Chamber and committees

The work of the accreditation panel referred to in target 9 will focus on the accreditation of community programmes for offenders. The Risk Management Authority will operate under a wider remit. However, in developing National Standards for risk assessment and minimisation, it will have regard to existing relevant schemes and functions such as the accreditation panel.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The timescale for ending slopping out depends on a number of developments, not all of which have firm timescales. These include implementation of the plans for Barlinnie, Edinburgh, Glenochil, Perth and Polmont announced by the Deputy First Minister on 5 September 2002, the opening of the two new prisons also announced on 5 September, and the closing of existing substandard accommodation as new or refurbished accommodation becomes available. The Deputy First Minister indicated in his statement on 5 September that he hoped that, on current plans and population projections, slopping out would end about a year after completion of the second new prison.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The measures announced by the Deputy First Minister on 5 September 2002, including one that will be used to respond to the current rise in remand numbers, namely the procurement of two new 700-place prisons and the programme of investment in the existing public sector estate, are intended to allow the Scottish Prison Service to achieve a better match between available prison places and the likely demand over the next 10 years after taking account of the impact of the increased use of alternatives to custody. Actual progress in addressing overcrowding will depend on delivery of these and other developments, precise timescales for which have not yet been set.

The target relates only to Class A drugs.

The full wording of the relevant target is to "Reduce the proportion of people under 25 reporting use of illegal drugs in the last month and previous year substantially, and heroin use by 25%, by 2005".The achievement of the target is dependent on a number of influences and initiatives, including some which are non-drugs specific, and which are aimed at improving the lives and aspirations of young people, particularly those who are the most excluded in our society. Initiatives and services in support of this target will therefore be resourced through a number of different funding streams, including the Changing Children's Services Fund, NHS allocations, local authority grant aided expenditure, Scotland Against Drugs, social inclusion partnership funding and national and local drug prevention initiatives.There is an annual accountability framework in which Drug Action Teams (DATs) report to the Executive annually on work under way and planned in support of national targets, and the identification of resources for drugs-specific work. Issues of concern are taken up with the relevant DATs. There is evidence from the plans of a broad range of work with young people throughout Scotland covering prevention and diversion activities, treatment provision and services for young substance misusing offenders.

Our Drugs Strategy is built around four key themes: young people, communities, availability and treatment. All of these themes are relevant to our objectives of reducing drug-related deaths and illness.For example, we support a wide range of projects intended to guide young people away from drug misuse towards healthy and positive lifestyles. Our Know the Score drugs communications work, including an information line, website and information materials, provides factual information about the risks to health from drugs, and where local help and advice can be obtained. Harm reduction information is targeted on drug misusers, and it provides advice on avoiding overdoses and explains risks from injecting and from blood-borne viruses.Treatment and rehabilitation programmes help those already involved in drug misuse, and these are intended to reduce dependence on illegal drugs and to restore patients to health, stabilise their lifestyles and to encourage them into training and employment. Because those being released from prison are particularly vulnerable to overdose, additional resources allocated to the Scottish Prison Service are being utilised to ensure effective links between prison and community treatment and care provision. This includes pre-release needs assessment and action planning and the provision of a simple facilitating service for prisoners in the period immediately around release. Evaluation of the service will track issues such as re-offending and the incidence of drug-related deaths.Our enforcement bodies are achieving considerable success in reducing the availability of illegal drugs, and protecting communities from drug-related crime. Seizures of Class A drugs, which pose the greatest risks to health, are at record levels.

No information is held centrally about the number of places available for the treatment of drug addiction for these age groups. However, evidence suggests that all DATs have either met the national standard of ensuring that drug misusers aged under 16 have access to drug treatment and care services which are in line with national guidance, or have plans in place to do so in 2002-03.Evidence also shows a broad range of service provision for young people throughout Scotland covering prevention and diversion, treatment and care, and services which specifically work with young substance misusing offenders.

The Scottish Executive has no direct influence over the duration of an individual summary criminal trial in the sheriff court, which is primarily determined by the nature of the case and the actions of the participants under the overall direction of the sheriff. However, through the resources provided for the operations of the courts and the prosecution services, the Scottish Executive can have an influence upon the overall efficiency of the criminal justice system.

For the purposes of the Building a Better Scotland target, support refers to any type of practical or emotional support provided to victims by a statutory or voluntary agency. That includes support offered by the Crown Office to victims of crime.

For the purposes of the target, serious violent crime is currently defined as serious assault (including murder and culpable homicide), robbery, all other non-sexual crimes of violence (except possession of an offensive weapon), rape and attempted rape. The measures to be used to reduce such crime are an operational matter for chief constables.