Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-02796

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 7 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police support staff there have been in each police force in each year since 2001.

Information on police support staff are available as a snapshot figure at the end of each quarter. Data on a full-time equivalent basis are available from September 2003. Data provided in the following table are as at 30 September 2003 to as at 30 June from 2011

Police Support Staff (FTE) as at 30 September 2003 to as at 30 June 2011

Quarter^1,2	Central	Dumfries and Galloway	Fife	Grampian	Lothian and Borders	Northern	Strathclyde	Tayside	SPSA^3,4	SCDEA⁴	Scotland⁵
Q3 2003	326	251	409	632	1,102	361	2,466	559	-	-	6,105
Q4 2003	332	277	423	634	1,117	427	2,485	565	-	-	6,260
Q1 2004	320	281	411	654	1,149	361	2,387	565	-	-	6,128
Q2 2004	328	272	459	692	1,261	375	2,616	573	-	-	6,575
Q3 2004	326	267	473	718	1,211	377	2,506	581	-	-	6,458
Q4 2004	323	268	493	714	1,225	379	2,539	592	-	-	6,532
Q1 2005	336	268	484	727	1,247	383	2,546	611	-	-	6,602
Q2 2005	333	268	509	727	1,259	401	2,721	617	-	-	6,835
Q3 2005	332	273	496	729	1,279	408	2,839	607	-	-	6,963
Q4 2005	327	267	497	735	1,274	401	2,926	603	-	-	7,030
Q1 2006	338	276	530	757	1,301	397	2,975	614	-	-	7,187
Q2 2006	338	268	522	762	1,302	397	3,036	625	-	-	7,249
Q3 2006	394	270	530	752	1,315	383	3,027	624	-	-	7,294
Q4 2006	394	270	528	767	1,330	384	3,083	635	-	-	7,392
Q1 2007	386	262	526	780	1,335	383	3,046	634	-	-	7,352
Q2 2007	388	250	505	740	1,210	371	2,669	535	874	-	7,543
Q3 2007	346	261	477	718	1,156	377	2,688	504	883	-	7,411
Q4 2007	349	263	545	753	1,264	380	2,663	507	896	-	7,621
Q1 2008	353	264	477	759	1,265	366	2,632	509	903	-	7,528
Q2 2008	369	251	477	722	1,195	334	2,501	478	1,173	76	7,577
Q3 2008	339	252	476	720	1,186	332	2,474	478	1,194	77	7,529
Q4 2008	334	252	479	710	1,202	343	2,502	488	1,188	82	7,579
Q1 2009	335	252	522	720	1,211	355	2,536	509	1,190	83	7,713
Q2 2009	334	258	469	725	1,211	361	2,550	505	1,186	91	7,691
Q3 2009	343	257	473	744	1,257	360	2,571	517	1,196	90	7,808
Q4 2009	350	255	473	737	1,284	354	2,558	532	1,202	95	7,841
Q1 2010	357	257	469	733	1,281	352	2,524	543	1,233	112	7,862
Q2 2010	358	252	471	723	1,270	340	2,495	552	1,258	123	7,841
Q3 2010	353	253	475	712	1,252	346	2,491	565	1,252	135	7,833
Q4 2010	342	248	476	693	1,238	337	2,453	551	1,236	133	7,708
Q1 2011	326	215	460	661	1,148	333	2,415	549	1,210	130	7,447
Q2 2011	299	222	441	620	1,122	307	2,325	505	1,141	127	7,109

Notes:

1. Figures are as the end of the respective quarter: Q1=31 March, Q2=30 June, Q3=30 September, Q4=31 December.

2. Full-time equivalent figures have only been available from September 2003.

3. The Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) was created in April 2007.

4. Separate figures for the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) are not available prior to as at 30 June 2008.

5. Scotland totals may not equal the sum of the parts due to rounding.

Question reference: S4W-02905

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of the prisoner escort service contract has been in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S4W-02906

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 3 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many miles have been covered by private contract vehicles for prisoner transfer to and from court in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S4W-02904

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 3 October 2011

Question reference: S4W-02909

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 30 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take, and when, to reduce the £87 million identified in the Audit Scotland report, An overview of Scotland's criminal justice system, as lost annually due to delays in the process of summary cases, late guilty pleas and late decisions not to proceed.

In 2010-11, 74 percent of summary criminal cases were dealt with within 26 weeks. This is an increase of eight percentage points since 2006-07 but, as the Audit Scotland report highlights, there is much still to do.

This is why the Scottish Government has embarked on the most radical reforms of our courts and tribunals for at least a century, under the Making Justice Work programme. Working alongside a number of justice organisations, this four-year national programme is designed to address many of the issues highlighted in the Audit Scotland report.

The four-year programme which commenced in 2010 will save in the region of £14 million across justice next year and more in future years.

Question reference: S4W-02908

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 30 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the Audit Scotland report, An overview of Scotland's criminal justice system.

The Scottish Government welcomes Audit Scotland’s overview of Scotland’s criminal justice system.

As the report recognises, there have been significant changes to the criminal justice system since devolution, which have delivered major reform. While progress has been made, we also agree that there is still much to do.

We are building on the joint working highlighted in the audit report and embarking on the most radical reforms of our courts and tribunals for at least a century, under the Making Justice Work programme. Working with a range of justice organisations, our aim is to reduce waste and improve public confidence and user experience of the justice system. In doing so, we are looking to save in the region of £14 million next year and more in future years.

We are also committed to further progress on reducing re-offending in Scotland. Recent statistics show that the two-year reconviction rate has dropped to its lowest level for 11 years.

Question reference: S4O-00257

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when the dental facility at East Ayrshire Community Hospital will be built.

Question reference: S4W-02795

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many currently detained young offenders have been in care.

Question reference: S4W-02798

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Oyster 2 wave energy hydro converter referred to in 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland has been installed successfully.

Question reference: S4O-00185

Asked by: Graeme Pearson, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure a balanced response to wind farm applications.