Chamber and committees

The need for additional information on children abused through prostitution is one of the issues being considered by the Working Group on Young Runaways and Children Abused through Prostitution

Representations expressing concern over reports that the company Spearmint Rhino would be opening establishments in Scotland were received in writing by the Health Minister from Scottish Women's Aid and from a constituent writing as a private individual, whose identity it would not be appropriate to publish. In addition, Sandra White MSP tabled a written question in March this year (S1W-23016) asking what consideration the Executive was giving to introducing legislation on licensing of lap-dancing clubs. The position remains that no applications have been received by Glasgow City Council from Spearmint Rhino for either an entertainment or liquor licence. The Executive's position remains as stated in the answer given to Sandra White.

The available information on crimes of rape, which were recorded by the police, and on persons proceeded against in court where rape was the main offence, is given in the following tables. Data by procurator fiscal area are not available.Crimes recorded by the police, by Police Force Area, 1997-2001

Police force area	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Scotland	570	613	591	562	589
Central	12	19	5	14	33
Dumfries and Galloway	14	25	40	19	16
Fife	25	35	32	54	42
Grampian	54	76	82	60	55
Lothian and Borders	144	151	111	119	130
Northern	24	26	36	15	21
Strathclyde	217	215	218	219	240
Tayside	80	66	67	62	52

Persons proceeded against for rape (where main offence) in Scottish Courts, by Police Force Area, 1997-2001

Police force area	1997	1998	1999	2000	20011
Scotland	65	66	56	50	n/a
Central	2	4	7	6	n/a
Dumfries and Galloway	2	0	2	2	n/a
Fife	3	16	6	0	n/a
Grampian	3	7	8	2	n/a
Lothian and Borders	15	13	18	14	n/a
Northern	2	3	1	2	n/a
Strathclyde	30	19	12	21	n/a
Tayside	8	4	2	3	n/a

Notes:1. Data for 2001 on persons proceeded against in court will be published in autumn 2002.The statistics dealing with recorded crime and court proceedings are not directly comparable as a person may be proceeded against for more than one crime involving more than one victim, and a crime may be recorded in one year and proceedings taken in a subsequent year. Charges recorded by the police may also be altered as a result of the judicial process.

Resources are available from statutory and voluntary organisations to support vulnerable young people. This will include support for young people who have been involved in the sex industry but these resources are not separately identified. Examples of the kind of support which is offered to vulnerable young people include Barnardo's Streetwork Team Project, The Young Women's Project in Glasgow and a number of Drop In Centres in various locations.

The information requested cannot be separately distinguished in the recorded crime statistics collected centrally because there are a range of offences in Scots Law which the police could record following a report of a child being involved in prostitution.

The Safe from Harm initiative is part of a wider child safety awareness raising campaign being run by Fife Child Protection Committee. The Executive is part funding the campaign with Fife Council and the committee was awarded £20,000 in February 2001 under the "Make Our Communities Safer" Challenge Competition. The competition requires applicants to conduct an evaluation of the project within 18 months of its completion. The campaign is still on-going and Safe from Harm was only launched in June so it is too early to gauge its impact. It would be for other councils to decide whether they wished to introduce the initiative within their own areas. Once the evaluation is available it may be possible to determine whether it would be suitable for wider application.

There are no plans to develop such a campaign. However, the guidance "Talking Sense", referred to in the answer given to question S1W-27354 today, contains a section on violence within the family which provides advice to women who are in danger of being, or are being, abused, physically, emotionally or sexually by someone they love or trust.

Guidance on women's safety continues to be provided through "Talking Sense", which offers a range of strategies and advice to women at home, at work, in the street and travelling. By providing ideas on forward planning it aims to make those at risk feel more confident, more in control, and safer. This consists of a booklet and video provided to police forces for local distribution. The guidance is currently being updated and the revised version will focus on personal safety for all.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27354.

The working group, led by the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency, has produced its strategic assessment and guidance document for investigators on drug-assisted sexual assault. The document is being issued to all Scottish police forces to assist with their investigations.Information from the strategic assessment will be utilised in a forthcoming guidance leaflet for young people on the issue, produced within the context of the Executive's Know the Score communications strategy.