Chamber and committees

Eligibility for Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), which is a matter for the Inland Revenue, does not depend solely on income. SPS have been notified of 26 members of staff to receive WFTC, of whom 17 are prison officers.

The attached table shows, for prison officers, the establishment and staff in post (SIP) on 1 April, insofar as past data are available. In no year has there been a shortage.

Number of Prison Officers at each Establishment within the Scottish Prison Service for 1996-1997

	1996		1997
	April SIP	Complement	April SIP	Complement
HMP Aberdeen	124		126
HMP Barlinnie	440		473
HMP Castle Huntly	57		58
HMPI Cornton Vale	169		180
HMPYOI Dumfries	134		129
HMP Dungavel	55		57
HMP Edinburgh	370		370
HMP Friarton	43		46
HMP & YOI Glenochil	374		377
HMP Greenock	135		135
HMP Inverness	89		82
HMRI Longriggend	147		145
HMP Low Moss	138		130
HMP Noranside	58		58
HMP Penninghame	28		28
HMP Perth	342		324
HMP Peterhead	198		195
HM Unit Peterhead	19		19
HMYOI Polmont	264		271
HMP Shotts	321		320
HMNIC Shotts	39		35
HM Unit Shotts	25		25
SPS College	35		36
HMP Zeist
Total	3,604	3,547	3,619	3,452

Number of Prison Officers at each Establishment within the Scottish Prison Service for 1998-2000

	1998		1999		2000
	April SIP	Complement	April SIP	Complement	April SIP	Complement
HMP Aberdeen	132	134	136	130	131	130
HMP Barlinnie	495	498	512	496	482	496
HMP Castle Huntly	57	54	53	54	63	54
HMPI Cornton Vale	168	193	196.5	195	189	196
HMPYOI Dumfries	138	126	128	127	127	127
HMP Dungavel	65	66	67	67	56	62
HMP Edinburgh	405	399	399	398	387	403
HMP Friarton	43	41	39	41		*1
HMP & YOI Glenochil	382	386	384	385	380	384
HMP Greenock	139	141	142	146	143	145
HMP Inverness	91	83	86	82	84	77
HMRI Longriggend	139	146	138	141	112	*2
HMP Low Moss	134	128	131	128	120	129
HMP Noranside	56	52	52	52	51	51
HMP Penninghame	31	26	27	26		*3
HMP Perth	333	311	308	313	338	349
HMP Peterhead	207	204	203	203	206	206
HM Unit Peterhead	19	19	14	19		*4
HMYOI Polmont	280	279	279	274	263	279
HMP Shotts	325	318	324	318	354	355
HMNIC Shotts	39	34	35	35		*5
HM Unit Shotts	23	20	20	20		*5
SPS College	30	25	30	25	25	25
HMP Zeist					46	40
Total	3,731	3,683	3,703.5	3,675	3,557	3,508

N.B. The figures above include Residential/Operations/Regimes Officers & Operational First Line Managers

Notes:

*1. HMP Friarton now merged with HMP Perth and figures are included in Perth's.

*2. HMPI Longriggend has been closed.

*3. HMP Penninghame has been closed.

*4. HMNIC Shotts and HM Unit Shotts are now both merged with HMP Shotts and figures are included in HMP Shotts.

The most recent information on the age profile of teachers in Scotland by (a) gender and (b) employment in primary and secondary education is for 1998 and is available from SPICe.

It is normal practice for staff leaving the Scottish Prison Service with outstanding TOIL to be reimbursed for these hours.

I understand that West of Scotland Water proposes to build a storm overflow at Kilbarchan to alleviate a long-standing problem of flooding after heavy rain. The proposed scheme has been examined by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) which is confident that it will result in an improvement in the quality of the Kilbarchan Burn. SEPA has granted a consent for the discharge subject to a condition requiring the sewage to be screened to prevent raw sewage solids entering the stream. The Scottish Executive therefore does not intend to order a review of this proposal.

I refer Mr Campbell to the oral answer given to Ms Dorothy-Grace Elder on Thursday 16 March (Official Report, column 788).

The Scottish Executive has no current plans to build new accommodation. Significant alterations to accommodation are taking place in St Andrew's House, which is being refurbished, and in the fit-out of a new leased building, the Europa Building, in Glasgow. A range of minor accommodation changes take place every year to match office layouts to Departmental requirements.

Option appraisals will also take place on the replacement of temporary accommodation in Stornoway which is approaching the end of it's useful life, and leases which are coming to an end in Perth.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including potential job creation in Scotland arising from the A3XX project.

I refer the Member to the answer given to S1W-5075

The Scottish Executive introduced a Safety and Statutory Standards Action Plan in December 1999. The Action Plan was agreed with the Health and Safety Executive. The Action Plan commits the Scottish Executive to the monitoring of compliance. Where there is cause for concern, the Department will carry out an investigation by calling for further information from the body and considering that alongside the body's Property Strategy and any other relevant documentation, e.g. their health and safety action plan. If the Scottish Executive's concerns cannot be satisfactorily addressed, then the Department and/or the NHS body may seek advice from HSE.

NHS in Scotland bodies will be asked shortly to provide details of the performance of their property as at April 2000. This will include compliance with statutory standards. Bodies will also be asked to identify the year on year targets they have agreed and included in their Property Strategies for 2000-2005 for improvements in the performance of their essential building area, including statutory standards.

Based on information provided by NHS Trusts and other NHS in Scotland bodies last year the percentage of essential building area fully compliant with safety and statutory standards has increased from 71% in 1997 to 77% in 1999.