- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 2 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21641 by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006, whether this answer indicates that it accepts the opinion of the International Olympics Committee that London’s infrastructure and transport and travel links are such that it is the only city in the United Kingdom capable of staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games and, if not, whether it would rule out the possibility of a future bid from Glasgow for such events, given that Strathclyde has the largest suburban rail network in the UK outwith London and well-developed transport and travel links.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is aware that our major cities have world-class facilities capable of attracting premier cultural and sporting events. EventScotland works in partnership with a number of organisations to attract such events and this work is building on our reputation as a premier events destination.
The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to support a Glasgow Olympic bid but would not rule out such a bid in the future. At present efforts are focused on bringing the Commonwealth Games to Scotland in 2014.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it has been contacted with information regarding the existence of rendition flights by US agencies landing at Scottish airports to refuel, either en route to their destination or returning from it, and by whom this information has been provided.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has received a number of communications expressing concern that flights using Scottish airports may have involved unlawful activity. Ministers have consistently made it clear to these correspondents that if anyone has any credible and reliable information regarding alleged criminal activity it should be passed to the police.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21668 by Cathy Jamieson on 18 January 2006, whether this answer indicates that it would view any plane carrying suspected terrorists to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of investigation as a civil aircraft.
Answer
The allegations which have been made relate to civil aircraft. Therefore, the Scottish Executive referred to the Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation in its reply of 18 January to question S2W-21668.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Duncan McNeil on 1 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what progress is being made in respect of the introduction of ushers to the services offered to visitors to the Parliament.
Answer
A review of support provided to events in the Scottish Parliament is currently underway. This will report to SPCB before April. It will include consideration of how ushers are provided for visitors.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 1 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the quality of responses to written parliamentary questions provided on its behalf by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service
Answer
The Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has responsibility for providing answers to written parliamentary questions on operational matters as defined by the SPS Agency Framework Document. I have the opportunity to review all parliamentary questions answered on my behalf before they are issued.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 1 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21260 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 December 2005, how this answer indicates whether failure to meet a particular contractual commitment is not a breach of contract in relation to all contracts it or its agencies sign or just in the specific case of the contract with Premier Prison Services Ltd to operate HM Prison Kilmarnock.
Answer
The answer to question S2W-21260 and the previous question, S2W-21258 on 15 December 2006, made reference to the contract for the operation of HM Prison Kilmarnock. In general terms, contracts reflect particular sets of circumstances.
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: Tuesday, 17 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 1 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-20860 and S2W-21634 by Cathy Jamieson on 29 November 2005 and 16 January 2006, why the Scottish Prison Service holds information on staff turnover for prison service staff across the United Kingdom but not in OECD nations or EU member states.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
The Scottish Prison Service holds detailed turnover information only for its own staff. The UK average referred to in my answer to question S2W-20860 on 29 November 2005 is taken from The Annual Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) survey on recruitment, retention and turnover.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 1 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will improve the reliability of the emergency cell intercom system in Iona Hall at HM Young Offenders Institute Polmont which was identified as being “problematic” by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in paragraph 11.5 of his inspection report of March 2005.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22272 on 1 February 2006. 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.
The problem identified has now been fixed.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 1 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will resolve the issue identified by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in paragraph 11.1 of his inspection report of March 2005 on HM Young Offenders Institute Polmont that children under the age of 16 are being held in that institution “as a result of their being deemed by Secure Units as too difficult to be held”, despite his earlier recommendation of May 2004 that children aged under 16 should not be held in a prison.
Answer
The Executive’s policy is to avoid, wherever possible, holding young people under the age of 16 in prison. In the exceptional circumstances where it is deemed necessary, it must be for the shortest appropriate period of time.
The normal expectation is that a child will remain in the same establishment until their release. Transfer to another secure unit or to a young offenders institute will only be considered if a child's behaviour becomes completely unmanageable within the current placement or where, for example, the child is convicted of further serious charges which suggest that the child would present an unacceptable risk to the safety of other residents or staff. Conversely, where a child makes suitable progress he or she will be considered for a move from a secure establishment to an open setting within the child care system.
The majority of those children who are recorded as being held in adult prisons are children whose behaviour is so challenging that the courts have certified them as “unruly”.
These special arrangements are in place in order to protect those children whose behaviour is so challenging that it would be inappropriate to place them in local authority secure accommodation at that point in time.
Staff in secure units already have well developed skills for dealing with difficult behaviour in a secure setting. Further training and development which will enhance these skills is ongoing within each unit.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 1 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out the procedures for infection control and monitoring in both Argyll and Spey Halls at HM Young Offenders Institute Polmont, referred to by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in paragraphs 11.2 and 11.3 of his inspection report of March 2005.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22277 on 1 February 2006. 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.
The information requested has been published on the SPS website at www.sps.gov.uk, and copies of which have been lodged in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 38686 and 38687).
