Chamber and committees

I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:

HMP Barlinnie offer thefollowing programmes:

Programme

Cognitive Skills

Anger Management

Problem Solving

Lifeline

First Step

STOP

I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3191 on 3 November 2003.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/webapp/search_wa.

I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:

13 as at 10 October 2003.

We have no current plans to re-regulatethe bus industry.

The Executive is considering this issue as a matter of priority under its Know the Score campaign, and will be producing materials which highlight the risks of drug-assisted rape in the lead up to Christmas. Details will be announced in due course. In addition, information and advice on how to recognise the risks and signs of drug-assisted rape will be included in forthcoming parents’ guides to talking about drugs and alcohol.

Following up the guidance issued to police forces in October 2002 by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS), ACPOS is presently examining the possible use of forensic sampling kits specifically designed and developed for use in the investigation of drug-assisted assault. Additionally, police forces throughout Scotland are engaged in developing their own local initiatives, aimed at providing advice and guidance to the publicon drug-assisted sexual assault.

The interpretation of planningpolicy and guidance is a matter for the planning authority, in the first instance.

Complaints about the handlingof applications can be made through the planning authority’s own complaint procedures.Where an objector feels that they have suffered injustice or hardship as a resultof maladministration or service failure on the part of the planning authority, itwould be open to them to make a complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Planning decisions are also opento review in the courts. Neither the ombudsman nor the courts deal with complaintsabout the exercise of the planning authority’s legitimate discretion in reachinga decision.

It would be for the planningauthority to consider what action to take in the circumstances of the case. It maybe possible to modify or revoke planning permission or require the discontinuanceof the use but that would depend on the circumstances of each case and would bea matter for the planning authority.

Funding for the initiative isbeing allocated to local authorities through the Scottish Arts Council. It willbe for each local authority, working closely with the council, to prepare plansrelevant to its individual circumstances that will enable it to meet the target.

The Scottish Executive providesadvice on the provision of music tuition in the classroom, primarily in the formof curriculum guidelines. It is for local authorities and schools to make decisionson the various forms of music tuition that will be made available to pupils.

the Scottish Executive has produced further guidance for local authorities on good practicein the management of music tuition services and that encourages local authoritiesto offer tuition on contemporary and traditional instruments and support ensembleswhich perform contemporary and traditional styles of music.

The Scottish Arts Council hasbeen charged by the First Minister with administering £17.5 million over the nextthree years to assist education authorities in ensuring that every primary schoolpupil has the opportunity to have at least one year’s free music tuition beforethey reach primary six.

In exercising their functionsthe planning authority must act reasonably. Planning authorities have powers underplanning legislation to require further information in order for them to deal withan application and to require the production of evidence in respect of informationaccompanying a planning application.