- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals’ fingerprint identifications and how many identifications at the scene of the Marion Ross murder case provided by the Scottish Criminal Record Office have been the subject of dispute to date.
Answer
Fingerprint identifications were made in respect of three individuals at the scene of the Marion Ross murder case. Two of these were relied on in evidence at subsequent criminal trials and have been subject to dispute.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-18526 and S2W-21639 by Patricia Ferguson on 5 September 2005 and 12 January 2006, whether these indicate that it has ruled out making representations to Her Majesty’s Government to either (a) create a Commonwealth Games lottery or (b) make the newly-created Olympic Games lottery a joint Olympic-Commonwealth Games lottery, in the event that Glasgow secures the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is still exploring the possibilities of lottery monies being available to help fund the 2014 Commonwealth Games. However, no dedicated National Lottery games were introduced to fund the staging of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002. The Manchester Games received National Lottery funding through the existing framework of Lottery games and good causes.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S2W-21639 by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006, how this indicates its considered position as to whether it would be equitable for Her Majesty’s Government to either (a) create a Commonwealth Games lottery or (b) make the newly-created Olympic Games lottery a joint Olympic-Commonwealth Games lottery, in the event that Glasgow secures the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22461 on 31 January 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.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21641 by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006, what plans it has to improve the infrastructure and transport and travel links to make Scotland more competitive in bids to host events of international significance.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is investing £1 billion in transport in Scotland in 2005-06, and this will rise to £1.4 billion by 2007-08. We are confident that this investment will bring significant economic benefits and competitive advantage to Scotland.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether costs to it associated with deploying English and Welsh police officers during the G8 summit involved overtime payments for all or part of the time they spent in Scotland; what additional subsistence allowances were paid to these officers, and what other payments associated with their deployment they received.
Answer
Officers from England and Wales were deployed under the mutual aid agreement between the Chief Constable of Tayside Police and the Chief Constables/Chief Officers of other forces for those forces to provide assistance during the G8 summit. This was in recognition of the fact that policing an event of this magnitude was beyond the resources of Tayside Police alone.
The majority of officers deployed were working well beyond their normal eight hour shift and where their terms and conditions entitled them to receive overtime payments, such payments would have been made by the respective forces. Mutual aid payments to forces reflected the hours officers were deployed, including any overtime hours.
No additional subsistence was paid to these officers, as all accommodation and meals were provided to them once they arrived in Scotland. Other minor miscellaneous payments totalled less than £5,000.
- 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 Tavish Scott on 30 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-21290 and S2W-21851 by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005 and 18 January 2006, whether these answers indicate that the only rationale for bypassing Muirhead, Chryston and Moodiesburn with the upgraded A80 is for the practical purpose that the route at these sites does not facilitate online upgrade; if not, whether there are other reasons for bypassing these towns and, if so, what these reasons are.
Answer
A road to motorway standards can only be provided with a bypass of Muirhead, Chryston and Moodiesburn. The appropriate standards could not be achieved by an online upgrade without significant demolition of property, and major disruption to traffic and public utilities for an extended period.
Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 30 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21876 by Patricia Ferguson on 12 January 2006, what action it sees as necessary to ensure “that the benefits of London 2012 are spread across the UK”, particularly to Scotland, and to avoid the findings of the PricewaterhouseCoopers report that the UK economy outwith London will be £2.8 billion worse off if no action is taken.
Answer
It is the remit of the Scottish Steering Group for London 2012 to ensure that Scotland contributes effectively to and benefits from London 2012 and that these benefits are spread across the whole of Scotland. The Scottish Executive is working with the Scottish Steering Group to achieve this.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of the monies it, or any of its agencies, have paid to the (a) Confederation of British Industry, (b) Institute of Directors, (c) Scottish Council (Development and Industry), (d) Federation of Small Businesses, (e) Forum for Private Business and (f) Scottish Chambers of Commerce in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05 and (iii) 2005-06, showing the purposes for which the funds were paid.
Answer
On the basis of information held on the Scottish Executive Accounting System (SEAS), I can confirm that no monies were paid by the Executive or its agencies to the Institute of Directors, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the Forum of Private Business during the financial years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 (to date). The information requested for The Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Business and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry is provided in the document entitled SEAS record of monies paid by the Scottish Executive and its agencies to business organisations for the financial years 2003-04, 2004 - 05, and 2005-06 (to date). A copy of this document has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38674).
- 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 30 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21634 by Cathy Jamieson on 16 January 2006, how the level of staff turnover in the Scottish Prison Service has compared with the UK average in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
| | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 |
| SPS Turnover % | 4.1 | 6.6 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 |
| National Turnover | 26.6 | 18.2 | 16.1 | 16.1 | 15.7 |
Comparable figures are not available before 2000.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 30 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21768 by Colin Boyd QC on 13 January 2006, whether it would consider any flight which was found to be involved in the process of “extraordinary rendition” as a civil aircraft.
Answer
The question whether an aircraft is a civil aircraft will depend on the application of domestic and, so far as relevant, international law to the particular facts. The Chicago Convention of 1944 on International Civil Aviation applies only to civil and not to state aircraft, which are described as aircraft used in military, customs and police services. Section 92 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 defines “military aircraft” as an aircraft of the naval, military or air forces of any country, or any other aircraft in respect of which there is in force a certificate issued by the Secretary of State in accordance with any Order in Council in force under the act that the aircraft is to be treated for the purposes of that Order in Council as a military aircraft. Civil aviation is a reserved matter.
