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: S3W-10546

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 12 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure adequate provision of specialist teachers in response to challenges resulting from language diversity in schools.

Question reference: S3W-10545

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 12 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide specific support to local authorities in response to challenges resulting from language diversity in schools.

Question reference: S3W-10102

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 3 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government about reducing cash and valuables in transit offences.

No such discussions have taken place. However, we have recently announced a three year funding package of £778,000 for the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC). The SBCC provide practical advice to the business/commercial sectors on how to develop business crime reduction and prevention strategies. Through the Scottish Financial Crime Group, which the SBCC are responsible for, Scotland continues to monitor the issue, particularly in relation to any migration/displacement of such crimes and any local and regional increases in Scotland. Prevention is very much the primary focus of its work.

Question reference: S3W-10101

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with trades unions representing cash and valuables in transit workers about reducing the number of offences committed against drivers and operatives.

Question reference: S3W-10100

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that offences against cash and valuables in transit workers are comprehensively recorded and classified.

The Scottish Financial Crime Group (SFCG) monitors offences against and cash and valuables in transit workers through the British Security Industry Association. They pay particular attention to any migration/displacement of such crimes and any local and regional increases in Scotland. Prevention is the primary focus of its work.

The SFCG brings together specialist investigators from the Scottish Police Service, with their counterparts within the Scottish banking industry and the wider financial sector, to monitor developing crime trends and implement specialist tactics to disrupt criminal activity and protect financial institutions and their customers.

Question reference: S3W-10109

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to emulate the reduction of offences against cash and valuables in transit workers in parts of England, such as Birmingham, through work undertaken by cash couriers, the banking industry, the GMB trades union, the Home Office, the Department for Transport and the Association of Chief Police Officers, in consultation with local government and other interested parties.

We have recently announced a three year funding package of £778,000 for the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC). The SBCC provide practical advice to the business/commercial sectors on how to develop business crime reduction and prevention strategies. Through two groups managed by the SBCC (the Scottish Financial Crime Group and the Scottish Commercial Crime Group) the Scottish Banking Industry liaises with the Scottish Police Service and the Cash in Transit (CIT) Industry. The CIT industry is represented by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), which is also a member of the SBCC.Prevention is very much the primary focus of the work of the SBCC.

Question reference: S3W-10107

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides local authorities on the safe accessing of pedestrianised areas by cash and valuables in transit workers.

Question reference: S3W-10099

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences took place in Scotland in (a) 2003, (b) 2004, (c) 2005, (d) 2006 and (e) 2007 involving cash and valuables in transit, broken down by (i) type of offence and (ii) local authority area.

Question reference: S3W-10108

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to “design out” crimes against cash and valuables in transit workers through the planning system and, in particular, in respect of access, parking, safer routes, safe docking systems and secure areas.

Much of the input regarding access, particularly within City and Town centres, is incorporated within the master planning process, to which Police Architectural Liaison Officers (ALO''s) have input. However, the issue of controlled access is also being incorporated within the ALO Secure By Design (SBD) Public Realm accreditation toolkit, standards which have been developed by The Association of Chief Police Officers Crime Prevention Initiative. The toolkit will be rolled out throughout Scotland. The Scottish SBD Officer is based within the SBCC.

In addition, Scottish Policing has provided input to a review of the Scottish Building Standards Regulations, where the concept of designing out crime was raised, particularly in relation to its status within planning process. This review is on-going.

Finally, access requirements for Cash in Transit vehicles must now also be balanced with more general vehicle restrictions which are a requirement of the Protect and Prepare elements of the CONTEST anti-terrorism strategy.

Question reference: S3W-10105

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken by police forces specifically to reduce the incidence of offences against cash and valuables in transit workers.