- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 3 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether PA Consulting, previously employed by Scottish Ministers to validate persistent young offender data produced by the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, is being used to validate existing data and, if so, whether ministers are confident that the data produced gives a robust and accurate account of the number of persistent young offenders.
Answer
No – PA Consulting are not currentlybeing employed to validate Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration data. Theywere engaged between April 2004 and May 2006 to support performance improvementin youth justice agencies at both local and national level.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 3 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and COSLA are now sharing resources, information and best practice to tackle persistent young offending, as outlined by the Minister for Justice in July 2005.
Answer
The police, local authorities,and the Children’s Hearings system have all made clear national commitments to deliverimprovements for communities – and for young people themselves. Where agencies havea clear, joined-up vision to reduce youth offending, results are better. I expectall professionals to make effective joint working a priority.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2006
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time is for the Scottish Information Commissioner to consider and reach a decision on appeals made to him.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 1 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to answers to questions S2W-25710 and S2W-25711 by Mr Tom McCabe on 17 May 2006 stating that the information on statutory performance indicators (SPIs) is not held centrally, whether the Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform has been advised that information related to SPIs is held in the Executive’s briefing exchange (Brix) system and whether, in light of this, he is now in a position to provide the information requested.
Answer
I refer the member to the answersto questions S2W-25710 and S2W-25711 on 17 May 2006. As made clear, information on statutory performanceindicators is publicly available and can be found on the Audit Scotland websiteat
www.audit-scotland.gov.uk.
PerformanceBrix notes previously included salient points from the statutory performance indicators.However, the approach to the performance Brix notes is currently underconsideration. In the meantime full performance information on localauthorities for 2004-05, and for previous years, can be accessed through Audit Scotland’swebsite.
All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 31 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered voluntary organisations have closed down in each year since 1999.
Answer
Voluntary organisations havenot been required to register with any regulatory body. Consequently, this informationis not collected centrally.
However, following the creationof the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR), voluntary organisationsseeking charitable status in Scotland are required to meet the new charity test set out inthe Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, in order to be awarded charitable status andbe placed on the Scottish Charity Register.
Charitable status was previouslygranted by the Inland Revenue (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) under the CharitiesAct 1993. Under section 3 (7) (b) trustees of charities were required to notifythe commissioners (Charity Commission) if their charities were winding up and thisinformation can be obtained from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25267 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 May 2006, what plans it has to introduce a convention to prevent Special Branch carrying out covert surveillance operations against MSPs and to extend their protection and freedom in a similar way to that provided to MPs by the Wilson Doctrine.
Answer
There are no plans to introducea convention of this sort.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S2W-25267 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 May 2006, how many people who were placed under covert surveillance involving interception of communications following authority from Scottish Ministers, but were not subsequently prosecuted, have made a complaint under Section 65 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
Answer
This is a matter for the InvestigatoryPowers Tribunal. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S2W-25272 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 May 2006, whether it considers that it is in the public interest to determine whether MSPs are, or have been, under covert surveillance involving interception of communications authorised by Scottish Ministers and what impact such action would have on the Scottish democratic process.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-25806 on 23 May 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25267 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 May 2006, when Scottish Ministers last discussed the Wilson Doctrine with the Prime Minister.
Answer
I have nothing to add to my answerto question S2W-25267. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be found at
www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25267 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 May 2006, how many covert surveillance operations involving the interception of MSPs' communications it has refused to authorise since 1999.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-25806 on 23 May 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be found at
www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
