Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-20086

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 7 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it has provided in each year since 1997 to local authorities to promote and support the teaching of English as a foreign language.

Question reference: S2W-20085

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 4 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has in respect of Scots living abroad, particularly in relation to (a) numbers, (b) countries of residence, (c) skills and (d) workplaces and, if it does not have such information, whether it will seek to gather it and, if so, by what means.

Question reference: S2W-19678

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 3 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect Lothian Buses as a public entity when considering proposals for the introduction of trams in the city of Edinburgh; what assurances it has obtained from promoters and other organisations that Lothian Buses will not be adversely affected by the introduction of trams; whether protection has been given to Lothian Buses to prevent it being privatised in order to make up any shortfall in the cost of the trams scheme, and, if not, whether it will now seek to ensure such protection.

Question reference: S2W-19527

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 26 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum number of prisoners is that each prison is contracted to take under the new contracts introduced this year by the Scottish Prison Service.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The information is:

Aberdeen	225
Barlinnie	1,509
Cornton Vale	375
Dumfries	189
Edinburgh	786
Glenochil	440
Greenock	300
Inverness	150
Low Moss	326
Open Estate	431
Perth	461
Peterhead	306
Polmont	690
Shotts	516

Question reference: S2W-19526

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 26 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the design capacity is of each prison.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The information is:

Aberdeen	154
Barlinnie	1,000
Cornton Vale	375
Dumfries	178
Edinburgh	756
Glenochil	440
Greenock	254
Inverness	108
Kilmarnock	596
Low Moss	326
Open Estate	432
Perth	449
Peterhead	306
Polmont	650
Shotts	528

Question reference: S2W-19545

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Colin Boyd on 25 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases since 1999 where an accused appeared before a court on a charge of (a) murder, (b) culpable homicide, (c) rape and (d) a serious sexual offence bail was not opposed by the Crown, broken down by Sheriff Court district.

Question reference: S2W-19544

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 24 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive which administrative tribunals are devolved and subject to the competence of the Parliament; how many people have had applications heard by them in each year since 1999; what financial and other resources were made available to each tribunal, and what plans the Executive has to improve the public service provided by each tribunal.

Available information is shownin the following tables. Table 1 lists tribunals and similar bodies operatingin the devolved area; Table 2 shows cases heard by each tribunal; Table 3provides information about financial and other resources made available totribunals.

There are a number ofinitiatives in train aimed at improving the public service provided bytribunals. In addition to the creation of the Additional Support Needs Tribunalsand the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland, there are plans to improve and modernise theChildren’s Hearing system and there is a possible expansion of the role of RentAssessment Panels. More generally, the Justice Department has maintained closecontact with the Department for Constitutional Affairs on plans for the creationof the new Tribunals Service which includes a number of reserved tribunals operatingin Scotland and will carefully consider whether furtherimprovement of the devolved tribunal system is indicated.

Table One: ScottishTribunals Operating in the Devolved Area

Additional Support Needs Tribunal¹

Children’s Panels

The Crofters Commission

The Dairy Produce Quotas Tribunal

Education Appeal Committees

Forestry Commission Regional Advisory Committees

Health Board Discipline Committees

The Independent Schools Tribunal

The Lands Tribunal for Scotland

Meat Hygiene Appeals Tribunal

The Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland

The National Appeal Panel

National Health Service Tribunal

Parole Board for Scotland

Rent Assessment Panel for Scotland

Valuation Appeal Committees

Note:

1. Commences November 2005.

Table Two: Number of Cases Heardper Annum

	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Additional Support Needs Tribunal	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Children’s Panels^1,2	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	5809	5793
The Crofters Commission	11	17	8	11¹	18¹	13¹
The Dairy Produce Quotas Tribunal	nil	nil	nil	nil	nil	nil
Education Appeal Committees³	704	697	767	830	n/a	n/a
Forestry Commission Regional Advisory Committees	0	2	2	3	0	0
Health Board Discipline Committees	2	29	5	3	0	0
The Lands Tribunal for Scotland⁴	442	459	315	92	178	139
The Independent Schools Tribunal	0	0	0	0	0	0
Meat Hygiene Appeals Tribunal	0	0	0	0	0	0
The Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
The National Appeal Panel	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
National Health Service Tribunal	1	1	0	1	0	2
Parole Board for Scotland Tribunals	40	38	47	173	215	189
Rent Assessment Panel for Scotland	228	90	400	54	106	242
Valuation Appeal Committees	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

Notes:

1.Financial Year Totals.

2. Data is not availableprior to roll out of the SCRA referrals administration database in 2003.

3. School Year Totals.

4.Figures include caseswithdrawn or formally dismissed.

Table 3: Financial and OtherResources Made Available to Devolved Tribunals

	1999-2000¹	2000-01¹	2001-02¹	2002-03¹	2003-04¹	2004-05¹
Additional Support Needs Tribunal	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Children’s Panels²	£12.9m	£14.4m	£16.8m	£17.7m	£21.5m	£23.5m
The Crofters Commission	£2.5m	£2.6m	£2.8m	£2.6m	£2.4m	£2.5m
The Dairy Produce Quotas Tribunal	nil	nil	nil	nil	nil	nil
Education Appeal Committees³	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Forestry Commission Regional Advisory Committees	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Health Board Discipline Committees⁴	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
The Independent Schools Tribunal	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
The Lands Tribunal for Scotland	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Meat Hygiene Appeals Tribunal	nil	nil	nil	nil	nil	nil
The Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
The National Appeal Panel	£6,000	£15,000	£11,000	£22,000	£24,000	£50,000
National Health Service Tribunal⁵	£5,179	£9,396	£617	£8,470	£265	£7,136
Parole Board for Scotland⁶	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rent Assessment Panel for Scotland	£176,000	£234,000	£209,000	£229,000	£209,000	£196,000
Valuation Appeal Committees	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

Notes

1. Does not include cost of general administrativesupport from Scottish Executive officials.

2. Does not include local authority expenditure orresources for youth justice teams, electronic monitoring and secureaccommodation.

3. Costs are met by education authorities.

4. Costs subsumed in general health board expenditure.

5.Calendar Year totals.

6. Financial information is contained in the board’s annualreports.

Question reference: S2W-19546

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 20 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18743 by Tavish Scott on 22 September 2005, whether the three vessels must be used by any incoming operator from the start of the new contract currently being tendered and, if not, whether, in the event of a new operator not using these vessels, any penalty charges would be payable and, if so, by whom.

The incoming operator for thenext Northern Isles Ferry Services contract will be required to use the three leasedpassenger and vehicle vessels from the start of the new contract. This will be arequirement in the contract and the question of a new operator not using these vesselswould not arise. The detailed requirement for service vessels is set out in section3.13 of the Invitation to Tender document which was published by the Executive inJuly 2005. A copy of this is available in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 37566).

Question reference: S2W-19428

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 29 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-15477, S2W-16906 and S2W-19097 by Mr Jim Wallace, Mr Tom McCabe and Cathy Jamieson on 14 May 2001, 2 June and 21 September 2005 respectively, why information on the cost of fuel for police vehicles was available for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 but not for 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 or 2004-05 and whether it will review its answer to question S2W-19097.

Question reference: S2W-18667

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2005
Current Status: Answered by John Scott on 27 September 2005

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it is considering registering appropriate .eu top-level domains for itself and the Parliament in phase 1 of EURid's sunrise period and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.