- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been for theft by housebreaking at Edinburgh sheriff court in each year since 1997.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table. Data for 2001 are not yet available.Persons with a charge proved in Edinburgh sheriff court where the main offence was housebreaking, 1997-2000
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
306 | 241 | 202 | 264 |
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions there have been for assault to severe injury at Edinburgh sheriff court in each year since 1997.
Answer
Assault to severe injury is included under the category of serious assault within the SEJD classification of crimes and offences. The available information is given in the following table. Data for 2001 are not yet available.Persons with a charge proved in Edinburgh sheriff court where the main offence was serious assault, 1997-2000
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
102 | 82 | 79 | 84 |
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what volume of freight trains it estimates will no longer use the Forth Rail Bridge when the Stirling/Alloa/Dunfermline railway line is reopened.
Answer
The MVA study into the proposals for a Stirling/Alloa/Kincardine railway reopening addresses this issue. I expect the report of the study to be finalised in February and to be able to make a statement about its findings shortly afterwards. It would not be appropriate for me to pre-empt the findings of the study.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 6 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how it envisages the operation of Quality Contract Schemes for buses in order to ensure an equitable tender process.
Answer
The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 sets out the tendering requirements. The Executive has also issued comprehensive guidance on Part 2 (Bus Services) of the act. It is for local transport authorities to ensure that Quality Contracts awarded comply fully with all relevant regulations.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 4 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports were submitted to the Lothian and Borders Regional Procurator Fiscal regarding assaults upon a police officer; how many such reports were proceeded with by the service of a complaint or petition, and how many such reports resulted in a conviction, all in each year since 1997.
Answer
Serious assaults on police officers are prosecuted at common law and cannot be distinguished in the records from serious assaults on other persons. Less serious assaults on police officers are prosecuted under section 41(1) of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 but cannot be distinguished in the records from other contraventions of that section (such as obstructing police officers or assisting persons to escape). The information sought is, accordingly, not available.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 4 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated costs will be of the construction of rail links to Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow Airport and who will be responsible for these costs.
Answer
A study has been commissioned to identify and appraise the options at Edinburgh and Glasgow. The appraisal work will involve detailed engineering studies. Until that work is complete and a preferred option identified any estimates would be purely speculative. Funding mechanisms will also be considered during the study period.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 4 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that construction of a rail link to Edinburgh Airport will commence.
Answer
We have commissioned a detailed economic and engineering study into rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports. The report is expected in September. Dependant on the outcome of that study, it will be for the local authority and/or for example BAA, which owns the airports, to seek the necessary parliamentary powers to build any railway links. The Executive hopes this can be progressed quickly. This could make it possible to move to design and construction by 2005, subject to suitable resources being available at the time.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 1 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what has been (a) the experience in business, aviation and tourism and (b) the political affiliation of all board members of Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd since 1997.
Answer
There are currently five part-time members on the Board of Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) and one full-time member. All have business experience, two have aviation experience and none has any direct involvement in tourism. The three former members since 1997 all had business experience and one had aviation experience. Under the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code, applicants for public appointments are not obliged to declare details of their political affiliations which are a private matter. None of the present or former members undertook political activity in the five-year period prior to their appointment.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 1 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to relocate departments or civil servants following the creation of a Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning and, if so, what plans it has for such relocation.
Answer
There are no plans to relocate departments or civil servants within the responsibility of the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning.Responsibility for tourism transferred to the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport. In the longer term six posts will transfer from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 1 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases relating to the possession of (a) cannabis or (b) cannabis resin in the City of Edinburgh were reported to the Procurators Fiscal in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999 and (iv) 2000 and how many cases were dealt with by (1) a warning letter or (2) a fixed penalty notice.
Answer
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service records relating to reports under section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 do not distinguish between the different controlled drugs to which that section relates and the information is, accordingly, not available.