Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is planning a victims and witnesses bill to strengthen the position of victims and witnesses in the justice system. Decisions on the overall content of the bill will be informed by the final shape and scope of the draft directive of the European Parliament and of the council aimed at establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime.

The Scottish Government will introduce a victims and witnesses bill during this parliament.

Scotland was largely compliant with the European Framework Decision on the Standing of Victims in Criminal Proceedings when it was promulgated. A detailed response to the framework decision, Victims in the Scottish Criminal Justice System: The EU Framework Decision On The Standing of Victims In Criminal Procedure, The Scottish Perspective, was published in 2002. Further work was done to ensure compliance with articles that did not need to be implemented until 2004.

Following research and consultation the European Commission concluded that the framework decision needed to be updated. Consequently, a proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the council on establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime to replace the 2001 framework decision, was adopted by the European Commission on 18 May 2011. The UK Government is currently involved in negotiations on the draft directive.

Responsibility for the establishment of designated cycle routes on B class roads lie with the local authority and Sustrans.

Sustrans and The Highland Council have already established National Cycle Route 1 on lightly trafficked roads between Nairn and Inverness. The signed route currently passes through Househill, Cawdor Wood, Balloch and Culloden.

During the development of new routes Transport Scotland will consider any interface with the trunk road in accordance with the Trunk Road Cycling Initiative (which now forms part of the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland) to assist in the development of the National Cycle Network.

Cashback for Communities reinvests the proceeds of crime in community activities for young people and works through a series of partnerships with Scottish sporting, arts, business and youth associations. To date, over £43 million has been invested or committed to a wide range of projects in communities affected by crime throughout Scotland, since the inception of Cashback for Communities in 2007.

Presently, all available funding has been committed to projects through to 2013-14 and consequently, there is no capacity to fund further projects at this time. However, the Scottish Government continues to spend over £5 million per year directly on projects to support victims and witnesses as it has done since 2007.

Cashback for Communities reinvests the proceeds of crime in community activities for young people and works through a series of partnerships with Scottish sporting, arts, business and youth associations.

Cashback for Communities is dependent on the availability of funding received from the proceeds of crime, rather than being provided as a Scottish Government budget allocation. However, over £43 million recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, has been invested or committed to a wide range of community projects throughout Scotland since it’s inception in 2007.

The following table shows a breakdown of the total amount of expenditure and commitments for the programme.  

The Cashback for Communities programme does not directly fund victims or witnesses organisations. However the Scottish Government continues to spend over £5 million per year directly on projects to support victims and witnesses.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.

Transport Scotland will be carrying out a joint consultation exercise on route options with the Highland Council towards the end of the year. The detailed design, assessment and statutory process cannot commence until a preferred route is identified. A preferred route will not be identified until route options have been consulted upon and we can confirm that the solution works with proposed local road improvements. Accordingly, it is too early to identify a date when detailed design of the upgrading can commence.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02878 on 3 October 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.