Chamber and committees

The training of police officers is an operational matter for Chief Constables. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland have informed me that the probationer training programme includes specific training on autistic spectrum disorders and that further training is provided to all officers during their training on mental health issues.

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

This information is not available.

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

Health professionals conduct a comprehensive health assessment for all prisoners on reception. Responsibility for the delivery of prisoner health care services transferred to NHS health boards in 1 November 2011. SPS will continue to work in partnership with NHS boards to meet the assessed health care needs of prisoners to support rehabilitation.

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

The Scottish Prison Service does not provide specific training to prison staff to identify the possibility of prisoners having an autistic spectrum disorder.

The issue of whether to display the saltire in the debating chamber has been considered by the SPCB previously, most recently on 4 February 2009. On that occasion, the matter had been raised by a petitioner to the Parliament and, after considering the request, the SPCB responded on 11 February 2009 saying that in its view, the introduction of the flag of Scotland into the chamber was unnecessary, given the unique and instantly recognisable design of the chamber and of the building as whole. That remains the position.

Community radio is important to the Scottish Government in reaching micro-local communities with public information messages. For each government campaign we assess the relevance to the audience in order to compile a media schedule, which often includes community radio. The Scottish Government provides between 8-10% of radio advertising expenditure to community radio, as follows (overall advertising expenditure varies from year to year, affected by, for example, the need for public information in specific localities due to the severe winter weather in 2009-10 and 2010-11):

2008-09 - £83,612

2009-10 - £128,968

2010-11 - £133,962

2011-12 - £67,116.

Community radio stations that have received advertising funding are listed in the following table.

In addition, from time to time, community radio stations have been successful in securing grants through various Scottish Government policy streams. However, no central record is retained of these grants.

Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the communications industries, including telecommunications, broadcasting and the postal service.

Since June 2009 Ofcom has conducted 234 consultations on a broad range of subject areas. The Scottish Government responds to consultations when appropriate; including responding to the recent consultation on licensing local television.

The Scottish Government is aware of the report by the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee of the National Assembly for Wales, The future outlook for the media in Wales.

There is a commonality between many of the report’s recommendations such as on developing the Welsh broadcasting sector, increased production levels and greater accountability of broadcasting institutions to the Welsh people and recommendations previously made by the Scottish Broadcasting Commission.

The Scottish Government has an over-arching Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Government on how to work together, responsibilities of the respective governments and best practice for the relationship.

There is also a concordat agreement between the Scottish Government and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The purpose of this document is to act as a guidance document on working practices to ensure a close and effective working relationship.