- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive who authorised the decision to transfer prisoner Brian Martin from HMP Shotts to Castle Huntly open prison in April 2009.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to reply. His response is as follows:
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24282 on 9 June 2009. 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.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers or government officials received any advice on the transfer of prisoner Brian Martin from HMP Shotts to Castle Huntly open prison and, if so, (a) who received the advice, (b) when it was received and (c) what the advice was.
Answer
The transfer of a determinate sentence prisoner to the open estate is an operational matter for the Scottish Prisons Service. Such decisions have never been routinely communicated to ministers.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 8 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners in the open estate were serving (a) life, (b) long-term and (c) short-term sentences, as at May 2009.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
As of 31 May 2009 there were 44 prisoners serving a life sentence (including life recalls), 205 prisoners serving a long-term sentence (over four years) and 52 serving a short-term (less than four years) sentence.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 8 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners in the open estate were serving sentences, broken down by (a) length of sentence and (b) main charge proven, as at May 2009.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:
All prisoners held within the open estate are serving sentences the length of which is shown in the following table. This information reflects the position on 2 June 2009.
| Sentence Length | Number of Prisoners |
| Up to 2 Years | 3 |
| 2 to 4 Years | 48 |
| 4 to 6 Years | 115 |
| 6 to 8 Years | 45 |
| 8 to 10 Years | 19 |
| Over 10 Years | 25 |
| Life | 44 |
Prisoners are often convicted on a variety of charges. SPS does not designate a main charge.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 8 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive at what date and time government officials first became aware that prisoner John Burt Brown had absconded from HMP Castle Huntly on 27 May 2009.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:
The SPS HQ was advised of the abscond of John Burt Brown at 4.45 pm on Wednesday 27 May 2009.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has had with Aberdeen City Council in relation to teacher numbers and reducing class sizes since 26 March 2009.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24314 on 4 June 2009. 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.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning last met officials from Aberdeen City Council and what issues were discussed.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24314 on 4 June 2009. 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.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has met Aberdeen City Council to “question why not every council in Scotland has managed to achieve the teacher numbers that we would all wish” as stated by the First Minister on 26 March 2009 (Official Report c. 16247).
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24314 on 4 June 2009. 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.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 5 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Minister for Schools and Skills last met officials from Aberdeen City Council and what issues were discussed.
Answer
Education and Lifelong Learning Ministers regularly meet with a wide range of representatives from local authorities to discuss matters of joint interest. For example, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning last met with Aberdeen City Council on 16 January 2008 to discuss matters relating to children and young people.
Education and Lifelong Learning Ministers are currently in the process of meeting with all local authorities in Scotland to discuss progress on a range of priority issues, including relevant Concordat commitments that fall within the portfolio. The Minister for Schools and Skills met with elected members and senior officials from Aberdeen City Council on 26 May 2009 to discuss these issues.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 3 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were prosecuted for handling an offensive weapon in 2007-08, broken down by (a) main penalty and (b) police force area.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table.
Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Handling an Offensive Weapon1 2, by Force and Main Result, for Financial Year 2007-08.
| Police Force Area | Custody | Community Sentence | Monetary | Charge Proved - Other4 | Not Guilty | Total Proceeded Against |
| Central | 25 | 49 | 33 | 25 | 33 | 165 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 20 | 38 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 89 |
| Fife | 31 | 47 | 32 | 12 | 21 | 143 |
| Grampian | 29 | 56 | 57 | 20 | 22 | 184 |
| Lothian and Borders | 87 | 78 | 142 | 47 | 63 | 417 |
| Northern | 26 | 27 | 30 | 11 | 23 | 117 |
| Strathclyde | 714 | 738 | 590 | 246 | 413 | 2,701 |
| Tayside | 59 | 79 | 29 | 18 | 39 | 224 |
| Scotland3 | 991 | 1,112 | 928 | 387 | 623 | 4,041 |
Notes:
1. Where main offence.
2. Handling an offensive weapon covers the crime categories possession of an offensive weapon, restriction of an offensive weapon, and having in a public place an article with a blade or point.
3. Contains one not guilty case where the police force is unknown.
4. Including caution, admonition, absolute discharge and remit to children''s hearing.
