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: S2W-15419

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions took place between it and the UK Government prior to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget 2005 announcement that the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission are to be merged to form the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights; which ministers participated in any discussions; whether it will place the minutes of any discussions in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre; whether the new commission will have offices in Scotland; how it will report to the Executive and the Parliament; who will appoint its board; what role the Executive will have in such appointments, and how much of the commission's budget will be for devolved functions.

The UK Government announced the Equality Bill in November 2004 after a substantive period of consultation. The Equality Bill proposed the creation of a Commission for Equality and Human Rights, which would replace the Disability Rights Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission. If created, the new commission will have responsibility for promoting equality and human rights and enforcing anti-discrimination legislation on grounds of gender, age, religion and belief, sexual orientation, disability or race. The Equality Bill did not complete its Parliamentary passage before the UK Parliament was dissolved.

The proposed commission will be of vital importance to equality communities in Scotland, and to the Scottish private, voluntary and public sectors. The Scottish Executive has worked closely with Whitehall colleagues over several years and ensured that Scottish needs have been reflected in the Bill. The Executive has also supported significant stakeholder input from non-Governmental organisations in Scotland into the UK Government project.

No meetings have taken place between Scottish Executive ministers and UK Government ministers so no minutes exist. Communities ministers in the Executive and UK Government ministers from the Department for Trade and Industry have been in contact both in writing and over the telephone during the project. Ministers from the DTI, Scotland Office and the Scottish Executive have spoken at the same public event.

The proposals in the Equality Bill and the preceding White Paper Fairness for All in May 2004 (Bib. number 32752) are clear on proposed arrangements for the new Commission in Scotland. The new Commission will have an office in Scotland. It will be a reserved body and will report to the UK Government, however it will also be expected to work closely with the Scottish Executive, to provide a report annually on its activities to the Scottish Parliament and to work closely with the Equal Opportunities Committee of the Scottish Parliament. It’s board will be appointed by the UK Government; however the designated Scottish Commissioner must be appointed with the agreement of Scottish ministers. The new Commission’s budget was not set before the dissolution of the UK Parliament.

Question reference: S2W-15558

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each fatal accident inquiry carried out since May 1999 cost.

Question reference: S2W-15292

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost of a meal for a prisoner has been in each of the last five years and what the projected average cost is for each of the next five years.

Question reference: S2W-15420

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates that the investigation by Premier Prison Services into allegations made in respect of HM Prison Kilmarnock in the BBC documentary on 9 March 2005 to be completed; who is undertaking this investigation; whether any member of the Scottish Prison Service is involved in the investigation; what its terms of reference are, and whether the report arising from it will be made public.

Question reference: S2W-15427

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times it has amended, or sought to amend, draft reports from HM Chief Inspector of Prisons prior to publication in each of the last six years, specifying the relevant reports and showing what the changes were and whether they were accepted by the Chief Inspector.

With the exception of Annex 5 to the 2000 report on HM Prison Kilmarnock which was removed by the then Minister for Justice for the reasons stated on page 159 of that report, the Scottish Executive has neither amended nor sought to amend any draft report from HM Chief Inspector of Prisons prior to its publication in the past six years. Comment on the factual accuracy of Prison Inspectorate reports is, however, sought from Scottish Prison Service prior to publication in line with widespread practice.

Question reference: S2W-15423

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Justice has requested a copy of the documentary evidence used in the BBC programme on HM Prison Kilmarnock, broadcast on 9 March 2005 and, if so, when a copy was received and what action the Executive will take in relation to the allegations contained in the documentary.

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

The SPS has a copy of the programme broadcast by the BBC. Both Premier Prison Services and the Scottish Prison Service have written to ask the BBC for their additional un-broadcast material to assist in the further investigation of this matter. The BBC has refused to provide this material.

Question reference: S2W-15428

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Scottish Prison Service has amended, or sought to amend, draft reports from HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) prior to publication in each of the last six years, specifying the relevant reports and showing what the changes were and whether they were accepted by the Chief Inspector.

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

HMCIP determines the form and content of all Prison Inspectorate Reports. However, in line with widespread practice, on the completion of each inspection report a copy is sent to the SPS for comment particularly to check factual accuracy. It is for the Chief Inspector to decide whether to adjust the report in the light of any comments. This procedure applies to all inspection reports.

Question reference: S2W-15431

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Minister for Justice and her predecessor have visited HM Prison Kilmarnock in the last six years; which sections they visited; how much notice was given of each visit; how long each visit lasted; which Premier Prison Services staff they met; which Scottish Prison Service staff they met; how many prisoners they met; what the outcomes were of these visits, and whether it will publish, and place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, all correspondence related to these visits.

Question reference: S2W-15430

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to pursue the allegations made in the BBC documentary on HM Prison Kilmarnock, broadcast on 9 March 2005.

Question reference: S2W-15436

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2005
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what its procedures are for assessing the Scottish Prison Service's (SPS) performance in respect of its monitoring and assessment of the performance of HM Prison Kilmarnock.