Chamber and committees

Costs incurred by Aberdeen City Council in providing 24-hour surveillance of Mr Beech will be reimbursed by the Scottish Executive under the 100% funding arrangements for criminal justice social work services.

Training is in the hands of the independent Judicial Studies Committee. I am satisfied that the committee have arrangements to tackle the subjects to which the question refers.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues. Officials in the Scottish Executive Justice Department are working with the Home Office on the development of the EU Framework Decision on combating trafficking in human beings.

This was a report commissioned by Fife Council and the recommendations were mainly directed to the council. However, other local authorities may have lessons to learn from the report. We are aware that Fife Council has sent the report to all local authorities and they will want to determine whether the recommendations are relevant to their procedures.Recruitment practice was a key issue in this case, and the Scottish Executive is currently consulting externally on a safer recruitment "toolkit", commissioned by the Executive in response to a recommendation in the report of the Children's Safeguards Review.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The requirement to notify the police is placed on the offender. It has, nevertheless, been agreed following discussion with the other Criminal Justice Agencies, that the SPS will issue reminders about notification as part of the discharge process, and inform the police when relevant offenders are released.When a prisoner is liberated a notice summarising the notification requirements under the Sex Offenders Act is given to the prisoner. Copies are sent to the police in the area to which the prisoner is to be discharged, and to the relevant local authority social work department.These processes were put in place on 1 September 1997.Prisoners who are subject to post-release supervision, are allocated to a prison-based social worker on reception. An initial Risk Assessment is carried out in line with National Standards, and pre-release arrangements are in place for co-ordination between the prison and the community-based team, responsible for post-release supervision of the prisoner.

Recommendation 14 was aimed at local authorities and health boards as well as central government. Services for survivors of childhood sexual abuse are provided by a range of health, education, social care and criminal justice services funded by the Scottish Executive. The Executive also funds voluntary sector bodies to undertake work in this area, and I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-4765 on 28 February 2002.

Scots criminal law contains a range of provisions - in statute and common law - which protect people from being held unlawfully and from sexual exploitation and abuse. Those involved in sexual exploitation could be committing one or more of a variety of crimes, the most serious of which can attract up to life imprisonment. We are reviewing the law in this area and working with the Home Office on the development of the EU Framework Directive on combating trafficking in human beings and will take steps to implement the directive once it is agreed.

These subjects have been, and are, covered in training exercises which have been attended by all the judiciary.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Governors notify the relevant police forces, of those prisoners who are on the Sex Offender Register and are due for release. The specific information requested is not collated centrally.

All new members of the judiciary have participated in induction courses. There have also been refresher courses for serving sheriffs and a number of special events, for all the judiciary in particular on Human Rights legislation. All Supreme Court Judges and sheriffs have taken part in training at different times.