Chamber and committees

Large-scale poultry developments are dealt with through the local authority planning consents process, and there are no additional requirements for these to be notified to Scottish ministers. All poultry keepers with 50 or more birds are legally required to supply their contact details to the Great Britain Poultry register. Keepers of less than 50 birds are encouraged to register on a voluntary basis. On 9 January 2008, the register held details of 2,231 Scottish premises. Bird migration takes place across very wide fronts, and it is appropriate to assume that the whole of Great Britain lies under migratory flyways.

The Scottish Government is fully responsible for animal health and welfare and planning policies in Scotland. Given that GB is a single epidemiological unit, the Scottish Government works in liaison with Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government to co-ordinate animal disease surveillance arrangements across Great Britain.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

The SPS does not have a category of prisoners who are held in segregated protective custody. The following table displays the number of prisoners who have been held on protection conditions within SPS establishments.

Incident Establishment Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	Grand Total
Aberdeen		1			2	2		5
Barlinnie			1	2	1			4
Cornton Vale	1				1		2	4
Edinburgh	1	2		1	1	1		6
Glenochil Prison	1			1				2
Kilmarnock		1				1		2
Low Moss	1	1	2	1		2	1	8
Perth	1	1			4	1	2	9
Peterhead						1		1
Polmont		5	2	2		1	1	11
Shotts		1						1
Grand Total	5	12	5	7	9	9	6	53

 

Preparations are already in place to deal with any outbreak of avian influenza. These preparations include on-going surveillance of wild birds and domestic poultry, a contingency plan to be activated in the event of an outbreak, and supporting infrastructure such as the animal health agency. Exercises are held regularly to test preparedness and communications between organisations.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

The following table displays the total number of weapons recovered in each SPS establishment. Reliable data is not available prior to 2001. Records do not distinguish between finds in accommodation and on persons.

Establishment	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Aberdeen			2	2	10	7	5	2
Barlinnie		12	13	11	31	60	64	5
Castle Huntly	1		1		1	2
Cornton Vale				7	16	10	13
Dumfries				1	13	1	16	4
Edinburgh	46	111	61	46	31	48	76	4
Glenochil	1	32	34	20	16	25	30	1
Greenock		6	6	14	9	31	21	3
Inverness	8	4	2	3	4	7	1
Kilmarnock		36	85	31	30	53	66	5
Low Moss	1	16	7	8	15	16	1
Noranside						2
Open Estate							4
Peterhead						2
Polmont		4	118	125	133	104	82	1
Perth			3	23	61	46	80	4
Shotts	32	31	30	34	48	34	18	7
Grand Total	89	252	362	325	418	448	477	36

 

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

The following table illustrates the number of instances of attempted escape. Reliable data is not available prior to 2001.

Incident Establishment Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	Grand Total
Aberdeen		1			2	2		5
Barlinnie			1	2	1			4
Cornton Vale	1				1		2	4
Edinburgh	1	2		1	1	1		6
Glenochil Prison	1			1				2
Kilmarnock		1				1		2
Low Moss	1	1	2	1		2	1	8
Perth	1	1			4	1	2	9
Peterhead						1		1
Polmont		5	2	2		1	1	11
Shotts		1						1
Grand Total	5	12	5	7	9	9	6	53

 

Any organisation in receipt of Scottish Government funding will be subject to conditions of grant attached to that funding.

A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between ACPOS and the Scottish Government agreed in October 2007 setting out the provisions governing the payment of grant-in-aid to ACPOS is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 44794).

On 1 April 2007, ACPOS became an incorporated company limited by guarantee. This means that it has responsibilities under the Companies Acts 1985 and 1989 to register its memorandum and articles and to produce annual accounts.

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

The SPS does not record where weapons are specifically recovered from visitors. Any such recovery is included in the overall weapon find count.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9094 on 20 February 2008. 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/wa.search.

Eleven formal protocols have been agreed between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Services (COPFS). These protocols are:

ACPOS/COPFS Protocol on Disclosure of Evidential Material in Criminal Prosecutions, February 2007;

COPFS/ACPOS/Scottish Executive/Scottish Prison Service/Scottish Court Service (SCS)/District Courts Association Protocol on the Prioritisation of Warrants in the Scottish Criminal Justice System, April 2007;

Work Related Death Protocol “ COPFS/ACPOS/Health and Safety Executive/British Transport Police, January 2006;

COPFS and ACPOS Protocol in relation to Search Warrants, December 2005;

COPFS National Forensic Science Protocol, February 2004;

ACPOS and COPFS Joint Protocol on Police Reports, 2004;

COPFS and Police Protocol for witness citation targets, May 2004;

Joint Protocol between ACPOS and COPFS on Domestic Abuse, November 2004;

COPFS and ACPOS Family Liaison Protocol April 2003;

Protocol between COPFS/SCS/ACPOS for Instruction of interpreters for criminal court diets, February 2002, and

ACPOS/Crown Office Major Intelligence led Crime Investigations protocol, November 2001.

Information on Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) accounts is held by the Association. The Scottish Government has contributed to the costs of the association''s secretariat. Details of the amounts involved are as follows:

Scottish Government Funding to ACPOS, 1998-99 to 2007-08

Year	Amount (£000)
1998-99	152
1999-2000	146
2000-01	142
2001-02	145
2002-03	185
2003-04	155
2004-05	267
2005-06	231
2006-07	224
2007-08	314