- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what factors the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice took into account, and upon whose advice he relied, when he considered the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill to be within the legislative competence of the Parliament.
Answer
The factors which I took into account in reaching my conclusion that the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill was within the legislative competence of the Parliament were those set out in section 29 of the Scotland Act 1998. For the rest, the policy of the Executive is, as a general rule, not to disclose the source or content of its legal advice. There does not appear to be any good reason to depart from that general policy in this particular case.
- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider compiling statistics centrally on the number of persons subject to failure to appear warrants.
Answer
We have no plans to start collecting such statistics centrally.
- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many current warrants in respect of failure to appear were outstanding at Glasgow Sheriff Court at 31 October 2001 and what the corresponding figure was for 31 October 2000.
Answer
The information requested is not readily available.
- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 3 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the explanation is for the increase in the number of fiscal fines issued during the period October 2000 to September 2001.
Answer
Crown Office statistics show no discernible increase over this period. Natural fluctuations occur dependent on the numbers of cases suitable for Procurator Fiscal fines.
- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 18 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases there were in which accused persons had been committed for trial and for which indictments had not been issued as at 1 November 2001 and how many such cases there were as at 1 November 2000.
Answer
The time limits for the service of indictments following full committal contemplate such service at any time up to 11 months thereafter. During that time, the cases are investigated and prepared. Except in relation to potential High Court cases, such cases are not brought to the central attention of Crown Office until preparation is complete. The particular statistic sought as regards November 2000 is not recorded and could not be reconstructed except by diverting substantial resources. The same is true of the statistic for November 2001.
- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 20 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3959 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 November 2001, whether it will consider consulting Her Majesty's Government on the feasibility of deducting fines from benefit in the interest of avoiding custodial sentences.
Answer
The courts may at present apply to the Department for Work and Pensions under the Fines (Deductions from Income Support) Regulations 1992 to allow for a deduction from the personal allowance of a single claimant. Decisions on whether a fine should be repaid in this way, and how much the weekly repayment should be, rest with the Department for Work and Pensions.
- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any requests from industry bodies to be included in the membership of the Committee on Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland since membership was announced.
Answer
Since the membership of the Nicholson Committee was announced, the Scottish Retail Consortium has requested representation on the committee.
- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive which member of the Committee on Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland was appointed to represent the views of the off-trade licensed sector during their review of liquor licensing law.
Answer
The licensed trade in general is represented by Maureen McKerrow of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association and Gordon Millar of the Brewers' and Licensed Retailers Association of Scotland.
- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of its Committee on Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland are drawn from organisations representing the (a) on-trade and (b) off-trade licensed sectors.
Answer
The Nicholson Committee on Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland includes one member each from the Brewers' and Licensed Retailers Association for Scotland (BLRAS) and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA). The BLRAS provides on-trade representation and the SLTA provides both on and off-trade representation.
- Asked by: Bill Aitken, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many premises currently hold an off-trade liquor licence.
Answer
The information requested is given in Table 3 of Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin CrJ/2001/3 - Liquor Licensing Statistics, 2000 - a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17139).
