- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Simpson on 9 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will evaluate the Safe from Harm initiative in Fife with a view to extending it throughout Scotland.
Answer
The Safe from Harm initiative is part of a wider child safety awareness raising campaign being run by Fife Child Protection Committee. The Executive is part funding the campaign with Fife Council and the committee was awarded £20,000 in February 2001 under the "Make Our Communities Safer" Challenge Competition. The competition requires applicants to conduct an evaluation of the project within 18 months of its completion. The campaign is still on-going and Safe from Harm was only launched in June so it is too early to gauge its impact. It would be for other councils to decide whether they wished to introduce the initiative within their own areas. Once the evaluation is available it may be possible to determine whether it would be suitable for wider application.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many rapes were reported in each of the last five years and how many such cases resulted in prosecution broken down by (a) police force and (b) procurator fiscal area.
Answer
The available information on crimes of rape, which were recorded by the police, and on persons proceeded against in court where rape was the main offence, is given in the following tables. Data by procurator fiscal area are not available.Crimes recorded by the police, by Police Force Area, 1997-2001
Police force area | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
Scotland | 570 | 613 | 591 | 562 | 589 |
Central | 12 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 33 |
Dumfries and Galloway | 14 | 25 | 40 | 19 | 16 |
Fife | 25 | 35 | 32 | 54 | 42 |
Grampian | 54 | 76 | 82 | 60 | 55 |
Lothian and Borders | 144 | 151 | 111 | 119 | 130 |
Northern | 24 | 26 | 36 | 15 | 21 |
Strathclyde | 217 | 215 | 218 | 219 | 240 |
Tayside | 80 | 66 | 67 | 62 | 52 |
Persons proceeded against for rape (where main offence) in Scottish Courts, by Police Force Area, 1997-2001
Police force area | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 20011 |
Scotland | 65 | 66 | 56 | 50 | n/a |
Central | 2 | 4 | 7 | 6 | n/a |
Dumfries and Galloway | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | n/a |
Fife | 3 | 16 | 6 | 0 | n/a |
Grampian | 3 | 7 | 8 | 2 | n/a |
Lothian and Borders | 15 | 13 | 18 | 14 | n/a |
Northern | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | n/a |
Strathclyde | 30 | 19 | 12 | 21 | n/a |
Tayside | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | n/a |
Notes:1. Data for 2001 on persons proceeded against in court will be published in autumn 2002.The statistics dealing with recorded crime and court proceedings are not directly comparable as a person may be proceeded against for more than one crime involving more than one victim, and a crime may be recorded in one year and proceedings taken in a subsequent year. Charges recorded by the police may also be altered as a result of the judicial process.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 9 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26576 by Cathy Jamieson on 2 July 2002, what resources are available to support vulnerable young people who have been involved in the sex industry.
Answer
Resources are available from statutory and voluntary organisations to support vulnerable young people. This will include support for young people who have been involved in the sex industry but these resources are not separately identified. Examples of the kind of support which is offered to vulnerable young people include Barnardo's Streetwork Team Project, The Young Women's Project in Glasgow and a number of Drop In Centres in various locations.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26920 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 July 2002, who made the representations, what the details of each were and what action it plans to take in respect of the representations.
Answer
Representations expressing concern over reports that the company Spearmint Rhino would be opening establishments in Scotland were received in writing by the Health Minister from Scottish Women's Aid and from a constituent writing as a private individual, whose identity it would not be appropriate to publish. In addition, Sandra White MSP tabled a written question in March this year (S1W-23016) asking what consideration the Executive was giving to introducing legislation on licensing of lap-dancing clubs. The position remains that no applications have been received by Glasgow City Council from Spearmint Rhino for either an entertainment or liquor licence. The Executive's position remains as stated in the answer given to Sandra White.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports of children being involved in prostitution have been made to each police force in each of the last three years.
Answer
The information requested cannot be separately distinguished in the recorded crime statistics collected centrally because there are a range of offences in Scots Law which the police could record following a report of a child being involved in prostitution.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 9 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26919 by Cathy Jamieson on 31 July 2002, whether it has any plans to carry out research into links between child abuse and prostitution.
Answer
The need for additional information on children abused through prostitution is one of the issues being considered by the Working Group on Young Runaways and Children Abused through Prostitution
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Simpson on 1 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it provides to the public on reducing the risk of suffering sexual assaults and where any such advice is available.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27354.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Simpson on 1 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what publications it has produced aimed at helping the public reduce the risk of suffering a sexual assault in each of the last three years.
Answer
Guidance on women's safety continues to be provided through "Talking Sense", which offers a range of strategies and advice to women at home, at work, in the street and travelling. By providing ideas on forward planning it aims to make those at risk feel more confident, more in control, and safer. This consists of a booklet and video provided to police forces for local distribution. The guidance is currently being updated and the revised version will focus on personal safety for all.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 1 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22050 by Dr Richard Simpson on 1 February 2002, when it expects the working group carrying out the strategic assessment on the wider issue of drug-related sexual assault to report.
Answer
The working group, led by the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency, has produced its strategic assessment and guidance document for investigators on drug-assisted sexual assault. The document is being issued to all Scottish police forces to assist with their investigations.Information from the strategic assessment will be utilised in a forthcoming guidance leaflet for young people on the issue, produced within the context of the Executive's Know the Score communications strategy.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Simpson on 1 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop a public education campaign which alerts the public to the danger of sexual assaults from acquaintances as distinct from strangers.
Answer
There are no plans to develop such a campaign. However, the guidance "Talking Sense", referred to in the answer given to question S1W-27354 today, contains a section on violence within the family which provides advice to women who are in danger of being, or are being, abused, physically, emotionally or sexually by someone they love or trust.