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-13409

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12231 by Kenny MacAskill on 24 January 2013, whether (a) it or (b) the Scottish Prison Service plans to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes in prison.

Question reference: S4W-13412

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many first-time offenders there have been in each year since 2007.

The information requested is shown in the following table.

Number of individuals convicted during the period with no prior convictions in previous 10 years: 2006-07 to 2011-12

2006-07	18,939
2007-08	18,695
2008-09	17,304
2009-10	16,350
2010-11	15,053
2011-12	13,607

Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services criminal proceedings database.

Notes:

1. Figures include criminal court convictions during past 10 years for crimes or common assault, breach of the peace, racially aggravated conduct or harassment, firearms offences or social security offences. Convictions outwith Scotland are excluded.

2. The data presented in this publication are drawn from an administrative IT system. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, they are subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. While the figures shown have been checked as far as practicable, they should be regarded as approximate and not necessarily accurate to the last whole number shown in the tables. They are also updated and quality assured on an on-going basis, and the figures shown here may therefore differ slightly from those published previously.

Question reference: S4W-13411

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have passed the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 4 in each year since 2007.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows.

The SPS Learning and Skills Providers and SPS staff both deliver qualifications under the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

SPS does not collate information regarding how many prisoners have passed the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Level 4 delivered by SPS staff, however, SPS Learning and Skills providers do record this information.

The following table details the number of prisoners who have passed the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 4, delivered by SPS Learning and Skills providers in each academic year (1 August-31 July) since 2007.

No of Prisoners who Passed SQA Level 4 – per Academic Year

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

(to date)

871

1,240

1,053

1,262

1,084

628

Question reference: S4W-13410

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to set up a Scottish sentencing council.

Question reference: S4O-01924

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 14 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it will protect courses for adults with learning difficulties during college regionalisation.

Question reference: S4W-13404

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many children with a parent in prison are in (a) foster, (b) residential and (c) kinship care.

Question reference: S4W-13405

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what costs have been incurred in each year since 2007 as a result of children being taken into care following a parent being sent to prison.

Question reference: S4O-01934

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve services for people with neurological conditions and their carers.

Question reference: S4W-13406

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 11 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance social workers are given regarding preparing social enquiry reports for courts in relation to children of convicted offenders in order to assist sentencing.

Social Enquiry Reports were replaced in February 2011 by Criminal Justice Social Work Reports (CJSWRs). Practice guidance for report writers and managers was published in December 2010 and is available on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/public-safety/offender-management/offender/community/16910/Standards/GuidanceCJSWR.

In detailing an offenders’ personal and social circumstances, report writers are encouraged to include any caring responsibilities that the individual may have (including part-time or weekend contact) and whether any significant family relationships are at risk of breaking down as a consequence of any relevant sentencing option (paragraph 6.17.1).

Additionally, where a custodial sentence is possible, the guidance notes that report writers should consider the likely impact of such a sentence on the individual’s family, including any children, taking into account such variables as whether they are the sole breadwinner, if the family home may be in jeopardy, and if caring responsibilities could no longer be fulfilled (paragraph 6.25.1).

Question reference: S4O-01868

Asked by: Mary Fee, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on public sector severance payments in the last five years.