- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have received training in the use of Taser guns, broken down by police board area.
Answer
Only Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) in Scotland are trained in the use of Taser guns. All AFOs receive this training.
AFO Numbers by Force as at 27 November 2008
| Dumfries and Galloway | 50 |
| Lothian and Borders | 107 |
| Strathclyde | 197 |
| Tayside | 67 |
| Central | 43 |
| Fife | 72 |
| Grampian | 119 |
| Northern | 66 |
| British Transport Police | 0 |
| Total | 721 |
- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether anyone has been significantly injured by a Taser gun used by a police officer.
Answer
The Association for Chief Police Officers in Scotland has confirmed that there have been no significant injuries caused by use of a Taser gun. All identified injuries sustained as a result of the use of a Taser gun, are recorded and reported to the Home Office via established procedures which apply to all UK forces.
- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether police forces are allowed to use Taser guns other than in deployments involving conventional firearms.
Answer
All Taser deployments in Scotland are as part of an authorised firearms operation. In Scotland only Authorised Firearms Officers are trained in the use of Taser guns. Therefore Tasers are only deployed as a less lethal option when dealing with a firearms incident.
- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the approved establishment numbers were for each police authority in each of the last eight quarters.
Answer
Police officer establishments are a matter for police authorities and Chief Constables.
Figures on the number of police officers employed are collected on a whole-time equivalent basis each quarter. The 31 December 2008 figures were published on 3 March and are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47838).
- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 6 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been recruited in each of the last eight quarters, broken down by police authority.
Answer
Police officer recruitment is a matter for police authorities and chief constables.
Figures on the number of police officers employed are collected on a whole-time equivalent basis each quarter. The 31 December 2008 figures were published on 3 March and are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47838).
- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive ask the Scottish Executive what it considers the advantages would be of the acquisition of borrowing powers.
Answer
This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0305-01.htm
- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 5 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers were in post in each of the last eight quarters, broken down by police authority.
Answer
This information is available in table 2 of Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics Scotland, 31 December 2008, published by the Scottish Government on 3 March 2009. Copies of the publication are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47838).
- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what formula is used in the allocation of funding for young offenders institutions.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
There is no set formula for the allocation of funding for young offenders institutions or prisons.
Funding for all establishments is provided according to the establishment''s needs based on historical funding, the staffing arrangements in that particular establishment, any changes to key services or contracts, and the need to generate efficiency savings.
- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders are incarcerated in young offenders institutions for knife crime offences.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
The SPS do not know what particular offences involved knives. Many assaults, murders or culpable homicides may have involved the use of a knife, and the offence of carrying an offensive weapon may include carrying a knife. However, this will not be recorded on the offender''s warrant. One offence description mentions knife specifically; that is To Carry a knife. 55 young offenders have this offence recorded in their current warrant.
- Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have been held at each young offenders institution in each month in the last three years for which information is available.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
Young offenders are held in Polmont, Greenock Darroch Hall, Perth Friarton Hall and Cornton Vale. The average number of prisoners held in each from 2006 is illustrated in the following table.
| | Cornton Vale | Greenock | Perth | Polmont |
| 2009 |
| January | 34 | 67 | 86 | 584 |
| February | 32 | 69 | 92 | 583 |
| 2008 |
| January | 38 | 67 | 96 | 604 |
| February | 32 | 71 | 115 | 615 |
| March | 32 | 68 | 118 | 620 |
| April | 35 | 68 | 113 | 626 |
| May | 38 | 64 | 113 | 613 |
| June | 39 | 62 | 109 | 615 |
| July | 39 | 67 | 105 | 621 |
| August | 40 | 68 | 105 | 607 |
| September | 38 | 65 | 102 | 623 |
| October | 40 | 62 | 101 | 633 |
| November | 37 | 63 | 105 | 635 |
| December | 32 | 68 | 95 | 621 |
| 2007 |
| January | 44 | 20 | 125 | 560 |
| February | 41 | 25 | 127 | 585 |
| March | 40 | 22 | 121 | 614 |
| April | 36 | 17 | 122 | 631 |
| May | 39 | 22 | 124 | 616 |
| June | 37 | 22 | 125 | 617 |
| July | 36 | 22 | 119 | 632 |
| August | 34 | 21 | 123 | 629 |
| September | 36 | 28 | 132 | 628 |
| October | 31 | 17 | 121 | 625 |
| November | 36 | 30 | 113 | 613 |
| December | 37 | 69 | 99 | 586 |
| 2006 |
| January | 33 | 26 | 101 | 565 |
| February | 32 | 28 | 121 | 554 |
| March | 31 | 28 | 131 | 550 |
| April | 35 | 24 | 117 | 561 |
| May | 38 | 22 | 122 | 545 |
| June | 43 | 19 | 130 | 550 |
| July | 44 | 27 | 122 | 548 |
| August | 46 | 28 | 119 | 560 |
| September | 45 | 29 | 117 | 573 |
| October | 38 | 32 | 118 | 557 |
| November | 44 | 21 | 124 | 570 |
| December | 45 | 21 | 119 | 566 |
