- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the numbers of police officers of all ranks in Scotland were in: (a) 1979; (b) 1997; (c) 1998, and (d) 1999.
Answer
The information is shown in the table below.
| Rank | As at 31/12/79 | As at 31/3/97 | As at 31/3/98 | As at 31/3/99 |
| Chief Constable | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Assistant Chief Constable | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
| Chief Superintendent | 70 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Superintendent | 140 | 211 | 217 | 203 |
| Chief Inspector | 253 | 226 | 217 | 214 |
| Inspector | 659 | 722 | 738 | 750 |
| Sergeant | 1,949 | 2,072 | 2,078 | 2,066 |
| Constable | 10,116 | 11,531 | 11,702 | 11,550 |
| Total | 13,214 | 14,789 | 14,980 | 14,810 |
Until 31 December 1995 police strength figures by rank were collected at the end of each calendar year. Since 1996-97 they have been collected at the end of each financial year.From 1 April 1995 the rank of Chief Superintendent was abolished.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the statement by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service on 22 October 1999 at Law Moss prison in which he referred to "acceptable overcrowding", whether it has changed its policy on prison overcrowding.
Answer
There is no change in the Scottish Executive's views on prison overcrowding.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Donald Dewar on 13 January 2000
To ask the First Minister what specific discussions he has had with the Home Office and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the issue of asylum seekers.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including asylum seekers. As a result, we have reached agreement that we will review operation of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in Scotland some 18 months after its implementation. This will have regard specifically to the devolved matters of housing, health and education.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Andrew Hardie on 13 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why 53% of charges laid by the police under section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1991, death by dangerous driving, have been downgraded to section 3, careless driving, by the Crown Office since 1991.
Answer
Crown Office does not "downgrade" police charges. As a matter of law, the decision whether to prosecute an individual and, if so, on what charges, is a matter for the Crown, not the police. Charges preferred by the police following a fatal road traffic accident give early notice to the accused of likely or possible criminal charges, but the decision regarding criminal proceedings is taken later, by Crown Counsel, after a detailed investigation by the Procurator Fiscal. I have recently written in detail on this matter to the Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee, on which Mr Gallie serves.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 24 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the success or otherwise of the Hamilton Child Safety Initiative and what plans it has to extend it.
Answer
The Hamilton Child Safety Initiative was launched in October 1997 by Strathclyde Police in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council in three areas of Hamilton. Following a positive response from the local community supported by research, Strathclyde Police extended the Initiative in 1998 to cover the rest of Hamilton. The Scottish Executive endorses the previous administration's strong support for this and other initiatives which are intended to increase the protection of our children and communities. As with the Hamilton Initiative, decisions to undertake initiatives of this kind in other areas of Scotland would be made by Chief Constables in consultation with local authorities and others with an interest.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 14 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will explain the delay in repealing the provisions listed under the Local Statutory Provisions (Exemption from Repeal) (Scotland) Order 1999 (SSI 1999/157).
Answer
Section 59 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 was introduced as a mechanism of requiring all new councils to review the local legislation they inherited at local government reorganisation in 1996. This was to ensure that such legislation was appropriate to the new council area and that any anomalies and inconsistencies were addressed. To allow the new authorities sufficient time to undertake the review, section 59(6) provided that the local legislation inherited to which section 59(6) applies will cease to have effect on 31 December 1999, unless an Order is made which exempts or postpones it from repeal.The Local Statutory Provisions (Exemption from Repeal) (Scotland) Order 1999 (SSI 1999/157) contains the local legislation which can continue in force unaltered on the grounds that it meets contemporary needs, thereby avoiding local authorities having to promote unnecessary replacement legislation.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 6 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that the Home Office has taken over Adamton House in Monkton with a view to using it as a hostel for asylum seekers and, if so, at what stage plans are towards bringing it into use and what local consultation there has been.
Answer
It has not. I understand that the Home Office has not yet contracted for the provision of any accommodation in relation to the new arrangements for supporting asylum seekers which comes into effect from 1 April, whether in Scotland or elsewhere.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 25 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Ayrshire local authorities regarding concerns over the lack of detailed information available about funding for the recently announced new stretch of the M77.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has received one representation, from South Ayrshire Council, seeking clarification on the funding arrangements for the new stretch of the M77.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Morrison on 25 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Ayrshire local authorities regarding concerns over the lack of detailed information available about funding for the recently announced new stretch of the M7
Answer
The Scottish Executive has received one representation, from South Ayrshire Council, seeking clarification on the funding arrangements for the new stretch of the M77.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the convicted killers of Mark Ayton will be released from custody and how long Iain Wheldon and Ross Gravestock will have spent in custody from the date of their sentence.
Answer
In accordance with section 1(3) of the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993, Iain Wheldon, Ross Gravestock and Graham Purves will be released on parole on 23 November 1999. By that date they will have served 2 years in custody.
