 2007 in order to try to improve financial support available. This has resulted in a number of improvements including …

9 Aug 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of fostered children has remained in the care system until 16 years of age in each of the last five years.

Answer · Angela Constance: Of all looked after children who were “in foster care” at the end of each reporting year, the percentage that were aged 16 years or older for each of the last five years was: 31 March 2006: - 9.7% 31 March 2007: - 9.4% 31 March 2008: - 9.2% 31 March 2009:…