Jenny Marra

3 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people convicted at (a) summary and (b) solemn trial in 2010-11 had been convicted of offences in the preceding two years and how many of these convictions resulted in a custodial sentence.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is contained in the following table. The latest year for which this analysis is available is 2009-10. Analysis relating to 2010-11 will be published within the Reconviction Rates in Scotland statistical bulletin on 25 September 2012…

3 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) summary and (b) solemn trials led to a conviction in 2010-11 and how many resulted in a custodial sentence.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table. People Convicted1 in Scottish Courts, 2010-11 Solemn Summary Total Total convictions 4,697 110,701 115,398 Total receiving custodial sentence 3,356 11,912 15,268 Note: 1. Where main of…

3 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people who received (a) assistance by way of representation for the purposes of a criminal trial, (b) criminal legal aid in summary criminal cases and (c) criminal legal aid in solemn criminal cases in 2010-11 were acquitted.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: As Advice by Way of Representation (ABWOR) is used primarily for guilty pleas, few, if any, recipients will have cases which resulted in acquittal. However, in relation to criminal legal aid, records from the Scottish Legal Aid Board (the board) indicate tha…

3 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people who received (a) assistance by way of representation for the purposes of a criminal trial, (b) criminal legal aid in summary criminal cases and (c) criminal legal aid in solemn criminal cases in 2010-11 were receiving passported benefits.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: In 2010-11, the number of people who were in receipt of passported benefits and were granted legal aid under the following categories was: (a) Advice by Way of Representation for a criminal trial: 25,283, and (b) Criminal legal aid in summary criminal cases…

3 Sep 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the bidding criteria for the proposed national football academy.

29 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual cost is of delivering the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme is delivered locally by NHS boards, annual costs for delivering the programme are not held centrally.

29 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the impact of early diagnosis of hearing loss on (a) patients and (b) the (b) services that support both them and their families using the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The impact of early diagnosis of hearing loss is different for every child. Support for each child is provided depending on need from a number different agencies including education, social work and speech and language therapy. It is therefore not possible t…

29 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been diagnosed with a hearing loss by the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Universal Newborn Hearing Screening is delivered and managed locally by individual NHS boards. While NHS boards record and monitor the number of children diagnosed with hearing loss locally, this information is not routinely collated nationally and is theref…

29 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is an annual report on the performance of the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme and, if so, where this can be accessed.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Since the introduction of universal newborn hearing screening in 2005, one annual report covering 2008-09 has been published and can be found at http://www.nsd.scot.nhs.uk/services/screening/unhearingscreening/index.html. As information on the diagnostic out…

29 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to its sensory impairment strategy in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The funding available to implement the sensory impairment strategy has yet to be finalised.

29 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its sensory impairment strategy will include both paediatric and adult services.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Yes.

29 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its sensory impairment strategy.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Government will publish the final Scottish sensory impairment strategy in the summer of 2013. The draft Scottish sensory impairment strategy will be issued for consultation before the end of this year.

9 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance on the long-term place of day centres in social care policy service users can expect following its review of the consultation, The Same as You?.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The consultation of The same as you? is still open for public consultation and the closing date is 30 September 2012. All views regarding day centre for service users with a learning disability will be taken into consideration in the development of the new le…

9 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the decision by Dundee City Council to close Kemback Street Day Centre and its associated Out and About service is a breach of section 26 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and what evidence it has to support its position on this matte…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government sets national direction of policy on mental health and provides funding to agencies, including NHS boards and local authorities, to support implementation of policy. The management of local actions in implementing national policy and d…

9 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the statutory basis is of its guidance, right first time, A practical guide for public authorities in Scotland to decision-making and the law, and how it monitors the effectiveness of this and other similar guidance.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The guidance has no statutory basis. However, Scottish ministers are able to issue guidance in many areas where appropriate, including ways in which to help ensure that public bodies have good decision making processes. The Accounts Commission audits the per…

9 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to local authorities on how public consultions on proposed changes to service provision should be carried out.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government does not issue specific guidance to local authorities on how public consultations on proposed changes to service provisions should be carried out. Local authorities are subject to a duty to secure best value. The Best Value Statutory G…

9 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Dundee City Council regarding the decision to close Kemback Street Day Centre and its associated Out and About service for vulnerable adults with learning disabilities.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has had no discussions with Dundee City Council regarding the decision to close Kemback Street Day Centre. It is the responsibility of local authorities to work with their partners and regularly review spending decisions to deliver fit…

16 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what provision is made for any deaf athletes participating in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Answer · Shona Robison: The sports programme for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games is determined by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), in consultation with the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee (OC). The OC consulted directly …

10 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what average length of time has been taken to process legal aid applications in each year since 2007.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The average length of time taken by the Scottish Legal Aid Board to process the three types of legal aid applications in each year since 2007 is set out in the following tables. The average has been calculated by dividing the total number of processing days b…

10 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what targets there are for the time taken to process legal aid claims.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Legal Aid Board has a number of performance targets, which are agreed by ministers and published each year in its Corporate Plan. The targets for the time it takes to process the various types of claims in respect of the three types of legal aid,…

10 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for legal aid there have been in each year since 2007.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The numbers of applications for the different types of legal assistance for each of the years since 2007-08 are set out in tables 1-4. The figures for 2011-12 have not yet been published and are still subject to final checking and verification in advance of p…

10 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to legal aid in each year since 2007.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-07968 on 22 June 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusi…

10 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff the Scottish Legal Aid Board has employed in each year since 2007.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The numbers of staff employed by the Scottish Legal Aid Board at its head office for each of the financial years since 2007-08 are set out in table 1. These staff carry out administrative functions such as assessing legal aid applications. They are funded thr…

4 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to hold a summit on human trafficking.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06358 on 27 March 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…

4 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to hold the event in relation to women's representation as stated in amendment S4M-03289.1.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is planning to hold the event in early 2013.

18 Jun 2012 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what action it is taking to become a living-wage employer.

11 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive at what stage the planning application process is for a biomass plant in Rosyth.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The consultation period has ended for the Port of Rosyth Biomass application. This application will be determined after consideration of all material and planning considerations including statutory and non statutory consultee comments and letters of objection…

11 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward proposals for the new renewables obligation certificates regime.

Answer · John Swinney: Ministers are considering the many issues raised by consultees in response to the recent consultation and review of support levels under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland), and will publish their decisions and response to the consultation shortly.

11 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the findings of the consultation on renewables obligation certificates are due to be published.

Answer · John Swinney: Our consultation on changes to the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) legislation took place between October 2011 and January 2012. A summary of the consultation responses, alongside the responses themselves, was published on the Scottish Government website on …

28 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in agreeing the (a) structure, (b) membership and (c) functions of the Tayside regional college board.

Answer · Michael Russell: I have been closely considering college governance arrangements in the light of the report of the Review of Further Education Governance in Scotland and the government's plans for the regional funding of colleges. I will make an announcement shortly.