Chamber and committees

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service continuallyreviews its strategy to tackle the trafficking of controlled drugs into prisonsin Scotland. We work closely with external agencies to catch peoplewho try to introduce drugs into our prisons.

The Scottish Executive recognisesthe value volunteering provides for individuals and communities across Scotland, includingfor graduates. The Executive’s Volunteering Strategy, launched in May 2004, hasa particular focus on encouraging volunteering for young people. The strategy underpinsthe Executive’s programme of support for volunteering, which includes funding nationalvolunteering organisations such as Volunteer Development Scotland and Project Scotlandto provide young people throughout Scotland with opportunities to volunteer eitherfull-time (through Project Scotland) or part-time (through the MV Award Scheme).

Research on the linksbetween alcohol, crime and disorder was reviewed by the Scottish Executive to helpinform the Nicholson Committee’s Review of Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland.The results of this review were published in Liquor Licensing and PublicDisorder: Review of Literature on the Impact of Licensing and Other Controls,and Audit of Local Initiatives’ (2003)which can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/47032/0025167.pdf.

The Neuroscience Implementationgroup is chaired by John Glennie, the Chief Executive of NHS Borders.

The membership comprises representatives,on a multi-disciplinary basis, from each of the specialties and sub-specialtiesmaking up neuroscience, who have been identified with the help of the Scottish NeurosciencesCouncil following consultation within each specialty and sub-specialty. It alsoincludes representatives of patients, primary care, NHS management, NHS staff, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Board Medical Directors and NHS Quality ImprovementScotland.

Patients’ interests are representedby the Scottish Neurological Alliance, in view of the fact that the service beingdeveloped relates to the whole of Scotland. At its first meeting, the group will be asked to agreean involvement and communications strategy so that everyone with an interest inthe service has opportunities to engage with the process of developing the servicemodel set out in Delivering for Health.

We are working in partnershipwith key universities across Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish ScienceAdvisory Council to develop a comprehensive and co-ordinated bid to attract a significantproportion of the Energy Technologies Institute’s research funds to centres of excellencein Scotland, including Aberdeen.

The first meeting of the NeuroscienceImplementation Group will take place towards the end of November 2006. It will meetat regular intervals during the coming year in order to be able to submit proposalsto the Executive by December 2007.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service maintainstheir operational capability to search prisoners at visiting times through theirrostering of operational staff, taking into account the gender balance requiredfor particular operations.

The information is as follows:

Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE)Per Capita Allocation to Forces

Year Force	2000-01 £	2001-02 £	2002-03 £	2003-04 £	2004-05 £	2005-06 £	2006-07 £
Central	120	127	132	144	150	162	169
Dumfries and Galloway	146	153	157	168	177	189	196
Fife	119	126	127	141	149	163	167
Grampian	120	130	138	150	161	170	178
Lothian and Borders	150	159	168	180	188	198	205
Northern	140	154	158	169	175	179	190
Strathclyde	156	168	177	191	201	216	225
Tayside	149	158	164	177	184	196	203
Total	145	155	163	176	185	197	205

 

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-25641 on 18 May 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

All students can apply to theStudents Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for support before they are firmly acceptedon their course. This includes both their main support, which consists of tuitionfees and student loan, as well as any supplementary grants to which they are entitled,including the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).

The SAAS is aware, however, thatsometimes there will be situations which result in an individual application beingparticularly urgent (e.g. students with complex requirements who would be severelydisadvantaged on a course without an immediate assessment of their needs). In suchcases, Disability Advisers are asked to outline why such applications should begiven priority treatment. Following receipt of the application, the SAAS deals withthese cases as a priority.

SAAS is also able to make advancepayments of DSA one month before the start of the course, to enable students topurchase and familiarise themselves with any new equipment before starting theircourse.

Students studying a course offurther education are not eligible to apply for the Disabled Students Allowance.However, these students can apply for additional support towards personal studyand travel related expenses arising through their disabilities from the AdditionalSupport Needs for Learning Allowance, which forms part of the non-advance bursary.This allowance is not means tested, nor are there any pre-set limits on the meansor levels of funding by which these needs may be met. The allowance is paid on adiscretionary basis by colleges to eligible students.