- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 28 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in considering what action is necessary to ensure that digital technology is available in all areas of Scotland.
Answer
This is a major strategic decision for the Executive. As announced in the Executive's response to the Digital Scotland Taskforce report, we plan a series of discussions with the Enterprise Agencies and telecoms providers in the autumn of this year.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of prison officer absences arise as a result of assaults on officers by inmates.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
The information is not available.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 5 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average annual cost per prisoner is in each prison and young offenders' institute.
Answer
I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
This information is not available. For the year 1998-99, the average cost per prisoner place for the SPS as a whole was £26,912 as reported in the SPS Annual Report for that year.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ask the Scottish Prison Service to carry out an investigation into the staff turnover rate at Kilmarnock Prison.
Answer
I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
Staff turnover at Kilmarnock is a matter for the contractor, Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 30 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory provisions or regulations apply to the payment of council tax by instalment rather than by a lump sum.
Answer
The regulations concerned are to be found in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 1992 as amended by The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2000.
The amending regulations follow from the recommendations contained in the report It Pays to Pay and allow local authorities to start billing council tax in the month of April rather than May and also to issue a combined reminder and final notice to those in arrears.
These amendments are a part of a wide series of measures we intend to implement to increase the council tax collection rates of Scottish local authorities.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 29 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide funding on a longer-term basis to voluntary organisations offering support to people with mental health problems which currently receive funding on an annual or other short-term basis, such as the Genesis project operated by the National Schi'ophrenia Foundation in Dumfries.
Answer
The Executive is committed to a strategic approach to its funding of the voluntary sector, and is committed to three year grant offers. We are also working with other funders to develop a stable funding environment, including discussing with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities arrangements for introducing three year budget settlements to assist councils' budget planning, including their support for voluntary organisations.
For projects like Genesis whose main activities over the last three years were funded from the European Social Fund assistance and which has now ceased, we have recognised the need to provide gap funding until such time as the new Objective 3 scheme begins later this year. We have put in place an interim funding scheme, and have invited voluntary sector agencies to apply for assistance, including the Genesis project.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 24 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how the staff turnover rate at Kilmarnock Prison compares to those at other Scottish prisons.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
Information about staff turnover at Kilmarnock is not collected by SPS as it is a matter for their employers, Premier Prison Services who operate the establishment.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 24 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance and support is offered to prison officers who have been assaulted by inmates.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond.
His response is as follows:
The assistance and support depends on the nature of the assault and the needs of the individual officer. Support available may include incident debriefing, welfare services, a free Employee Assistance Programme which provides a 24 hour counselling service to staff and families. Line managers maintain contact with staff if the assault results in their absence from work and, if necessary, a planned return to work programme following occupational health advice is put in place.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 24 August 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to promote awareness of mental health issues amongst primary and secondary school pupils.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given previously to question S1W-4838.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 31 July 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to retain the A7 as a trunk road.
Answer
I refer Dr Murray to the answer given to question S1W-6662.
