- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 4 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in respect of fiscal fines and whether it intends to review the policy.
Answer
The use of fiscal fines is a valuable and effective alternative to prosecution in less serious cases that would otherwise result in prosecution in the district courts.
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.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 4 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has regarding HM Prison Low Moss and what the timescale is for implementing them.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
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.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 4 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to solicitors in fees for civil cases in each year since 1990.
Answer
The information requested is given in the annual report of the Scottish Legal Aid Board for each year since 1990. Copies of these have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 24448).
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 4 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how often a child in need of a foster placement has been placed in an (a) secure unit and (b) young people’s unit as a result of a lack of available foster accommodation in each of the last five years.
Answer
This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 4 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the administration costs of the Scottish Legal Aid Board have been in each year since 1990, shown also as a percentage of total costs in each year.
Answer
The information requested is given in the annual report of the Scottish Legal Aid Board for each year since 1990. Copies of these have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 24448).
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 4 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether assessments for special educational needs carried out by educational psychologists are based on the needs of the child or resources available to the local authority; whether there are existing guidelines in respect of assessment for such needs and, if so, whether all local authorities are aware of such guidelines, and what steps it will take to ensure that assessments for special educational needs are based entirely on the needs of the child.
Answer
Assessments for special educational needs carried out by educational psychologists are based on the needs of the child. The
Manual of Good Practice for all staff and professionals involved with children and young people with special educational needs;
Effective Provision for Special Educational Needs (EPSEN); Circular 4/96: Children and Young People with SEN - Assessment and Recording; and
The Parents’ Guide to Special Educational Needs all provide guidelines and information on assessment for such needs.
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.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 1 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive who has planning competence over Network Rail in relation to their permitted development rights, which allow the rollout of Global System for Mobile Telecommunications (GSM-R) masts in excess of 15 metres in the Strathclyde area.
Answer
I refer the member to the question S2W-10263 from Robert Brown MSP answered on 16 September 2004. 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/search_wa.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 1 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its civil servants have been (a) seconded from, (b) transferred from, (c) seconded to and (d) transferred to other UK departments in each year since 1999.
Answer
The number of staff who have moved between the Scottish Executive and other government departments is set out in the following table.
A move on a temporary basis to another Government organisation operating a Civil Service pension scheme is defined as a loan rather than a secondment. The figures therefore provided in reply to parts (a) and (c) of the question relate to loans to other government departments.
Number of Civil Servants who have Moved Between the Scottish Executive and other Government Departments since January 1999
| Year | (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) |
| Outward Loans | Outward transfers | Inward Loans | Inward transfers |
| 1999 | 57* | 32 | 4 | 89 |
| 2000 | 25 | 25 | 3 | 45 |
| 2001 | 16 | 27 | 4 | 67 |
| 2002 | 19 | 52 | 5 | 71 |
| 2003 | 10 | 53 | 9 | 71 |
| 2004 (to Aug) | 13 | 64 | 4 | 16 |
Note: *This figure includes Executive staff seconded to the Scottish Parliament when it was first established.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 1 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions have taken place under the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 in each year since it came into force, broken down by sheriff court.
Answer
The Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 does not create any criminal offences and there can therefore be no prosecutions under this legislation .
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 30 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive who has ultimate managerial responsibility for staff working for the Scottish Executive.
Answer
The Permanent Secretary has that responsibility.
