Chamber and committees

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

Cornton Vale has video conferencing facilities available for this purpose. Discussions will take place with the Scottish Court Service to explore the potential to increase the take-up of this facility.

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

The Listener Scheme is operating in all prisons with the exception of HM YOI Polmont where work is currently underway to reinvigorate this service.

A number of methods are used to advertise the listener scheme which includes: a presentation on the listener scheme during prisoners'' induction; a DVD explaining the service and how individuals can access it; posters displayed throughout the prison including room/cell doors, phone hoods and notice boards in all areas. Prisoners who fulfil the listener role are also active in promoting the listener scheme.

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

The Listener Scheme is available in HMP Kilmarnock and HMP Addiewell. Currently, HMP Addiewell has four trained listeners whilst HMP Kilmarnock has five trained (two active at present) plus 10 others in line for training.

The number of listeners within each establishment varies depending on prisoner movement, the number of prisoners offering their time and willing to be trained as Listeners, and the capacity of the local Samaritan branch to support the service. Consequently, listener numbers at each establishment is not fixed and tends to fluctuate due to the above factors.

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

A separate care facility (not a segregation unit) will be considered as part of a business case to provide better management of those who are acutely unwell and aggressive. In the mean time existing exclusion areas in Cornton Vale will be refurbished.

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

This information is only available on a real time basis and not available historically. Currently there are approximately 12% of prisoners at HMP Cornton Vale who have indicated they are No Fixed Abode.

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

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31473 on 26 February 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

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

Rule 37 of The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2006 relates specifically to the duty of the medical officer to bring to the attention of the establishment governor certain healthcare matters that may impact on the prisoner''s management, wellbeing and where appropriate advise clinical recommendations for addressing such matters.

The rule does not impose cellular confinement on grounds of mental health, nor does it relate specifically to this type of illness. Therefore additional input from a Psychiatrist is rarely required, unless he or she is the medical officer notifying the governor of the health matter that needs to be addressed.

Prisoners who are managed under Rule 37 have a care plan in place which outlines appropriate support and interventions required for that individuals care according to their healthcare requirements. Each case will be discussed at a Multi Disciplinary Mental Health Team meeting and where appropriate they will be seen by a qualified psychiatrist whose input will be incorporated into individual care plans where mental health issues require this.

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

An option appraisal will be conducted to assess whether the time to access toilet facilities in Cornton Vale can be further improved.

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

The SPS recognises that existing visiting facilities at Cornton Vale could be improved. A business case is being developed for consideration and SPS will continue to explore ways of improving visit facilities within current resource constraints.

The SPS policy is not to build external visitor centres as such an approach does not allow visitors and prisoners to engage jointly in solving problems. Services for families will be developed and where possible visitor services and facilities will be integral to the prison to encourage offenders to take responsibility for family issues.

The table below shows the number of practices for which total Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) payments for 2008-09 (a) increased by 1% or more, (b) changed by less than 1% and (c) decreased by 1% or more relative to 2007-08. No practice received exactly the same QOF payment in both years. The table is based on data for 996 Scottish General Practices that were open in both years and for which detailed comparable payments data are held centrally. For context, in each of these years the total number of GP practices in Scotland was around 1,015.

As explained in question S3W-31402 on 25 February 2010, the overall change in payments made to practices for the 2008-09 year was the product of a number of changes made to the structure of the QOF between 2007-08 and 2008-09, which included, but were not limited to, the introduction of new indicators derived from the 2008-09 GP patient access survey. Detailed information on the QOF points achieved by Scottish general practices in each year is published at www.isdscotland.org/qof.

Change to total QOF Payments between 2007-08 and 2008-09²

NHS Board	Number of Practices1	(a) Increased by 1% or More	(b) Changed by Less than 1%	(c) Decreased by 1% or More
Ayrshire and Arran	59	7	13	39
Borders	25	7	10	8
Dumfries and Galloway	35	5	18	12
Fife	56	10	12	34
Forth Valley	56	13	14	29
Grampian	76	19	26	31
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	271	47	79	145
Highland	102	45	25	32
Lanarkshire	98	14	18	66
Lothian	118	19	36	63
Orkney	12	7	2	3
Shetland	10	0	5	5
Tayside	66	12	18	36
Western Isles	12	7	4	1
Scotland	996	212	280	504

Notes:

1. Based on data for 996 Scottish General Practices that were open in both years and for which detailed comparable payments data are held centrally. In each of these years the total number of GP practices in Scotland was around 1,015.

2. These figures do not reflect any local or national adjustments that may have been made to practice payments after QOF achievement data for each year were published at:

www.isdscotland.org/qof.

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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.