Chamber and committees

The available information, consistentwith the numbers of convictions for rape given in reply to question S2W-27511 answeredon 18 August 2006, is given in the following table.

Persons with a Charge Provedfor Rape¹: Total Number of Charges of Rape which were Proved, byPolice Force Area, 1996-97 to 2004-05

Police Force Area	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05
	Number of Convictions
Central	2	-	3	2	1	-	2	1	1
Dumfries and Galloway	1	1	-	1	2	1	1	-	-
Fife	1	4	10	1	1	5	5	1	9
Grampian	6	-	5	5	1	2	2	2	3
Lothian and Borders	4	9	5	7	9	11	7	8	10
Northern	-	2	1	3	-	3	4	2	3
Strathclyde	17	10	12	8	11	20	14	16	13
Tayside	4	4	1	-	3	3	2	6	2
Scotland	35	30	37	27	28	45	37	36	41
	Number of Individual Charges of Rape Proved
Central	2	-	3	3	1	-	3	1	1
Dumfries and Galloway	1	1	-	1	2	2	1	-	-
Fife	1	4	12	1	1	5	7	1	12
Grampian	6	-	8	5	2	2	2	2	4
Lothian and Borders	5	12	6	12	9	13	8	9	12
Northern	-	2	1	3	-	7	5	2	3
Strathclyde	21	11	15	11	13	26	17	20	15
Tayside	6	4	1	-	4	4	2	7	2
Scotland	42	34	46	36	32	59	45	42	49

Note: 1. Where main offence.

All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The internet filter softwareutilised by the Scottish Parliament does not automatically classify allwebsites with metatags relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)issues as pornographic. The filtering technology uses several methods of textanalysis, image analysis and linkage analysis to classify websitesautomatically. Even with the sophisticated analysis techniques used, there canbe no guarantee that the filtering software will not wrongly categorise sites. Ifthe member feels that a site has been incorrectly categorised, he is invited tocontact the BIT helpdesk.

Scottish Planning Policy threestates that planning authorities should identify suitable locations for Gypsies/Travellerssites where need is identified in the local housing strategy.

In addition, we have made £3million funding available to cover the threeyear period from financial year 2005-06 to year 2007-08, to local authorities to create or improve sites for Gypsies/Travellers.

Copies of the code areprovided to all ministers. Individual ministers are responsible for ensuringthat they follow the guidance in the code in order to uphold the highest standardsin public life and are ultimately accountable to Parliament.

I can confirm that civil servantsin the geographic information services are fully aware of the position that the Executive has no plans to link the citizen entitlement card to any national identityregister or similar database as confirmed in my stated answer to S2W-19893.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I can confirm the Scottish Executivehas no plans to link the citizen entitlement cards with address-based data in anycentral (UK) government data initiatives.

In relation to Scotland, thecitizen entitlement card is connected to address based data to facilitate card management.This is an essential part of any card management system and no different to existingsystems.

I understand that the Departmentfor Education and Skills has accepted the recommendation from the Citizen InformationProject to consider whether there is scope for a child population register and iscurrently considering the position. No decision has yet been taken to establishsuch a register.

We have no plans for a children’sindex as has been legislated for in England under the Children Act 2004. Rather than hosting a single,central database with basic information on all children, our approach is that informationis shared between authenticated practitioners on a need to know basis, via the eCareFramework.

I am aware of one response tothe consultation on the possession of extreme pornography which was blocked by theExecutive’s IT system. Officials have been in contact with the respondent and theirresponse has now been received and will be included in the consultation analysis.

The current process for filtering,blocking and release of e-mails is necessary to ensure that the amount of inappropriatee-mail being received by the Scottish Executive can be kept to a manageable level.However, for future consultations on subjects of a sexual nature, we will consideron a case-by-case basis whether the filter should be disapplied.

I refer to the member to the answer to question S2W-24154 on 23 March 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.