Chamber and committees

The capital disregard from winnings in matrimonial cases was first set at £2,500 in 1987. I announced the Executive's intention to increase the exemption limit to £4,200 on 13 March. The increase has now been incorporated in the replacement set of civil legal aid regulations which I have just laid in the Parliament and which will come into force on 1 December.

Our vision for rural Scotland, published in May 2000, stressed the importance of improving the lives of all those living in rural areas. This included our determination to ensure that our rural areas attract and retain young people to live and work there - to ensure that "getting on need not mean going away". To realise that vision, we have in place a range of measures across all Scottish Executive portfolios.We are increasing employment opportunities through support for rural economic development, improving the provision of child care and school education in rural areas, and increasing opportunities for further and higher education. We are tackling social exclusion, improving the provision of transport in rural areas and improving housing conditions through our community ownership programme. For example, the proposed transfer of Scottish Borders Council's housing to Scottish Borders Housing Association will generate around £82 million investment in the first 10 years to repair and modernise the housing stock. The knock-on effect of this substantial investment is expected to be more local jobs and training opportunities.

These figures are not held centrally.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The factual information requested is not available. Discussions are on-going with Forth Valley Primary Care NHS Trust about how appropriate psychiatric services might continue to be made available within Cornton Vale.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29259 today. 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/webapp/search_wa. As indicated in the earlier reply, it is too early to discern to what extent increased funding of bail supervision schemes might impact on the numbers of prisoners being sent for remand.

Bail supervision schemes are currently being set up by local authority criminal justice social work services with the funding provided by the Executive. As a result, they are available only to a restricted number of courts and it is therefore too early to conduct a detailed assessment of the effect this new disposal is having on the numbers of prisoners being sent for remand. This issue will however be addressed through on-going monitoring and evaluation.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The new private-build private-operate prison will provide around 700 prisoner places, although the exact number of places has yet to be set.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The contract for the building and operation of HM Prison Kilmarnock pre-dates the publication of The Standards of Health Care for Prisoners.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Screening for communicable diseases is provided at the request of prisoners. All prisoners are offered immunisation against hepatitis B on admission to custody. All prisoners known to be hepatitis C positive are offered immunisation against hepatitis A.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The Scottish Prison Service is cognisant of national health policies in designing its prisoner health care policy.