- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 20 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22705 by Colin Boyd QC on 7 February 2006, in what way this answer indicates for whom the Executive considers it would be unhelpful if it speculated as to what would constitute a credible allegation in respect of the allegations that US agencies have used Scottish airports to facilitate the process of “extraordinary rendition”.
Answer
Speculation would not be helpfulto anyone who was responsible for decisions in relation to criminal investigationsor proceedings.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 20 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21872 by Colin Boyd QC on 18 January 2006, whether, when it states that the forcible removal of an individual against their will may constitute the crime of abduction in Scots law, this means that in some cases it does constitute the crime of abduction but in others it does not.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21871 on 18 January 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 20 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22495 by Cathy Jamieson on 2 February 2006, whether it has a definitive figure for the number of communications it has received expressing concern that flights using Scottish airports have been involved in unlawful activity and, in particular, that they may have been involved in the process known as “extraordinary rendition” and, if so, what this figure is.
Answer
The majority of communicationswe have received on the subject of “extraordinary rendition” have been in the formof written parliamentary questions. Since 21 November 2005 there have been 149; of these, 85 were submitted by Alex Neil MSP.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 20 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate has attended any party political meetings in his official capacity since his appointment to the post.
Answer
I have not attended anyparty political meetings in an official capacity since taking up my currentappointment in February 2000. I have, however, attended the Scottish Conferenceof the Labour Party, but in a personal capacity, as a member of the LabourParty. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-10299 on 21 September2004. 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/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 20 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23937 by Allan Wilson on 20 March 2006, what benefits it considers arise from exploration and utilisation of sources of oil in the Atlantic Ocean.
Answer
Exploration and developmentactivities in the North Sea are an important contributor to Scotland’seconomy, with the oil and gas sector supporting some 90,000 Scottish jobs andgenerating some £10 billion of associated expenditure across the UK as awhole.
Exploration and utilisationof oil and gas resources in the Atlantic waters West of Shetland could beexpected to require a range of skills and services similar to those offered byfirms currently supporting such activity in the North Sea. Against thatbackground it would appear reasonable to anticipate that in the longer term,considerable economic benefits could flow to Scotland, from exploitation of the hydrocarbon reserves lying beneath these more distant waters.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to remedy any shortages of consultants within NHS board areas.
Answer
In August last year, wepublished the
National Workforce Planning Framework to introduce a newannual workforce planning cycle for NHSScotland, aligned with service andfinancial planning. It sets processes in place at local, regional and nationallevels for strategic planning across the range of staff groups, including consultants,that contribute to our NHS services. National decisions affecting workforcesupply will be made on the basis of NHS board and region projections of demand.
We have already increasedthe number of Specialist Registrar training places by 375 since 2001, toimprove the available supply of specialists for consultant posts. A scheme hasalso been developed with NHS Education for Scotland to help improve theretention of this increased supply of Specialist Registrars after successfulcompletion of training. The scheme involves establishing the career aspirationsof specialist registrars at an early stage and alerting them to current andpotential consultant vacancies across NHSScotland. At the same time, NHS boardswill be alerted to Specialist Registrars about to gain their Certificate ofCompletion of Training.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any NHS board has made representations to it seeking assistance with filling vacant consultancy posts.
Answer
TheExecutive has been in correspondence with all NHS boards regarding the filling ofvacant consultant posts and is fully committed to increasing the numbers of consultantsin post and reducing vacancy levels.
NHS boards have drawn up detailedbusiness plans setting out the actions they plan to take to fill current vacanciesand these have been agreed with the Executive. Additional funding of £2.5 millionhas been allocated to boards to assist them in taking forward the actions containedin their plans. Other actions being taken by the Executive include placing an advertin the British Medical Journal referring to consultant vacancies in Scotland andintroducing a scheme to match current Specialist Registrars to consultant vacancies.We are also in the process of developing a scheme to allow the advance appointmentof Specialist Registrars into consultant posts.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 19 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23994 by Cathy Jamieson on 16 March 2006, how does this answer indicate whether or not they have discussed with Her Majesty’s Government the briefing paper sent by the Foreign Office to the Prime Minister’s Office stating that people captured by British forces could have been sent illegally to interrogation centres to establish whether there are any links between these reports and the allegations that US agencies have used Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights engaged in the process of “extraordinary rendition”.
Answer
The Scottish Executive hasregular discussions with the UK Government on a variety of issues and across avariety of portfolios. However, all such discussions are subject to anestablished undertaking of mutual confidentiality so as to allow for the free and frank discussion of policy between thetwo administrations.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 19 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23834 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 March 2006, whether Her Majesty’s Government has given any indication that the Executive will be required to contribute to any UK response to Senator Marty’s final report once it has been published in full.
Answer
As Senator Marty’s inquiryis still on-going, it is too early to speculate whether Her Majesty’sGovernment will require a contribution from the Scottish Executive to anyresponse.
I therefore cannot add tothe answer I gave to question S2W-23834.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 19 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23743 by Colin Boyd QC on 14 March 2006, whether, without stating what the advice was, it has sought advice as to whether the process known as “extraordinary rendition” is illegal in Scots law or international law.
Answer
As I stated in my answer toquestion S2W-23743, answered on 14 March 2006, the Scottish Executive does notgenerally disclose whether the advice of the Scottish Law Officers has beensought or obtained in relation to any particular matter.
All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be foundat http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
