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-34503

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 24 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how much colleges received in core grants for teaching and student support in the last four years, including allocations for 2010-11, broken down by (a) year and (b) college.

Question reference: S3W-34499

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 22 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33972 by Kenny MacAskill on 8 June 2010, how many whole-time equivalent police support staff were employed in each police force on 31 March (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009.

The numbers of police support staff employed in each force at 31 March in each of the years are shown in the following table.

	2007	2008	2009
Central	386	353	335
Dumfries and Galloway	262	264	252
Fife	526	477	522
Grampian	780	759	720
Lothian and Borders	1,335	1,265	1,211
Northern	383	366	355
Strathclyde	3,046	2,632	2,536
Tayside	634	509	509
SPSA and SCDEA		886	1,326
Total	7,352	7,511	7,766

Source: Quarterly Strength Returns from forces and annual figures from SPSA.

Question reference: S3W-34431

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34069 by Kenny MacAskill on 2 June 2010, whether it considers that it would be useful to hold such information regarding the number of fiscal fines issued to offenders and whether it intends to do so in the future.

The results of a wide ranging review of the Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings statistical bulletin and database were published in November 2009 and can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/scotstatcrime/StakeCon/CrimProcCon.

Work is now underway to address a range of improvements, including the development of information on fiscal fines, however information on the release of offenders is not available from the Criminal Proceedings database.

Question reference: S3O-10946

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates that work will commence on improvements at the Haudagain roundabout in Aberdeen.

Question reference: S3W-34047

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Frank Mulholland on 15 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was secured by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10.

The total amount of money secured by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (including both the National Casework Division and Civil Recovery Unit) through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, broken down per year is as follows:

2006-07	£6,120,955
2007-08	£5,547,492
2008-09	£6,332,081
2009-10	£5,510,558
Total	£23,511,086

Question reference: S3W-34240

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33689 answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 May 2010, how many racist incidents were recorded in the Grampian Police force area in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09, broken down by ethnic origin of the victim, as per table 8 of Racist incidents by ethnic group of victim, 2007-08 and 2008-09 statistical bulletin.

The following table shows the number of racist incidents recorded by Grampian police force, broken down by ethnic group of victim.

Racist Incidents Recorded by Grampian Police, by Ethnic Group of Victim, 2007-08 and 2008-09

Ethnic Group	2007-08	2008-09
White British	76	120
White Irish	*	5
Other White	48	89
Mixed	22	21
Indian	50	85
Pakistani	31	48
Bangladeshi	11	15
Other Asian	21	40
Caribbean	6	18
African	55	99
Other Black	8	6
Chinese	20	6
Other	17	36
Not known/declared	21	16
Unknown	*	45
All ethnic groups¹	390	649

Notes:

*Data suppressed as potentially disclosive.

1. Note that totals may not equal the sum of their constituent parts due to the suppressed cells.

The increase of racist incidents in the Grampian area reflects a number of successful specific campaigns and initiatives run by Grampian Police to improve the reporting of these incidents. Grampian Police believe they have succeeded in raising the confidence of our communities to approach us and report instances of hate.

Question reference: S3W-34241

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children (a) are held and (b) were held in secure accommodation in each of the last three years, broken down by institution.

The current number of children in secure care accommodation is not held centrally. However, the Scottish Government annually publishes secure care accommodation statistics which can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/09/24095659/0.

Number of Residents, Admissions and Discharges and Number of Places at 31 March in Secure Accommodation Units, 2006-07 to 2008-09, by Unit

2006-07	Average number of residents during the year	Minimum number of residents during the year	Maximum number of residents during the year	Admissions during the year	Discharges during the year	Places at 31 March
Edinburgh Secure Services	11	8	12	35	35	12
The Elm''s Close Support Unit	2	0	4	13	13	4
Rossie School	23	19	24	89	87	24
St Mary''s Kenmure	29	26	30	56	58	30
St Philip''s	21	11	24	70	59	24
Good Shepherd	15	2	18	44	26	18
All Units	94	76	108	307	278	112

Source: Secure Accommodation Statistics 2006-07:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00606.

2007-08	Average number of residents during the year	Minimum number of residents during the year	Maximum number of residents during the year	Admissions during the year	Discharges during the year	Places at 31st March
Edinburgh Secure Services	11	10	12	31	32	12
The Elm''s Close Support Unit	2	0	3	14	14	4
Rossie School	20	11	24	50	55	24
St Mary''s Kenmure	27	21	32	85	113	*see notes
St Philip''s	18	11	24	74	72	24
Good Shepherd	26	9	18	53	53	18
Kibble	13	2	19	39	23	18
All Units	102	85	112	346	362	100

Source: Secure Accommodation Statistics 2007-08:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00681.

Notes:

1. Kibble opened on 23 July 2007 and is included in the sum of all beds.

2.St Mary''s Kenmure was closed temporarily from 30 March 2008. Up until 30 March 2008 there were 30 places available at St Marys Kenmure, but the unit was closed on the 31 March 2008 and so these beds are not included in the total figure.

3. The number of places excludes emergency beds and beds outwith the secure section of any unit except for St Mary''s Kenmure, who were not able to differentiate between emergency and non-emergency beds in 2007-08.

4. The average number of residents during the year is calculated using the number of days the unit was open.

2008-09	Average number of residents during the year	Minimum number of residents during the year	Maximum number of residents during the year	Admissions during the year	Discharges during the year	Places at 31 March
Edinburgh Secure Services	11	8	12	34	34	12
The Elm''s Close Support Unit	3	1	4	14	15	4
Rossie School	18	11	23	40	46	24
St Mary''s Kenmure	11	3	18	50	32	24
St Philip''s	22	17	24	53	56	24
Good Shepherd	14	10	18	46	48	18
Kibble	15	12	17	34	36	18
All Units	90	80	102	271	267	124

Source: Secure Accommodation Statistics 2008-09:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/09/24095659/0.

Notes:

1.St. Mary''s Kenmure was temporarily closed on 30 March 2008 and had a sequential re-opening from 4 August 2008 when it''s bed complement was as follows:

4 August to 24 August = six beds, 25 August to 14 September = 12 beds, 15 September to 5 October = 18 beds and from 6 October onwards = 24 beds.

2. Young people can be admitted and discharged more than once during the year.

3. St. Mary''s Kenmure reported over capacity by one child for each day from 13 August to 16 August 2008 and 28 August to 5 September 2008. However, this is likely to be a recording error.

4. Kibble reported over capacity by one child for each day from 11 January 2008 to 21 January 2008. However, this is likely to be a recording error.

5. The number of places excludes emergency beds and beds outwith the secure section of each unit.

6. The average number of residents during the year is calculated using the number of days the unit was open

Question reference: S3W-34242

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive what the capacity of each secure accommodation unit (a) is and (b) was in each of the last three years, broken down by institution.

Question reference: S3W-34239

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers are seconded to the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, broken down by police force.

On 10 June 2010 there were 211 police officers on secondment at the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency. The following table breaks down these secondees by their home police force.

Police Force	Number of Secondees at SCDEA
Central	7
Dumfries and Galloway	8
Fife	9
Grampian	19
Lothian and Borders	38
Northern	7
Strathclyde	113
Tayside	8
British Transport Police	2
Total	211

Question reference: S3W-34125

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2010
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 11 June 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-33744, S3W-33745, S3W-33747, S3W-33748, S3W-33749, S3W-33752, S3W-33756, S3W-33757, S3W-33758 and S3W-33759 by Kenny MacAskill on 1 June 2010, whether it will provide answers to these questions that specifically address the issues raised.

In my answer to question S3W-33743 on 1 June 2010, I made clear that the Scottish Government is absolutely committed to delivering 1,000 additional police officers in our communities by April 2011. The Scottish Government is providing the funding and I expect chief constables to continue to deliver on that commitment. At 31 March 2010 there were 17,409 police officers in Scotland.

I also made clear in my statement to Parliament on 19 May 2010 that the extra funding provided specifically to recruit 1,000 extra officers should not be used for any other purpose. This message was conveyed to the chief constables when I met them on 18 January 2010, supported by civil servants. The President of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, Chief Constable Pat Shearer, has made it clear in his own statement issued on 18 May 2010 that:

Civil servants acting in their official capacity and in support of the Minister, advised that the funding had been made available specifically for the purpose of enhancing front line policing services.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.