Chamber and committees

There are already extensiveprovisions under the existing law which restrict the sale and promotion ofknives.

The Criminal Justice Act1988 makes it an offence to sell to anyone under 16 any knife, blade, razorblade, axe, or any other bladed or sharply pointed article made or adapted forcausing personal injury. That act also makes it an offence to import,manufacture, sell or hire a specified offensive weapon or expose or possesssuch a weapon for the purposes of sale or hire. The weapons which have beenspecified as offensive weapons include various types of knife such as butterflyknives and push daggers. The Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959 makes itan offence to manufacture, sell or hire a flick knife or a gravity knife.

In addition, the Knives Act1997 makes it an offence to market a knife in a way which indicates that it issuitable for combat or in a way which is likely to encourage violent behaviourinvolving the use of the knife as a weapon.

As promised in ourPartnership Agreement, we are reviewing the enforcement of these measures.

It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to give effect to decisions made by Children’s Hearings. The success of measures contained in supervision requirements is reviewed at Children’s Hearings. In its role of ensuring the best possible value for money is achieved by councils, Audit Scotland looked at this area in 2002 and in 2003 conducted a follow up report Dealing with Offending by Young People; Audit Scotland also collect and publish information relating to statutory indicators on the performanceof authorities in implementing decisions; more detail can be found on:

http://www.accounts-commission.gov.uk/publications. 

The Parents’ Guide to Special Educational Needs may be accessed at:

http://www.childreninscotland.org.uk/enquire/pdf/Parents%20Guide04.pdf.

The other documents are on the Scottish Executive website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Home.All these documents have been disseminated widely among local authorities.

It is a matter for local authorities to determine that assessments for special educational needs are carried out appropriately. However, following the report of the review of psychological services, Quality Indicators for self evaluation of psychological services have been developed. In addition, HM Inspectorate of Education will include psychological services in their integrated services inspections from 2005.

The McInnes Report made a number of recommendations in relation to improving the use of fiscal fines. Consultation on the McInnes recommendations has now closed. We are currently analysing responses with a view to introducing reforms to deliver smarter, speedier justice for less serious offences as part of the wider criminal justice reform agenda.

Subject to planning permission being gained, the Scottish Prison Service plans to establish a new prison on the site of HM Prison Low Moss. The timescale will be determined by the planning process, which is currently underway, and by the subsequent procurement process.