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-16514

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 24 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid in VAT in respect of each payment to Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd under the contract for the provision of prisoner escort and court custody services.

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

The information requested is provided in the following table.

Value Added Tax
April 2004	£90,701.22
May 2004	£113,801.79
June 2004	£122,791.69
July 2004	£142,733.77
August 2004	£149,555.18
September 2004	£164,926.95
October 2004	£131,628.26
November 2004	£205,238.56
December 2004	£247,428.15

Question reference: S2W-16477

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 24 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how it reconciles the answer to question S1W-33992 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 March 2003 with the answer to question S2W-16103 by Cathy Jamieson on 4 May 2005 in respect of the number of instances in which a serious assault has occurred in HM Prison Kilmarnock but no performance points have accrued to the prison operators and whether it will provide a revised answer to question S2W-16103.

Question reference: S2W-15954

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 April 2005
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 24 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15101 by Rhona Brankin on 21 March 2005, what percentage of total alcohol consumed was consumed by the 25% of men and 8% of women who, in 2003, were drinking in excess of the recommended weekly limits.

Question reference: S2W-16467

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15876 by Mr Tom McCabe on 25 April 2005 and given the requirement for confidentiality of discussions on EU matters between it and the UK Government as set out in article 19 of the Memorandum of Understanding, what opportunity the Parliament has for scrutinising work of the Executive on EU matters, such as submissions to European Commission consultations made by it through the UK Government.

Scottish Executive ministers and officials are subject to full scrutiny by the Parliament on European Union issues. I recently appeared before the European and External Relations Committee to give evidence on Scotland’s contribution to the G8 summit and the UK Presidency of the EU.

Complete confidentiality is, however, often essential in formulating a UK negotiating position in the EU and in developing tactical responses. The arrangements for the Executive’s involvement in the UK decision-making process rely on mutual respect for the confidentiality of information exchanged. This may include submissions to European Commission consultations made by the Executive through the UK Government.

Question reference: S2W-16486

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the maximum limit of 5% of contract price for performance revenue deduction, as referred to in the second paragraph of Schedule F to the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock, has been applied, broken down by quarter since the prison opened.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: I refer the member to the answers to the answers to questions S2W-1868 on 1 September 2003 and S1W-33964 on 24 February 2003. The position has not changed. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S2W-16511

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the full terms of its agreement with Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd regarding the monthly performance summary of the contract for the provision of prisoner escort and court custody services.

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

The SPS and Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd and have agreed that the following performance summary information can be released:

Prisoner movements

Police Custody to Court

Prisons to Court

Hospital to Court

Court to Court

Other

Performance

On time delivery to Court

Prisoners unlawfully at large

Financial

Payment due to Service Provider

This information is published quarterly in arrears on the SPS website which can be found by clicking on the following link http://www.sps.gov.uk/keydocs/reliance/html/nstats2.htm

Question reference: S2W-16474

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Colin Boyd on 23 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a European Arrest Warrant has been issued for any person in Scotland for an act that is not an offence in Scots law.

I refer to my answer to the previous question posed by the Member for Lothians, S2W-16299 answered on 12 May 2005 and confirm that all the five European Arrest Warrants so far received by Scotland relate to acts that are offences known to Scots law.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S2W-16473

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Colin Boyd on 23 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the length of detention prior to surrender of each person whose surrender has been requested in a European Arrest Warrant issued by authorities in Scotland.

It is difficult to be certain in all cases exactly the length of detention undergone by those in respect of whom Scotland has issued a European Arrest Warrant, before their eventual return to Scotland.

However, from the information available to me I can say that of the five individuals returned to Scotland since 1 January 2004 under the provisions of the European Arrest Warrant, three individuals were detained in custody in the executing state for periods of 52, 12 and 56 days. In respect of the other two individuals, I have no accurate information.

Question reference: S2W-16475

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Colin Boyd on 23 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome has been of each European Arrest Warrant issued by a Scottish court.

Question reference: S2W-16498

Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the proposal by the UK Government and others for a European Council Framework Decision on the retention of data processed and stored in connection with the provision of publicly available electronic communications services or data on public communications networks for the purpose of prevention, investigation, detection and prosecution of crime and criminal offences including terrorism covers (a) reserved and (b) devolved matters.