Chamber and committees

Arrangements for the appointment of a new Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service are currently underway. In September last year, the post was trawled internally within the Scottish Prison Service and across other government departments which covered staff working within the UK Prison Services. Whilst the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has acknowledged the strong field of candidates who applied it was decided to open up the competition to external candidates to ensure that candidates outwith the civil service also have the opportunity to apply for this important and strategic role within the justice sector. The post was advertised on 15 January 2010 in the Press and on-line. The closing date for applications is 5 February 2010. The new process is being chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner.

Willie Pretswell, Director of Finance and Business Services at the Scottish Prison Service, will act as Interim Chief Executive for the period until the recruitment process is complete and a new Chief Executive is appointed.

The Translating, Interpreting and Communication Support Group, set up by the Scottish Government to improve the standard of translation and interpreting services, identified monitoring quality and standards of the interpretation service as a key priority. One way of facilitating this could be through the use of the existing UK wide national register or a register specific to Scotland.

The national register of public service interpreters operational in England and Wales also operates in Scotland. However, it is our understanding that it is not widely used. The Scottish Government would be supportive of steps to improve monitoring of quality and data, through the use of a register if service providers felt that was the most effective way of doing so.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30675 on 21 January 2010. 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.

Combating serious organised crime and tackling organised crime groups is a top priority for the Scottish Government and the Scottish Police Service. The recent serious organised crime mapping project led by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) suggested that of the 367 serious organised crime groups identified in Scotland, only 42 were involved in theft, mainly motor vehicle and plant theft. Using additional resources allocated by the government the SCDEA will further develop intelligence on the scale and extent of serious organised crime in Scotland including the types of crime the groups are involved in. This will help the police target those individuals and groups causing the greatest harm to Scotland''s communities. The investigation of crime is of course an operational matter for the police.

The Serious Organised Crime Taskforce published its organised crime strategy on June 2009 (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/06/01144911/0).

This sets out a programme of work to tackle serious organised crime in all its forms.

The investigation of specific crimes including identification of suspects is an operational matter for the police.

Scottish Court Service (SCS) has responsibility for securing interpretation services in support of an accused person in criminal court proceedings.

We are satisfied with the service and formal monitoring now forms part of the contract. The requirement within the contract to increase the numbers of interpreters with DPSI qualifications year on year will enhance quality levels.

The impact of creating a presumption against custodial sentences of six months or less will be that courts should not impose such sentences unless the particular circumstances of the case lead them to believe that no other option would be appropriate. Judicial discretion to sentence shoplifters to jail will remain.

Of those convicted of shoplifting in 2007-08, 26% received a custodial sentence (Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2007-08). The remaining 74% received community sentences, monetary penalties or other disposals.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30679 on 20 January 2010. 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.