- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21583 by Colin Boyd QC on 22 December 2005, whether the Procurator Fiscal Service will investigate the allegations that US agencies have used Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights engaged in the process of “extraordinary rendition” in the absence of any reports made to it from the police.
Answer
The police are responsible for conducting investigations into criminal offences and the police will act if and when there is information to justify such action. At present, no credible and reliable information exists to justify an investigation by the police.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21576 by Colin Boyd QC on 22 December 2005, whether the Lord Advocate will apply for a warrant in the future to allow police forces to search planes landing in Scotland and suspected of being used by US agencies to facilitate the process of “extraordinary rendition” if he suspects that such a process is taking place.
Answer
The decision as to whether it is necessary to apply to the court for a search warrant is taken in the context of a criminal investigation, having regard to all of the available information. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23747 on 14 March 2006. 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.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21667 by Cathy Jamieson on 18 January 2006, whether it expects Chief Constables to act only when evidence is presented of people “being brought into Scotland in such a way as to breach Scots law” or whether it expects them to act if information, intelligence, speculation or suspicion that such acts have taken place is brought to their attention.
Answer
Speculation does not constitute a basis for a criminal investigation. To date, the police have received no credible and reliable information that any individual has been unlawfully conveyed through a Scottish airport. Procurators fiscal and the police will act if and when the information available justifies such action. Any person who has information that a crime has been or is to be committed in Scotland should take that information to the police.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22705 by Colin Boyd QC on 7 February 2006, whether this answer indicates that the police only ever act on hard evidence and, if so, whether it can explain how crimes are investigated in the absence of hard evidence.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23751 on 14 March 2006. 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.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the current Solicitor General’s (a) membership of any political party, (b) financial contributions to any political party and (c) attendance at meetings of any political party since May 1997.
Answer
I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Cabinet meetings have taken place since May 1999; how many of these the current Lord Advocate has attended (a) for the duration of the meeting or (b) for part of the meeting either in his capacity as Solicitor General or Lord Advocate, and how many times he has spoken at Cabinet on (i) specifically legal matters and (ii) political matters.
Answer
The dates when the Scottish Cabinethas met since 1999 are available under the Cabinet-related information providedon the Scottish Executive website.
The Lord Advocate is not a memberof the Scottish Cabinet but usually attends Cabinet each week to provide legal advicewhere it is sought.
Information relating to the proceedingsof the Scottish Cabinet is considered exempt from disclosure under sections 29 (a)and (b) and 30(a) and (b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the fingerprint evidence found at the scene of the Marion Ross murder case in Kilmarnock in 1997 was not compared with the fingerprints of every suspect at the time of the initial investigation.
Answer
It is not appropriate todiscuss details of procedures followed in a criminal investigation, foroperational reasons. However, I can confirm that the fingerprint evidence foundat the scene of Marion Ross’ murder was compared with the fingerprints ofparticular individuals where this proved to be appropriate.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the criminal investigation into the murder of Marion Ross in Kilmarnock in 1997.
Answer
The murder of Marion Ross inKilmarnock in 1997 has been investigated by Strathclyde Police. However, they willexamine any further information that becomes available.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulances would be required for the NHS Lanarkshire area if NHS Lanarkshire’s preferred option of closing the Accident and Emergency Department at Monklands Hospital and centralising all planned care to that site goes ahead.
Answer
Proposals under
A Pictureof Health are the subject of public consultation which is due to end on 28 April 2006. WhenNHS Lanarkshire comes to a view on these matters, their proposals will come tome for a final decision. I will want to be assured that the proposals areconsistent with
Delivering for Health and to be satisfied as to theadequacy of public engagement and consultation.
The Scottish AmbulanceService has been attending meetings with NHS Lanarkshire and will make thenecessary arrangements to support whichever service configuration is put inplace.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 13 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since 2001 in ensuring that all higher education science courses provide opportunities to acquire business skills and work experience.
Answer
The Scottish Executive and the Scottish Funding Council are committed to promoting entrepreneurial education andencouraging higher education institutions to provide opportunities for studentsto obtain work experience and business skills However, institutions are autonomousbodies and are individually responsible for the content and nature of the coursesthey offer.
The Scottish Institute for Enterprise(SIE), core funded by the Scottish Funding Council, has led on developing enterprisecourses in Scotland’s universities since 1999. In recent years its has greatlyexpanded the range of courses and increased the number of students who can benefitfrom them, to cover all Scotland’s universities. These courses help students and researchersto develop management and business skills such as team-building, problem-solving,presentation skills and teamwork. The institute is currently working with the UKScience Enterprise Centres and the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurshipto develop an Enterprise Educators training and Masterclass programme. The SIE hasassisted in the drive for all higher education institutions to establish their owncommercialisation offices, with links to the national SIE network of support. Furtherdetails can be found in A Science Strategy for Scotland 2001:ProgressReport, published 20 February 2006 at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/science/16607/5910.
