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: S1W-28281

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 August 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 5 September 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27254 by Mr Jim Wallace on 29 July 2002, how many and what percentage of remand prisoners were held in prisons (a) in total and (b) broken down by prison on (i) 31 January, (ii) 31 March and (iii) 30 June 2002.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The information is given in the table:Number of Remand Prisoners in Penal Establishments, by Establishment (Provisional Figures)

Establishment	31 January 2002		31 March 2002		30 June 2002
Establishment	Number	Per cent	Number	Per cent	Number	Per cent
Barlinnie	406	38.2	440	39.9	497	38.9
Aberdeen	68	6.4	41	3.7	89	7.0
Cornton Vale	54	5.1	60	5.4	64	5.0
Dumfries	18	1.7	26	2.4	30	2.3
Edinburgh	206	19.4	220	20.0	248	19.4
Greenock	94	8.8	90	8.2	112	8.8
Inverness	39	3.7	36	3.3	47	3.7
Perth	102	9.6	95	8.6	92	7.2
Polmont	1	0.1	14	1.3	23	1.8
Kilmarnock	75	7.1	80	7.3	77	6.0
Total	1,063	100	1,102	100	1,279	100

Question reference: S1W-26125

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 3 September 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that there is a secure environment for sub-postmasters in deprived urban areas where they are liable to threats and assault.

Post offices are a reserved issue. However, as part of a broad strategy aimed at providing support for communities in deprived urban areas Scottish ministers are currently considering ways in which post offices located in these areas might be assisted. If financial assistance is offered we will consider whether it could be used to fund improvements to deter violent and other crime. I hope to be able to advise you further on this in due course.

Question reference: S1W-28232

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2002
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 2 September 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12399 by Jackie Baillie on 25 January 2001, whether the Central Heating Working Group has published its report.

The conclusions reached by the Central Heating Working Group were set out in the enclosure to a letter of 23 February 2001, from the then Minister for Social Justice to the Convenor of the Social Justice Committee. It was copied to all MSPs and copies were placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. It records that priority for free central heating will be given to (a) those aged over 75; (b) the elderly living alone, and (c) the disabled and the long-term ill. These cases are prioritised against other applications received at the same time.

Question reference: S1W-28231

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2002
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 2 September 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21782 by Iain Gray on 19 February 2002, how many applications have now been received and approved for free central heating installation in the Scottish Borders area under its central heating installation programme.

Question reference: S1W-28230

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2002
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 2 September 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21782 by Iain Gray on 19 February 2002, how many of those 23 applicants have now had a central heating system installed.

The 23 applicants concerned contacted Eaga by telephone and the information they gave led Eaga to believe that they were eligible for the central heating programme. However, applicants must sign a declaration attesting that they meet all the conditions for free central heating. Fifteen of the applicants did not return signed declarations and it must therefore be assumed that, on reflection, they found themselves to be ineligible. Three of the eight remaining applicants have had free central heating installed and the other five will soon do so.

Question reference: S1W-28130

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 August 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 August 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) where the sheriff court service accounts can be accessed and (b) whether such accounts form part of the justice budget.

The administration of the sheriff courts is the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service whose accounts are published and laid before the Scottish Parliament annually. The service's Annual Report and Accounts for 2000-01 is available from the Parliament's Reference Centre. The report for 2001-02 is currently being prepared.The Scottish Court Service is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Executive Justice Department and its funding and expenditure forms part of the Justice budget.

Question reference: S1W-28129

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 August 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 August 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in its consideration of the permanent closure of court facilities in Peebles, it is taking into account usage made by the Peebles District Court.

Question reference: S1W-27862

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 July 2002
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the absence of third party rights of appeal in relation to planning issues is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Executive undertook a review of existing planning legislation and concluded that the current planning system, with its inbuilt checks and safeguards, is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) without further amendment.However, we keep under review the need to amend existing law and procedures to comply with the Convention and shall continue to do so, particularly in consequence of any relevant developments in ECHR and domestic case law.

Question reference: S1W-27453

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 August 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive how many summary complaints have been dealt with at Peebles Sheriff Court , whether proceeding to trial or otherwise, in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002 -2003.

The information provided by the Scottish Court Service for the number of summary complaints dealt with at Peebles Sheriff Court is set out in the following table. The table includes those summary complaints registered under the jurisdiction of Peebles Sheriff Court. Since December 2001, any court appearances have been held at Selkirk Sheriff Court.Sheriff Court - Summary Criminal

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	April-June 2002
Complaints Registered	142	190	241	45
Complaints Concluded	176	203	220	61
Trials Evidence Led	14	10	7	3

Question reference: S1W-26059

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2002
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 August 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the reports prepared for HM Prisons Barlinnie and Peterhead as part of the estates review and submitted to the Scottish Prison Service at the same time as the report Constructing the Future was submitted will be placed in the Scottish Parliament's Information Centre, detailing the reasons behind its response on this matter.