Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-32175

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 11 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31606 by Kenny MacAskill on 3 March 2010 stating that the deployment and use of firearms is an operational matter for chief constables, whether it would consider the issuing of firearms to every frontline police officer to constitute an operational matter for chief constables.

Question reference: S3W-32177

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 11 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that issuing Tasers to police officers trained in their use who are not authorised firearms officers is going beyond their current use as a means to try to negate the requirement to use proper firearms.

Question reference: S3W-32176

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 11 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the statement made by the First Minister in the chamber on 4 February 2010 that “it would be appropriate if we allowed the chief constable of Strathclyde Police to have his pilot studies and to analyse the results” (Official Report c. 23538) correlates with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice’s position that the deployment and use of Tasers is an operational matter for chief constables.

Question reference: S3W-32003

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 February 2010
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, given the increasing role of the third sector in providing services for blind and partially sighted people, what steps are being taken to improve the capacity of voluntary organisations to recruit and retain volunteers.

The Scottish Government recognise the valuable role that the third sector plays in helping deliver services, not only for blind and partially sighted people, but across the entire sector. We will continue to work with our partners in the third sector ensuring that appropriate services are available for those that require them.

For example, the Scottish Government has provided funding of £2.2 million over this financial year, and next financial year, to various third sector partners in order to develop and lead seven sensory impairment one stop shop models of service delivery.

Among the partners receiving funding include RNIB Scotland, Fife Society for the Blind, Grampian Society for the Blind and Sight Action. As well as working with local statutory bodies such as the NHS board and local authority there is a provision within a number of the pilots to build on and develop existing local voluntary networks. The pilots recognise that peer support and advice and information from local volunteers, many of whom themselves have a sensory impairment, is important, particularly at the early stage of a sensory impairment diagnosis.

Question reference: S3W-31879

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 February 2010
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals convicted of carrying a knife or other bladed weapon were given a custodial sentence in each of the last three years, broken down by length of sentence.

The crime category for handling an offensive weapon includes the offences of having in a public place an article with a blade or point, possession of an offensive weapon, and restriction of offensive weapons. Over the last three years overall, the type of weapon has been recorded with around two-thirds of offences. Where the type of weapon has been recorded, for the offence of having in a public place an article with a blade or point, 90 per cent of the weapons are knives, and, for the offence of possession of an offensive weapon, 22 per cent of weapons are knives.

The available information is given in the following table:

Persons Receiving a Custodial Sentence in Scottish Courts for Handling an Offensive Weapon¹, 2006-07 to 2008-09

Offence / custodial sentence length	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Having in a public place an article with a blade or point
Up to 3 months	269	185	130
Over 3 months to 6 months	240	207	251
Over 6 months to 2 years	130	226	265
Over 2 years to less than 4 years	5	11	20
4 years and Over	0	0	3
Total	644	629	669
Possession of an offensive weapon
Up to 3 months	200	144	103
Over 3 months to 6 months	141	113	143
Over 6 months to 2 years	59	96	123
Over 2 years to less than 4 years	4	10	15
4 years and Over	0	0	1
Total	404	363	385
Restriction of offensive weapons	0	0	0
All offences
Up to 3 months	469	329	233
Over 3 months to 6 months	381	320	394
Over 6 months to 2 years	189	322	388
Over 2 years to less than 4 years	9	21	35
4 years and Over	0	0	4
Total	1,048	992	1,054

Note: 1. Where main offence.

Question reference: S3W-31878

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 February 2010
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 10 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals were convicted of carrying a knife or other bladed weapon in each of the last three years, broken down by manner of disposal.

The crime category for handling an offensive weapon includes the offences of having in a public place an article with a blade or point, possession of an offensive weapon and restriction of offensive weapons. Over the last three years overall, the type of weapon has been recorded with around two-thirds of offences. Where the type of weapon has been recorded, for the offence of having in a public place an article with a blade or point, 90 per cent of the weapons are knives, and, for the offence of possession of an offensive weapon, 22 per cent of weapons are knives.

The available information is given in the following table:

Persons with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts for Handling Offensive Weapons¹, 2006-07 to 2008-09

Offence/disposal	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Having in a public place an article with a blade or point
Custody	644	629	669
Community sentence	545	596	667
Monetary	404	348	354
Other	162	146	157
Total	1,755	1,719	1,847
Possession of an offensive weapon
Custody	404	363	385
Community sentence	552	518	559
Monetary	616	580	497
Other	223	240	241
Total	1,795	1,701	1,682
Restriction of offensive weapons
Custody	0	0	0
Community sentence	0	0	0
Monetary	0	1	0
Other	0	1	0
Total	0	2	0
All offences
Custody	1,048	992	1,054
Community sentence	1,097	1,114	1,226
Monetary	1,020	929	851
Other	385	387	398
Total	3,550	3,422	3,529

Note: 1. Where main offence.

Question reference: S3W-32068

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 10 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many working days were lost due to assaults on police force support staff in each of the last five years, broken down by police force.

Question reference: S3W-32067

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 10 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many working days were lost due to assaults on police officers in each of the last five years, broken down by police force.

Question reference: S3W-31818

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 8 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were referred to children’s hearings on offence grounds in 2008-09; in how many of these cases the grounds for referral were not accepted, and in how many the sheriff decided that the grounds were established.

Question reference: S3W-31614

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 February 2010
Current Status: Answered by Frank Mulholland on 8 March 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many charges of assault on a police officer have been reported to procurators fiscal in each of the last five years, broken down by court jurisdiction.

The following table shows the number of charges of assault on a police officer under the Police (Scotland) Act 1967, Section 41(1)(a) which have been reported to procurators fiscal.

CHARGES: POLICE (SCOTLAND) ACT 1967, S:41(1)(a)

Procurator Fiscal Office	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Aberdeen	284	268	241	241	267
Airdrie	272	266	226	204	278
Alloa	79	72	73	88	73
Arbroath	63	74	62	56	69
Ayr	123	124	164	162	186
Banff	15	11	18	3	10
Campbeltown	22	31	28	23	19
Cupar	34	26	40	21	34
Dingwall	9	15	12	19	27
Dornoch	8	5	5	6	4
Dumbarton	222	284	364	336	322
Dumfries	42	58	85	65	82
Dundee	232	174	241	164	163
Dunfermline	137	169	168	163	145
Dunoon	34	31	32	23	29
Duns	12	4	5	15	5
Edinburgh	459	576	537	446	442
Elgin	60	80	71	82	85
Falkirk	165	175	138	144	140
Forfar	32	22	35	18	39
Fort William	26	34	34	16	44
Glasgow	1,865	1,828	1,893	1,846	2,214
Greenock	145	160	147	141	91
Haddington	28	43	43	36	49
Hamilton	524	461	538	464	491
Inverness	157	104	107	110	128
Jedburgh	25	26	35	25	14
Kilmarnock	234	222	272	268	257
Kirkcaldy	132	143	160	149	197
Kirkcudbright	13	6	14	8	12
Kirkwall	5	6	6	5	13
Lanark	73	72	78	77	51
Lerwick	21	10	11	8	15
Livingston	76	84	115	124	126
Lochmaddy	4	1	-	3	1
Oban	14	25	31	15	23
Paisley	244	308	394	264	275
Peebles	1	6	12	5	4
Perth	210	171	117	118	161
Peterhead	43	68	55	52	67
Portree	3	6	6	-	1
Rothesay	9	2	14	6	29
Selkirk	29	25	13	24	11
Stirling	136	115	115	104	99
Stonehaven	20	5	9	9	6
Stornoway	28	35	22	33	17
Stranraer	45	35	45	27	23
Tain	35	29	37	25	25
Wick	20	23	40	29	14

Notes

1. The information for this question has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service''s Case Management Database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency the database will record details only of the amended charge.

2. The database is charge-based. The figures quoted therefore relate to the number of charges rather than the number of individuals charged or the number of incidents that gave rise to such charges.