Chamber and committees

The criteria will be those set out in my statement: that is, whether any proposals can consistently thereafter deliver the required number and quality of prisoner places, on time and consistently thereafter in a way that is competitive and delivers value for money to the taxpayer.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Readily available information on drug treatment performance is published annually in the Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland annual bulletin. These figures for 2000-01 are at table 111 in the 2001 report (Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2001, Information and Statistics Division, 2002).The figures for 2001-02 will be published in the next annual bulletin.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The required information was not available in a format compatible with other prisons at the time that the data was submitted to the Information and Statistics Division. This data will be available in future editions of the report.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29915 today. 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.

As stated in News Release SEed 102/2002, specific plans and investment will be brought forward to reconfigure the secure estate with the creation of around 25 extra places across the country. I have asked a Scottish Executive multi-disciplinary team to assess proposals to meet requirements by both current and potential providers of secure accommodation to develop the estate. Once this process is complete, I will make a further announcement.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29915 today. 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.

A death enquiry requiring further investigation is defined as: a suspicious or violent death or any death in which the circumstances are such as to give rise to serious public concern; any death involving a vehicle, including aircraft, ship or train; any death by burning or scalding or involving fire or explosion; deaths in legal custody, accidental deaths in the course of employment; deaths by poisoning including drugs deaths, gas and solvents; suicidal deaths; deaths by drowning; the death of a foster child; any death of a newborn child including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, suffocation and overlaying; any death apparently caused by fault or neglect on the part of another; any death under administration of or attributed to anaesthetic; deaths during abortion or attempted abortion; deaths involving medical mishap; deaths caused by withdrawal of life support sustaining treatment; deaths where a complaint is received that medical treatment or absence of medical treatment may have contributed to death, andany death brought to the notice of the procurator fiscal where further investigation is deemed necessary in the public interest.

Routine death inquiries and death enquiries requiring further investigation taken together mean all death enquiries.

The remaining 40% of cases are expected to be the more complex ones where the time taken to carry out a thorough investigation can vary widely. We are committed to ensuring that the next of kin in these cases are kept informed of the progress of the investigation.

Yes.