- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many wildlife crimes recorded by Fife Constabulary led to a conviction, also expressed as a percentage of the total number of convictions in each year from April 1999 to April 2009.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table.
Persons with a Charge Proved for Wildlife Crime Offences1, in Fife Police Area, 1999-2000 - 2008-09
| | Scotland | Fife | as % of total |
| 1999-2000 | 84 | 3 | 4 |
| 2000-01 | 72 | 3 | 4 |
| 2001-02 | 57 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-03 | 51 | 2 | 4 |
| 2003-04 | 75 | 2 | 3 |
| 2004-05 | 72 | 3 | 4 |
| 2005-06 | 90 | 2 | 2 |
| 2006-07 | 110 | 3 | 3 |
| 2007-08 | 130 | 3 | 2 |
Note: 1. Where main offence. Includes the offences categories of cruelty to animals (excluding dogs), animal offences (excluding dogs and birds), offences involving birds, hunting with dogs, cruelty to wild animals, offences involving badgers, and other wildlife offences.
Some caution is needed when comparing figures between recorded crime and court proceedings as a person may be proceeded against for more than one crime and there is the possibility that the crime recorded by the police may be altered in the course of judicial proceedings. In addition a crime may be recorded by the police in one year and court proceedings concluded in a subsequent year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the types of species most commonly targeted in wildlife crime in the Strathclyde Police area, in each year from April 1999.
Answer
The data requested is not held centrally. The data held centrally is based on an aggregate return, so it is not possible to distinguish the circumstances of the crime, or the types of species most commonly targeted in wildlife crime.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding Strathclyde Police has allocated to the investigation and detection of wildlife crime, also expressed as a percentage of its overall budget, in each year from April 1999.
Answer
This information is not held centrally. Operational deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constables of Scottish Police Forces.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the penalties were for wildlife crime-related convictions in the Strathclyde Police area for each year from April 1999.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table.
Persons Convicted for Wildlife Crime Offences2, in Strathclyde Police Area, by disposal, 1999-2000 to 2008-09
| Main Result of Proceedings | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| Custody | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Community sentence | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Monetary | 24 | 23 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 32 | 45 |
| Admonished | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 6 |
| Other | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| All | 33 | 29 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 28 | 15 | 46 | 58 |
Note: 1. Where main offence. Includes the offences categories of cruelty to animals (excluding dogs), animal offences (excluding dogs and birds), offences involving birds, hunting with dogs, cruelty to wild animals, offences involving badgers, and other wildlife offences.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many instances were recorded by Strathclyde Police of wildlife crime known to be commissioned by overseas individuals or groups, also expressed as a percentage in each year since 1999.
Answer
The data requested is not held centrally. The data held centrally is based on an aggregate return, so it is not possible to distinguish the circumstances of the crime, or the perpetrator.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to increase the capacity of the Strathardle telephone exchange to improve broadband connectivity.
Answer
The Scottish Government announced on 9 December 2009 that it has agreed with BT a programme of upgrades to 71 Scottish rural telephone exchanges which are currently operating at, or approaching, full capacity. The first upgrades will be complete from March 2010. In addition, BT is also investigating further upgrades to a smaller number of similarly affected exchanges and we hope to be in a position to announce even more upgrades in due course. Please refer to our news release at the following website
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/12/09142338.
I am pleased to confirm that Strathardle, Fern and Menmuir exchanges will be upgraded in this programme. The indicative upgrade date for Strathardle exchange is 8 June 2010. The indicative upgrade dates for Fern and Menmuir exchanges will be announced in due course at the following website www.broadbandforscotland.co.uk.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the types of species most commonly targeted in wildlife crime in the Fife Constabulary area, in each year from April 1999.
Answer
The data requested is not held centrally. The data held centrally is based on an aggregate return, so it is not possible to distinguish the circumstances of the crime, or the types of species most commonly targeted in wildlife crime.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the categories of wildlife crime recorded by Fife Constabulary in each year from April 1999.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table:
Categories of Wildlife Offences1 Recorded by Fife Constabulary from 1999-2000 to 2008-09
| Offences1 |
| Cruelty to animals (excluding dogs) including killing and maiming cattle |
| Offences involving Animals (excluding dogs, birds elsewhere classified) |
| Offences involving birds |
| Hunting with dogs1 |
| Cruelty to wild animals1 |
| Offences involving badgers1 |
| Other wildlife offences1 |
Note: 1. In financial year 2002-03, crime codes were introduced to cover offences of Hunting with Dogs, Cruelty to Wild Animals, Offences Involving Badgers and Other Wildlife Offences, which (excluding Hunting with dogs) would have previously been recorded under a different offence; but within the same Animal/Plant category.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many wildlife crimes in each of the five most common types of wildlife crime were committed in the Strathclyde Police area, also expressed as a percentage of all detected wildlife crimes in each year from April 1999 to April 2009.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table:
Number of Wildlife Offences Recorded, Cleared Up and Percentage Cleared Up, by Strathclyde Police force, 1999-2000 to 2008-2009
Recorded
| Offence | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| Cruelty to animals (excluding dogs) including killing and maiming cattle | 15 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 43 | 31 | 40 | 66 | 27 | 10 |
| Offences involving Animals (excluding dogs, birds elsewhere classified) | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 71 |
| Offences involving birds | 11 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 25 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 13 |
| Hunting with dogs1 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Cruelty to wild animals1 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Offences involving badgers1 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other wildlife offences1 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Total | 27 | 21 | 37 | 39 | 65 | 64 | 61 | 94 | 81 | 114 |
Cleared up
| Offence | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| Cruelty to animals (excluding dogs) including killing and maiming cattle | 13 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 32 | 20 | 17 | 40 | 20 | 3 |
| Offences involving Animals (excluding dogs, birds elsewhere classified) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 | 49 |
| Offences involving birds | 8 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 5 |
| Hunting with dogs1 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Cruelty to wild animals1 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Offences involving badgers1 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other wildlife offences1 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Total | 22 | 16 | 21 | 30 | 50 | 46 | 36 | 63 | 55 | 72 |
Percentage Cleared Up (%)
| Offence | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| Cruelty to animals (excluding dogs) including killing and maiming cattle | 87 | 69 | 47 | 86 | 74 | 65 | 43 | 61 | 74 | 30 |
| Offences involving Animals (excluding dogs, birds elsewhere classified) | 100 | . | 50 | . | 80 | 88 | 100 | 75 | 62 | 69 |
| Offences involving birds | 73 | 88 | 69 | 65 | 82 | 76 | 89 | 85 | 71 | 38 |
| Hunting with dogs1 | - | - | - | . | . | . | . | . | . | 50 |
| Cruelty to wild animals1 | - | - | - | . | . | . | . | . | . | 100 |
| Offences involving badgers1 | - | - | - | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| Other wildlife offences1 | - | - | - | . | . | . | . | . | . | 80 |
| Total | 81 | 76 | 57 | 77 | 77 | 72 | 59 | 67 | 68 | 63 |
Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services.
Notes:
- Offence not active within financial year.
. Not calculated as number of offences recorded is zero.
1. In financial year 2002-03, crime codes were introduced to cover offences of Hunting with Dogs, Cruelty to Wild Animals, Offences Involving Badgers and Other Wildlife Offences, which (excluding Hunting with dogs) would have previously been recorded under a different offence; but within the same Animal/Plant category.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the categories of wildlife crime recorded by Strathclyde Police in each year from April 1999 to April 2009.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table:
Categories of Wildlife Offences1 Recorded by Strathclyde Police from 1999-2000 to 2008-09
| Offences1 |
| Cruelty to animals (excluding dogs) including killing and maiming cattle |
| Offences involving Animals (excluding dogs, birds elsewhere classified) |
| Offences involving birds |
| Hunting with dogs1 |
| Cruelty to wild animals1 |
| Offences involving badgers1 |
| Other wildlife offences1 |
Note: 1. In financial year 2002-03, crime codes were introduced to cover offences of ˜Hunting with Dogs, Cruelty to Wild Animals, Offences Involving Badgers and Other Wildlife Offences, which (excluding Hunting with dogs) would have previously been recorded under a different offence; but within the same animal/plant category.
