- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 27 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) reports have been received by each procurator fiscal of offences in which a firearm other than an air weapon was alleged to have been used and (b) convictions have been obtained following such reports in each sheriff court district in each of the last five years.
Answer
Table 1 provides information on the number of cases reported to procurators fiscal during the specified period that included charges under the Firearms Act 1968 and associated legislation. Table 2 provides information on the total number of such charges included in those cases. In the years 1999-2002 1,605 cases containing 2,818 charges under this legislation were reported to the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland (the statistics from one office, Kirkcaldy, are unavailable). It is not possible to extract information on the number of cases and charges for common law offences, such as murder, robbery, assault, that involved the use of a firearm. Information on the number of convictions for firearms offences is not available from Crown Office systems. It is not possible to differentiate between air weapons and non-air weapons. Although some of the firearms legislation does distinguish between the two types of weapon, in most no distinction is made. Table 1Cases Reported which Include Charges Under Various Firearms legislation, Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, S50(5) or Culpable and Reckless Discharge of Firearm
| PFO | Financial Year 1999-2000 | Financial Year2000-01 | Financial Year 2001-02 | Grand Total |
| Aberdeen | 23 | 31 | 31 | 85 |
| Airdrie | 15 | 11 | 10 | 36 |
| Alloa | 5 | 3 | 17 | 25 |
| Arbroath | 7 | 10 | 9 | 26 |
| Ayr | 16 | 23 | 32 | 71 |
| Banff | 8 | 7 | 1 | 16 |
| Campbeltown | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Cupar | 3 | 7 | 6 | 16 |
| Dingwall | 9 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
| Dornoch | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| Dumbarton | 14 | 12 | 14 | 40 |
| Dumfries | 7 | 12 | 16 | 35 |
| Dundee | 30 | 20 | 20 | 70 |
| Dunfermline | 14 | 16 | 12 | 42 |
| Duns | 1 | | 4 | 5 |
| Edinburgh | 44 | 54 | 41 | 139 |
| Elgin | 10 | 14 | 9 | 33 |
| Falkirk | 18 | 22 | 29 | 69 |
| Forfar | 6 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
| Fort William | 3 | 12 | 7 | 22 |
| Glasgow | 81 | 92 | 94 | 267 |
| Greenock | 6 | 11 | 13 | 30 |
| Haddington | 9 | 4 | 5 | 18 |
| Hamilton | 37 | 20 | 43 | 100 |
| Inverness | 16 | 13 | 17 | 46 |
| Jedburgh | 4 | 5 | 8 | 17 |
| Kilmarnock | 20 | 21 | 34 | 75 |
| Kirkcudbright | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 |
| Kirkwall | 1 | 7 | 3 | 11 |
| Lanark | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Lerwick | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| Linlithgow | 6 | 12 | 14 | 32 |
| Lochmaddy | | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Oban | 7 | 3 | 2 | 12 |
| Peebles | | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Perth | 9 | 16 | 16 | 41 |
| Peterhead | 9 | 4 | 5 | 18 |
| Portree | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| Selkirk | 6 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
| Stirling | 10 | 18 | 16 | 44 |
| Stonehaven | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Stornoway | | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Stranraer | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 |
| Tain | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 |
| Wick | 3 | | 1 | 4 |
| Total | 490 | 532 | 583 | 1,605 |
Table 2Charges Reported: Total of all Three Financial Years (1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-02)
| PFO | Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 | Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 | Firearms (Amendment) Act 1994 | Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 | Firearms Act 1968 | Reckless Discharge of Firearm | Grand Total |
| Aberdeen | 4 | | | 2 | 139 | 42 | 187 |
| Airdrie | 1 | | | | 52 | 3 | 56 |
| Alloa | | | | | 39 | 8 | 47 |
| Arbroath | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 42 | 5 | 50 |
| Ayr | | | | | 121 | 16 | 137 |
| Banff | | | | | 20 | 4 | 24 |
| Campbeltown | 1 | | | 2 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| Cupar | | | | | 25 | 5 | 30 |
| Dingwall | 1 | | | | 26 | 1 | 28 |
| Dornoch | | | | | 19 | | 19 |
| Dumbarton | 1 | | | | 62 | 4 | 67 |
| Dumfries | | | | | 55 | | 55 |
| Dundee | 1 | 3 | | 1 | 107 | 27 | 139 |
| Dunfermline | 2 | | | | 64 | 14 | 80 |
| Duns | 1 | | | | 9 | 5 | 15 |
| Edinburgh | 1 | | | | 164 | 25 | 190 |
| Elgin | | | | | 41 | 16 | 57 |
| Falkirk | 1 | | | | 88 | 21 | 110 |
| Forfar | | | | | 17 | 1 | 18 |
| Fort William | | | | 3 | 26 | 7 | 36 |
| Glasgow | 3 | 1 | | | 426 | 52 | 482 |
| Greenock | 1 | 1 | | | 48 | 9 | 59 |
| Haddington | | | | | 30 | 2 | 32 |
| Hamilton | 5 | | | 2 | 136 | 15 | 158 |
| Inverness | 2 | | | | 81 | 13 | 96 |
| Jedburgh | | | | | 18 | 6 | 24 |
| Kilmarnock | 3 | | | | 161 | 9 | 173 |
| Kirkcudbright | | | | | 16 | | 16 |
| Kirkwall | | | | 2 | 15 | 3 | 20 |
| Lanark | 2 | | | | 33 | | 35 |
| Lerwick | | | | | 15 | 2 | 17 |
| Linlithgow | 1 | | | | 40 | 9 | 50 |
| Lochmaddy | | | | 2 | 8 | | 10 |
| Oban | | | | | 14 | 1 | 15 |
| Peebles | | | | | 2 | | 2 |
| Perth | 2 | | | 1 | 49 | 4 | 56 |
| Peterhead | | | | | 28 | 1 | 29 |
| Portree | | | | | 13 | | 13 |
| Selkirk | | | | | 15 | 2 | 17 |
| Stirling | 1 | | | | 56 | 17 | 74 |
| Stonehaven | | | | | 18 | 3 | 21 |
| Stornoway | | | | | 7 | | 7 |
| Stranraer | | | | 2 | 26 | | 28 |
| Tain | 1 | | | | 15 | 6 | 22 |
| Wick | | | | | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Total | 36 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 2,394 | 364 | 2,818 |
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 27 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what money it has received or allocated for the implementation of Your Guide and how such money has been distributed.
Answer
The Executive received a £3.5 million consequential, based on the funding for the English-based pilot of Your Guide. This sum, as with all consequentials, went into the Scottish Block. As a substantial pilot of the Your Guide approach was being carried out in England and because we had access to its findings, no bid was made against the Scottish Block for funding to carry out a parallel exercise in Scotland.DTI Ministers' announced, in the written answer given to parliamentary question number 2001/6136 in the House of Commons on 15 October, their decision, on value for money grounds, that Your Guide should not be rolled out nationally.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 27 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government to ensure that there is no adverse economic impact on post offices as a result of the re-distribution of assigned office payments.
Answer
Royal Mail Group plc, post offices and postal services are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including postal services.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29085 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 September 2002, what period elapsed between its decision to build a private prison and the awarding of the contract to build HM Prison Kilmarnock.
Answer
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 answer given to question S1W-29809 on 18 October 2002, which is 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: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29901 by Mr Jim Wallace on 23 October 2002, why the sale of HM Prison Penninghame was not included in the table.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The question asked about sale of land whereas Penninghame was sold as a property (inclusive of land and buildings). On the same basis the former HM Prison Dungavel and some staff quarters and garages were also excluded from the table.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29424 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 November 2002, why the contracts for the provision of social work services in prisons with the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire councils have not yet been published.
Answer
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 answer given to question S1W-31444 today, which is 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: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29424 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 November 2002 and with regard to the publication of its contracts with the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire councils for the provision of social work services in prisons, whether the Scottish Prison Service has raised, or intends to raise commercial confidentiality in discussions with contractors as a ground for not publishing part or parts of the contract.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:Yes. The published content of such contracts is governed by the Scottish Executive guidance in Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information. The SPS has in the public interest a duty to ensure that disclosure does not harm the public interest or prejudice the commercial positions of itself or the contractor.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29424 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 November 2002, when it expects to conclude discussions with the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire councils with regard to the publication of its contracts with them for the provision of social work services in prisons and when it intends to place copies of the contracts in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows: We are currently in discussions with Medacs Healthcare about publication of our contract for medical services. Once that is concluded we will commence discussions with the relevant local authorities with regard to publication of contracts for the provision of social work services in prisons. There is no contract with Dumfries and Galloway Council.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29472 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24 October 2002, whether it will publish its contract with Medacs before 1 May 2003.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:On present plans we anticipate that the necessary work involved will be completed before 1 May 2003.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken in respect of the procurement of its proposed private-build, private-operate prison.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The process for procurement of the new private-build, private-operate prison will not begin until the location of the new prison has been determined. A number of potential sites have been identified, but the SPS has not yet taken firm decisions.
