Chamber and committees

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

Standard prisoner admission procedures include searching, recording and storing prisoner property and cash, anti-suicide/self-harm procedures admission interviews, and healthcare screening by nursing staff on admission followed by a doctor''s assessment within the first 24 hours. Prisoners are also given an opportunity to contact family or friends on admission.

These admission procedures are followed within 72 hours by a more in-depth core screening interview as part of the integrated case management process. This interview is normally conducted in the prison links centre and is used to identify issues such as housing, employability and substance misuse. There is also a national induction package which provides general information about prison regimes, supplemented by local information about the prison of admission.

Dispensing practices in Scotland provide dispensing for some or all of their patients only where a community pharmacy service is unavailable. This service is subject to a special funding regime. We are currently reviewing the long standing contractual arrangements for this service, which were not addressed when the current national GP contract was introduced in 2004. We will discuss in due course with the Scottish General Practitioners Committee how these arrangements should be developed.

Dispensing practices in Scotland provide dispensing for some or all of their patients only where a community pharmacy service is unavailable. This service is subject to a special funding regime. We are currently reviewing the long standing contractual arrangements for this service, which were not addressed when the current national GP contract was introduced in 2004. We will discuss in due course with the Scottish General Practitioners Committee how these arrangements should be developed.

We recognise that communities and individuals without access to mains gas may face additional fuel costs and inconvenience. For this reason, we consider that renewable energy presents an opportunity for such communities in particular. We are promoting community and micro-generation, including by a tripling of budgets which support these forms of renewable energy and the development of guidance for communities on renewable energy.

The available information on the proportion of individual offenders with a charge proved and with no previous convictions is given in the following publications:

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2001 in table 15 (under the Total column for All previous convictions = None), on page 39. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2002.

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2002 in table 14 (under the Total column for All previous convictions = None), on page 36. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2004.

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2003 in table 14 (under the Total column for All previous convictions = None), on page 36. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2005.

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2004-5 in table 14 (under the Total column for All previous convictions = None), on page 37. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2006.

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2005-6 in table 14 (under the Total column for All previous convictions = None), on page 39. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2007.

Copies of which are available are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 25720, 31304, 36012, 39481, 42387 respectively).

There have been no parenting orders to date.

A parenting order should only be considered where a parent has been offered help and support on a voluntary basis and has refused to engage with this support. It is for the professionals working with families to decide what approach will best change the parent''s behaviour in respect of the child''s needs or risks.

The available information on individual offenders receiving a custodial sentence and with no previous convictions is given in the following publications:

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2001 in table 15 (under the Custody column for All previous convictions = None), on page 39. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2002.

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2002 in table 14 (under the Custody column for All previous convictions = None), on page 36. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2004.

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2003 in table 14 (under the Custody column for All previous convictions = None), on page 36. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2005.

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2004-5 in table 14 (under the Custody column for All previous convictions = None), on page 37. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2006.

Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2005-6 in table 14 (under the Custody column for All previous convictions = None), on page 39. Published by the Scottish Executive in 2007.

Copies of which are available are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 25720, 31304, 36012, 39481, 42387 respectively).

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The most recent day for which a representative figure for the prison population can be released publicly is 12 December 2007. The population on this date was 7,362. Of these 2,533 were held in custody for non-sexual crimes of violence and 413 for crimes of indecency.

The following table gives a detailed breakdown of these categories.

Main Crime/Offence		Remand	Sentenced	Total
Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence	Homicide	58	820	878
	Serious Assault etc	186	950	1136
	Robbery	67	371	438
	Other Violence	18	63	81
Crimes of Indecency	Rape & Attempted Rape	19	175	194
	Indecent Assault	1	37	38
	Lewd & Lib Practice	12	101	113
	Other Indecency	5	63	68

 

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

This information is not available centrally. The Scottish Prison Service holds information on the number of prisoners in custody and their custodial sentences, but does not hold information on all previous convictions as some of these would be non-custodial sentences.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

This information is not available centrally. The Scottish Prison Service holds information on the number of prisoners in custody and their custodial sentences, but does not hold information on all previous convictions as some of these would be non-custodial sentences.

i-font