Chamber and committees

The Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland has carried out an examination this year of the management of time limits. Its report was published in February 2015 and may be found at:

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/1907

The report notes the increase in the number of sexual offences currently before the courts, and the increasing complexity of solemn cases, and sets out a number of recommendations for consideration by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). The report also states that "It is noteworthy and to the credit of COPFS that, with a few exceptions, [serious cases prosecuted under solemn procedure] are managed within the tight time limits that apply in Scots law".

Recognising the increased burden of sexual and domestic abuse cases discussed in the report, the Scottish Government has committed £2.4 million in additional funding in the current year to ensure swift progress of cases involving these offences. This funding is supporting additional court staff, judiciary and fiscals.

The information requested for 2010-11 to 2012-13 is shown in the following table. Data for 2013-14 will be published on 18 December 2015. Data from April 2015 onward is not yet available.

Maximum, mean and median number of days spent on remand prior to liberation for people entering prison during the period: 2010-11 to 2012-13

Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services.

This information is not held centrally. As the response to S4W-24995 made clear, Police Scotland introduced a national firearms licensing database (Shogun) from October 2014. Responsibility for the operation of the firearms licensing system and for reporting on system performance is a matter for the Police Service of Scotland.

This information is not held centrally. As the response to S4W-24995 made clear, Police Scotland introduced a national firearms licensing database (Shogun) from October 2014. Responsibility for the operation of the firearms licensing system and for reporting on system performance is a matter for the Police Service of Scotland.

The National Records of Scotland hopes to appoint a suitable candidate early in 2016.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28458 on 2 December 2015. 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.

As set out in the answer to S4W-27521, I will provide to Parliament in due course an analysis of responses and how we intend to proceed. Any proposals regarding legislation would be set out at that stage. Discussions continue to take place with relevant public sector bodies in relation to the online services that they offer or plan to offer.

The Code of Practice published in accordance with section 60 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 ('the Act') requires a public authority, when considering outsourcing any of its functions, to take steps to ensure that there is no resulting reduction in the public’s rights to access information through requests and proactive publication.

Compliance with the code – which is enforced by the Scottish Information Commissioner – should therefore mean that authorities outsourcing any of their functions consider the implications for access to information.

Loss of information rights is one of the key factors that the Scottish Government will consider when examining a range of organisations delivering public services to consider whether or not they should be brought under the scope of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

The Scottish Government has consistently advocated a factor-based approach to extension of coverage of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, most recently in the consultation paper proposing further extension of coverage published earlier in 2015.