Parliamentary questions

John Lamont

759 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice the Cabinet Secretary for Justice received regarding his decision not to release Mr Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi into care in Scotland on compassionate grounds under section 3 of the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: As I explained to Parliament on 24 August, it has been suggested that Mr Megrahi could have been released from prison to reside elsewhere in Scotland. Clear advice from the Deputy Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police was that the security implications of suc…

25 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice the Cabinet Secretary for Justice received regarding his decision to return Mr Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi to Libya on compassionate grounds under section 3 of the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I received advice on 14 August 2009 concerning the application by Mr Megrahi. As set out in my statement on 20 August, I was provided with reports and recommendations by the Governor of Greenock Prison, the doctors and prison social work staff. Also, as laid…

24 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to increase the broadband capacity of telephone exchanges in the Scottish Borders.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26642 on 30 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions area available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/A…

24 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the telephone exchanges in the Scottish Borders that are at full capacity for broadband.

Answer · Jim Mather: BT has confirmed that, as of 3 September 2009, the telephone exchanges in the Scottish Borders which are at full capacity for broadband are Abbey St Bathans, Borthwickbrae and Grantshouse. The Scottish Government announced on 23 September 2009 that …

21 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average life expectancy on release has been of prisoners released from prison on compassionate grounds.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: It is impossible to be absolutely precise on matters of prognosis for any disease. For this reason, it is not possible to give a meaningful figure for average life expectancy for those granted compassionate release.

7 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25679 by Kenny MacAskill on 5 August 2009, what is being done to recall offenders not yet returned to custody from (a)1999, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006, (f) 2008 and (g) 2009.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the Member to the answer to question S3W-26068 on 6 August 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/…

6 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason funding applications from the Scottish Borders to the Town Centre Regeneration Fund were not more successful.

Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26356 on 1 September 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/App…

6 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason communities in the Scottish Borders did not get a larger share of the first round of funding from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

Answer · Alex Neil: I can confirm that all applications were subject to the same four stage assessment process: an initial sift to check eligibility, scoring against key assessment criteria for the fund, consideration of the ranked order by an independent advisory panel before f…

3 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were (a) on remand and (b) sentenced for handling offensive weapons in each year since 1997.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following tables. The information on remand prison receptions is based on information extracted from the Scottish Prison Service database, while the information relating to those sentenced is based on those persons wi…

3 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) crimes and (b) offences were recorded in each year since 1979

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The following tables give information on the number of crimes and offences recorded by the eight Scottish police forces for (i) calendar year 1979 to 1995 and (ii) financial year 1995-06 to 2007-08. Reporting by financial year was introduced in 1995. <p …

3 Aug 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how staffing numbers have changed in the Scottish Prison Service in each year since 2005, broken down by prison.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td nowrap valign=bottom >   </td> <td nowra…

23 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates that HMP (a) Inverclyde and (b) Highlands will be available for use.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26080 on 17 August 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on…

23 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when construction work will start on the building of HMP (a) Inverclyde and (b) Highlands.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25597 on 23 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on t…

22 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale the relevant authority has in which to escort to custody people recalled from supervision or licence.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The enforcement of an order revoking a licence and recalling an offender to custody is an operational matter for the police who will return the person to custody as soon as practicable.

22 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the notice from the Ministry of Defence that it intends to withdraw its objections to the Fallago Rig wind farm in Berwickshire.

Answer · Jim Mather: The withdrawal of objection of the Ministry of Defence and supporting evidence was issued to interested parties who made an appearance at the Fallago Rig public inquiry on 15 July 2009 and is also available on the Energy Consents and Deployment website at:</…

20 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were discharged from treatment for drug misuse in the categories of (a) treatment completed drug free, (b) treatment completed not drug free, (c) dropped out, (d) referred to other treatment, (e) individual entered prison, (f) individual died and (g) reason not known in ea…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Until 2008 the Scottish Drug Misuse Database (SDMD) collected information only about clients entering treatment. Consequently, the information requested is not available. However, the Scottish Government is working with Information Services Division (ISD) Sco…

8 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people recalled from supervision or licence to custody were not returned to custody, broken down by main crime or offence for which they were committed in each year between January 1999 and June 2009.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: For details of the number recalled in each year I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25679 on 5 August 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: …

8 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people recalled from supervision or licence to custody were not returned to custody, broken down by police force in each year between January 1999 and June 2009.

8 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people recalled from supervision or licence to custody were not returned to custody, broken down by local authority in each year between January 1999 and June 2009.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Under the provisions of the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993, determinate sentence prisoners may be released on licence between the half-way point and two-thirds point of sentence on the recommendation of the Parole Board. Such individua…

3 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the proposed capacity is of (a) HMP Inverclyde and (b) HMP Highlands.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: As mandated by Scottish ministers, SPS is seeking to replace the capacity provided by the existing prisons (HMP Greenock and HMP In…

3 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in securing suitable sites for the building of (a) HMP Inverclyde and (b) HMP Highlands.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The Scottish Prison Service, working in conjunction with Highland and Inverclyde Councils, has conducted site search exercises to identif…

3 Jul 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total prison population was on 26 June 2009, also broken down by prison.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The following table gives a breakdown of the prison population on 26 June 2009, broken down by establishment. <table border=1 cells…

19 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hours were issued under community service orders in each year since 1997, broken down by sheriffdom.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table: Persons Receiving a Community Service Order1 by Hours Sentenced and Sheriffdom Area, 1997-98 to 2007-08 <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td…

19 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hours under community service orders were completed in each year since 1997, broken down by sheriffdom.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally.

19 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were issued with a community service order in each year since 1997, broken down by sheriffdom.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25094 on 10 July 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.parliam…

17 Jun 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting the building of affordable housing in the Borders.

Answer · Alex Neil: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0625-01.htm">http://www.scot…

10 Jun 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has evidence that shared headships for rural primary schools impact positively on the education of children.

Answer · Keith Brown: This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0618-01.htm">http://www.scot…

26 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been employed in the car industry in each year since 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Jim Mather: Information on the number of employee jobs in the car industry is collected each year from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI), which is the official source of employee jobs data. The ABI is run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The most recent year …

26 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been employed in the banking industry in each year since 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Jim Mather: Information on the number of employee jobs in the banking industry is collected each year from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI), which is the official source of employee jobs data. The ABI is run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The most recent y…

26 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been employed in the energy-generation industry in each year since 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Jim Mather: Information on the number of employee jobs in the energy industry is collected each year from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI), which is the official source of employee jobs data. The ABI is run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The most recent ye…