Questions and answers

Question reference: S3W-01830

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 19 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new mortgages were taken out in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Estimates of the number of loansissued for house purchase in Scotland are set out in the following table. These data are sourcedfrom the Council of Mortgage Lenders. The notes to the tables explain the coverageof the estimates and the reasons for a possible break in comparability between 2004and 2005, at which point the Regulated Mortgage Survey replaced the Survey of MortgageLenders.

Year	Number of Loans Issued for House Purchase - Scotland
2002	126,700
2003	129,800
2004	124,400

Source: Survey of Mortgage Lenders(SML).

Year	Number of Loans Issued for House Purchase - Scotland
2005	102,900
2006	104,200

Source: Regulated Mortgage Survey(RMS).

Notes:

1. The estimates include loans to home-movers taking outa loan to secure house purchase and loans to first-time buyers (including thoseexercising the right to buy their social rented property). The estimates excludecash purchases and remortgaging activity. The estimates also exclude buy-to-letpurchases and second-charge mortgages, as these transactions are not regulated bythe Financial Services Authority.

2. Data to April 2005 is basedon the Survey of Mortgage Lenders (SML), grossed from a UK sample generallybelow 50% of all mortgage transactions. Data from April 2005 is drawn from the RegulatedMortgage Survey, which contains transaction-level data on approximately 85% of allnew regulated mortgages issued in Scotland. RMS data is based on statutory Financial Service Authorityreturns.

3. There is a significant dropfrom 2004 to 2005, both in terms of the volume of loans issued in Scotland, andthe proportion of the UK total comprised by Scottish loans. CML indicates thismay be due in part to a small number of lenders over-reporting Scottish data underthe previous SML regime.

3. Internal analysis indicatesthat the grossed figures for 2005-06 are likely to be accurate to around 4%.

Question reference: S3W-01831

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 19 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the new mortgages taken out in Scotland in each of the last five years were buy-to-let mortgages.

Question reference: S3W-01828

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of individuals found guilty of sexual offences against women in each of the last five years are known to have subsequently committed a sexual offence.

Question reference: S3W-01826

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of individuals found guilty of sexual offences against children have not served custodial sentences for the offences that they committed in each of the last five years.

The statistics collected centrallyon convictions do not identify victim characteristics unless this is implied bythe specific charge involved. The available information on those sexual offencecategories which by definition involved child victim(s) is given in the followingtable.

Persons given aNon-Custodial Sentence in Scottish Courts for Selected Sexual Offences¹,2001-02 to 2005-06

	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Number	184	144	148	147	133
% of persons with a charge proved for these crimes	62	57	58	60	55

Note: 1. Where main offence involvedincluded sexual intercourse with girl under 13 to 16, person with custody or careof girl and causing her seduction, lewd and libidinous practices, grooming of childrenfor the purposes of sexual offences, procuration of sexual services from childrenunder 18 and procuration of child under 18 for pornography.

Question reference: S3W-01823

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of charges of sexual offences against children which have come to trial have been referred to the sheriff court in each of the last five years.

The statistics collectedcentrally on prosecutions do not identify victim characteristics unless this isimplied by the specific charge involved. The available information on those sexualoffence categories which by definition involve child victim(s) is given in the followingtable.

Persons ProceededAgainst in Sheriff Courts for Selected Sexual Offences¹, 2001-02 to 2005-06

	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Number	315	237	248	252	257
% of persons proceeded against in all courts for these crimes	86	81	83	84	89

Note: 1. Where mainoffence involved included sexual intercourse with girl under 13 to 16, person withcustody or care of girl and causing her seduction, lewd and libidinous practices,grooming of children for the purposes of sexual offences, procuration of sexualservices from children under 18 and procuration of child under 18 for pornography.

Question reference: S3W-01821

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of charges of sexual offences against women which have come to trial have been referred to the sheriff court in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S3W-01827

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of individuals found guilty of sexual offences against men in each of the last five years are known to have subsequently committed a sexual offence.

Question reference: S3W-01822

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of charges of sexual offences against men which have come to trial have been referred to the sheriff court in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S3W-01825

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of individuals found guilty of sexual offences against women have not served custodial sentences for the offences that they committed in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S3W-01829

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 July 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 17 July 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of individuals found guilty of sexual offences against children in each of the last five years are known to have subsequently committed a sexual offence.

The statistics collected centrallyon convictions do not identify victim characteristics unless this is implied bythe specific charge involved. The available information on those sexual offencecategories which by definition involved child victim(s) is given in the followingtable.

Persons Released from aCustodial Sentence or given a Non-Custodial Sentence in 1998-99 to 2002-03 withan Index Conviction for Selected Sexual Offences¹: Number andPercentage Reconvicted within Two Years for a Sexual Offence²

	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03
Number reconvicted within two years	14	14	13	9	5
% of offenders with relevant index conviction	5	5	5	3	2

Notes:

1. Where main offence involvedincluded sexual intercourse with girl under 13 to 16, person with custody or careof girl and causing her seduction, lewd and libidinous practices, grooming of childrenfor the purposes of sexual offences, procuration of sexual services from childrenunder 18 and procuration of child under 18 for pornography.

2. Reconvictions for crimes ofindecency, excluding offences related to prostitution.

Chamber and committees