Chamber and committees

The Scottish Ambulance Service does not issue such guidelines. However, it agrees protocols with health boards and NHS Trusts on the most appropriate transfer of patients into the hospital network.

The European Council in Tampere agreed that the European Police College should be set up from 1 January 2001 initially for a period of three years as a network which would bring together the national training institutes for senior police officers in member states. The Scottish Police College will be part of that network. No training centre is currently proposed and the questions of the promotion of a location for such a centre and education and training criterion for attendance have not arisen. The location of the Secretariat to the College is however being considered at present. It will assist the college with its administrative tasks and manage the college's budget. The UK bid is amongst the countries which have offered to host the Secretariat. The UK's offer envisages the Secretariat being run jointly by National Police Training, Bramshill and the Scottish Police College who would second an officer to Bramshill. No meetings have taken place with the Home Office on the location of the Secretariat although officials are in regular contact. The intention is that the location of the Secretariat will be decided by the European Council during the Swedish Presidency.

Between 20 May 1999 and 29 November 2000, a total of 969 devolutionissues were served on the Lord Advocate at Crown Office.

Of those, the statisticsavailable indicate that:

•        2 (0.21%) raised issues in termsof Article 3 ECHR;
•        42 (4.33%) raised issues in termsof Article 5;
•        824 (85.04%) raised issues interms of Article 6;
•        10 (1.03%) raised issues in termsof Article 7; and
•        71 (7.33%) raised issues in termsof Article 8.

Of the total number ofdevolution issues served on the Lord Advocate, 37 (3.82%) were decided againstthe Crown. Of those:

•        36 (3.72% of the total numberserved) related to issues under Article 6 (of which 30 (3.1% of the totalnumber served) related to the guarantee of “trial within a reasonable time”);and
•        1 (0.1% of the total numberserved) related to an issue under Article 7.

The above statistics havebeen collated from various Crown Office sources. Information is not availableto break down numbers of devolution issues raised by Sheriff Court jurisdictionand date or to allow specification of the current stage each challenge bydevolution issue minute has reached.

The information is as follows:

1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
1	1	2	2	1

The details are as follows:

Force	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Central	1				2
Dumfries & Galloway	2
Fife	1			1	1
Grampian		2	1	1
Lothian & Borders	1		2		1
Northern	1	1
Strathclyde	1		5	1	1
Tayside			1		1

The last evaluation of the extended interview process was carried out in 1995 by the Home Office Assessment and Consultancy Unit. A number of changes were made to the 1996 extended interview process including the introduction of two new exercises and eight new competencies. The extended interview process is used to select officers for attendance on the Strategic Command Course (SCC). Attendance on that course is a requirement for appointment to chief officer rank in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is not presently a requirement in Scotland.

The number of applicants from Scottish Forces for the Extended Interview process is as follows:

Extended InterviewYear	No of Applicants	No of Successful Applicants
1996	9	2
1997	2	0
1998	6	1
1999	12	2
2000	30	5

Validation undertaken by the Home Office Assessment and Consultancy Unit in relation to aspiring chief officers shows that the extended interview process gives a high predictability of future potential and performance at chief officer level. I will write to the member with more detailed information.

The Home Office Assessment and Consultancy Unit undertook an analysis of the results of the Extended Interview process between 1997 and 1999. In addition HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary has undertaken some research on this matter. I will write to the member with the details and place a copy of my letter in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11681.