Chamber and committees

Since 1999, we have announced a Sociable Neighbourhood Initiative, the Quality of Life Initiative, the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund and Community Safety Partnership Awards, designed in whole or in part to tackle anti-social behaviour. A more detailed note with details of funding for these initiatives and of arrangements for evaluation has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. Number 25927).

The Law Society of Scotland drew up the initial proposals, following wide consultation with the legal profession and with the assistance of an outside academic. The Scottish Legal Aid Board provided technical assistance in evaluating the detailed structure and effect of the proposals and in costing them. These proposals were then the subject of detailed negotiation with the Executive, during which significant changes were made. A more detailed fee structure was considered at an early stage in the discussions, and was rejected on the basis that it would be both unacceptably costly and that it would not create the improvement in efficiency of the system that the Scottish Executive sought.

The Executive is funding the Zero Tolerance Trust to amend the "Respect" materials in the light of the pilot evaluation, print 100 copies of the packs and arrange seminars for education specialists to promote the "Respect" materials. This work is to be carried out by the end of March 2003.

Control measures within forensic examination suites are matters for individual police surgeons, the body of police surgeons within each force, the force itself and the police authority.

The proposed new block fee system - which will replace one that is already in existence - will provide for a fee in respect of each major stage in a case. The relevant fees have been designed to cover both work in court and other work undertaken to progress the case.

The Executive is funding a National Office for the Rape Crisis Network. Its objectives include raising public awareness about the reality of sexual violence for women and girls.The "Respect" package, which should be available to schools shortly, aims to challenge attitudes which condone violence against women and promote relationships based on equality and mutual respect.

All Scottish police forces use unique references to track incidents. These then form part of standard ISCJIS (Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems) tracking numbers which can be used throughout the Scottish Criminal Justice System.All solemn and summary sheriff court cases and civil cases in the Court of Session and sheriff courts are allocated a unique reference number when the case is first lodged. The progress of a case can be tracked using the unique reference number.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The research specification is almost complete and will shortly be issued to the research community for tendering.