- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of NHS Lothian’s income the annual charge arising from the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary PFI project represent, and how that has changed as a result of the refinancing.
Answer
The charge for the EdinburghRoyal Infirmary PFI project currently equates to 3.3% of the total NHS Lothian incomefor 2006-07. It is not yet known how thiswill change as a result of refinancing as negotiations have not been concluded.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any fingerprint experts currently working in the Scottish Fingerprint Service have been removed from the list of authorised experts maintained by the Executive and, if so, how many have been removed and on what dates, who recommended such removals and when the experts received written confirmation of the removals.
Answer
Forensic scientists (includingfingerprint experts) may be authorised under section 280(5) of the Criminal Procedure(Scotland) Act 1995 for the purposes of section 280(4) of that act, i.e. the co-signingof reports in relation to routine evidence for criminal proceedings. The Executiverecords such authorisations; no fingerprint expert currently working in the ScottishFingerprint Service has been removed from those records.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the job roles and responsibilities are of all positions within the Scottish Fingerprint Service.
Answer
Information about the currentroles and responsibilities of positions in the Scottish Fingerprint Service havebeen placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 41321).
The Scottish Fingerprint Servicewill become part of the Scottish Police Services Authority from 1 April 2007, aspart of the new Scottish Forensic Science Service, with staff transferring on theircurrent terms and conditions of employment.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations are the official employers of individuals working in the four bureaux of the Scottish Fingerprint Service.
Answer
Individuals working in the bureauxof the Scottish Fingerprint Service (SFS) are currently employed by the Joint PoliceBoard of the area where they work (Grampian, Lothian and Borders, Strathclyde orTayside).
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the staffing establishment and structure are of each of the four bureaux of the Scottish Fingerprint Service and to whom each head of bureau reports.
Answer
The current staffing establishmentof the Scottish Fingerprint Service is:
| | Glasgow | Aberdeen | Dundee | Edinburgh |
| Head of SFS | 1 | | | |
| Head/Deputy of Bureau | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Quality Assurance Officer | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Principal Fingerprint Officer | 5 | 1 | | |
| Senior Fingerprint Officer | 6.5 | | 2 | 1 |
| Training Manager | 1 | | | |
| Training Officer | 1 | | | |
| Training Coordinator | 1 | | | |
| Fingerprint Officers/Trainees | 25.5/2 | 6/3 | 5/2 | 5/2 |
| Senior Tenprint Ident Officer | 5 | | | |
| Tenprint Ident Officer | 15 | | | |
| Fingerprint Clerk | 16.5 | | | |
| Administrative Assistant | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| IDENT 1 Project | 2 | | | |
| Total | 86.5 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
Note: *Establishment as of November2006.
Diagrams of the current structureof the Scottish Fingerprint Service, including reporting lines, have been placedin the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 41321).
The Scottish Fingerprint Servicewill become part of the Scottish Police Services Authority from 1 April 2007, as partof the new Scottish Forensic Science Service, with staff transferring on their currentterms and conditions of employment.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fingerprint cases have been prepared for court by each fingerprint bureau since 1999.
Answer
The number of fingerprint casesprepared for court by each fingerprint bureau of the Scottish Fingerprint Serviceis as follows:
| | Glasgow | Aberdeen | Dundee | Edinburgh |
| 1999 | 406 | 128 | Not available | Not available |
| 2000 | 343 | 122 | 110 | Not available |
| 2001 | 235 | 107 | 96 | Not available |
| 2002 | 275 | 143 | 113 | Not available |
| 2003 | 208 | 155 | 104 | Not available |
| 2004 | 161 | 102 | 86 | Not available |
| 2005 | 148 | 123 | 78 | 116 |
| 2006 | 178 | 78 | 65 | 94 |
Source: Scottish Criminal RecordOffice.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the staffing establishment and structure will be of the fingerprint departments in the Scottish Police Services Authority from 1 April 2007.
Answer
I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the job roles and responsibilities will be of all positions in the fingerprint departments in the Scottish Police Services Authority from 1 April 2007.
Answer
I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 15 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what investigations it has carried out into who leaked the MacKay report on the Scottish Criminal Record Office’s handling of the Shirley McKie case to Mike Pringle MSP.
Answer
The circumstances of the unauthoriseddisclosure of the Mackay & Robertson report are presently under considerationby Crown Office and, as such, it would be inappropriate to give further detailsat this time.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Solidarity Group
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of a basic funeral and what information it has on how much low-income families and benefit claimants are entitled to claim from the Department of Work and Pensions to cover these costs.
Answer
I am not aware that the ScottishExecutive has made any estimate of the cost of a basic funeral. Low-income familiesand benefit claimants can claim some of the costs to meet a basic funeral throughthe DWP’s Social Fund Funeral Payment. The amount allowable covers the necessarycost of specified items, including burial or cremation fees, plus up to £700 forall other funeral expenses. The publication What to do after a death inScotland is available on the Scottish Executive website. This offers adviceabout funeral arrangements in Scotland including information about financial assistance availablefrom the Social Fund.
