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-20396

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 24 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how much a single data-enabled breath screening device costs.

Question reference: S3W-20395

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 24 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a decision on the roll-out of data-enabled breath screening devices to all police forces.

Question reference: S3W-20290

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage witnesses of knife crime to come forward with evidence, particularly among young people.

Question reference: S3W-20288

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to educate parents about the dangers of knife crime and access to knives.

Parents and carers have a vitally important role in preventing children becoming involved in a gang or carrying a knife and we are committed to supporting their efforts. We provide Parentline Scotland with over £100,000 per annum to provide a free and confidential helpline for any parent or carer looking after a child in Scotland who need advice on a range of issues. And, through the national Violence Reduction Unit, leaflets providing parents and carers with advice on preventing their child becoming involved in this behaviour has been sent to every nursery, primary school, doctors surgery and library in Scotland.

Question reference: S3W-20291

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a problem exists in relation to knife crime, young people and the withholding of evidence and, if so, what action it is taking to tackle the problem.

Question reference: S3W-20368

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the success of Operation Cougar in tackling gang culture in Manchester, as reported by the Home Office on 29 January 2009, what aspects of this initiative the Scottish Government considers could be replicated in Scotland.

Question reference: S3W-20369

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the success of Operation Cougar in tackling gang culture in Manchester, as reported by the Home Office on 29 January 2009, whether it considers that the use of police spotters to quickly identify mounting tensions and who can bring in additional officers to respond is an approach that could be adopted in tackling gang culture in Scotland.

Question reference: S3W-20374

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to provide advice to parents and carers and information on who to contact for help and support if they suspect that a child in their care may be involved with gangs.

Question reference: S3W-20556

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 23 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19206 by Kenny MacAskill on 15 January 2009, for what reasons Lothian and Borders Community Justice Authority received a negative allocation of funds.

Community Justice Authorities (CJA) receive a share of overall funding calculated by an agreed formula drawing upon published workload statistics over the preceding three years. The total Scotland-wide allocation for Community Service for 2009-10 has increased from £13,689,165 to £15,425,618 as a result of the previously announced additional funding. Lothian and Borders CJA''s percentage increase was lower than that for other CJAs because of a drop in their workload figures for Community Service over the preceding three years. The total Lothian and Borders CJA community service allocation has nonetheless benefited by a 5% increase from £2,205,206 to £2,312,420 for the year 2009-10 as a result of the overall increase in government funding for community penalties.

Question reference: S3W-20373

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 February 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to provide advice to parents and carers on preventing children in their care from becoming involved in gangs.