- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to provide sex offenders with learning disabilities with access to sex offender programmes while in (a) prison and (b) the community.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:The Scottish Prison Service runs a sex offender programme developed by HMPS specifically for sex offenders with borderline or learning disability problems. The programme is called Adapted STOP and runs for 70 sessions. It is being delivered at HMP Peterhead for adult sex offenders and HMYOI Polmont for young offenders.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 25 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what training is currently available to staff employed by government agencies in how to deal with people suffering from domestic abuse and whether any such staff training is compulsory.
Answer
Workplace polices is one of the areas to be looked at by the prevention working group established by the National Group to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland. The group is expected to report to the National Group in May.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20558 by Colin Boyd QC on 18 December 2001, why the information requested regarding the breakdown by crime and offence of the number of fiscal warnings in 2000 is not available and whether it will, from now, collate this information, detailing the reasons behind its decision.
Answer
The records of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are kept electronically. The computer system was designed for case tracking and handling, not for statistical analysis. The cost of developing such a statistical capability would be extremely high and would require the diversion of resources from front-line service delivery.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20556 by Colin Boyd QC on 18 December 2001, why the information requested regarding the breakdown by crime and offence of the number of no proceedings in 2000 is not available and whether it will, from now, collate this information, detailing the reasons behind its decision.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22584.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20557 by Colin Boyd QC on 18 December 2001, why the information requested regarding the breakdown by crime and offence of the number of fiscal fines in 2000 is not available and whether it will, from now, collate this information, detailing the reasons behind its decision.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22584.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 14 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken at present, and is planned, to challenge and change the behaviour of men who abuse women and who have not been through the criminal justice process.
Answer
The current Scottish Executive awareness raising campaign aims to change attitudes of both men and women through a variety of media.The Action Plan in the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland recommends the further development of voluntary programmes for those abusive men who are not dealt with through mandatory supervision under criminal justice processes. The national group will consider this recommendation in due course.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 14 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21740 by Malcolm Chisholm on 25 January 2001, which NHS boards are providing the match funding for the seven domestic abuse projects being supported and how much each board is providing.
Answer
The following health boards have made funding available for Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund projects in 2001-02:Dumfries and Galloway (two projects) - £17,500Forth Valley Health Board - £3,000Highland Health Board - £5,000Ayrshire and Arran Health Board (two projects) - £9,500Lothian Health Board has also contributed to a project in partnership with Lothian and Borders Police and City of Edinburgh Council but separate figures are not available.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans to take to ensure that convicted sex offenders notify the UK authorities of their address when travelling abroad and that Scottish nationals and residents who have been convicted of sex offences abroad are automatically put on the UK register of sex offenders.
Answer
We have already strengthened the Sex Offenders Act by requiring certain sex offenders to inform the police when they travel overseas. Although there are practical difficulties in automatic registration of UK and foreign nationals convicted of sex offences overseas, the Executive and the Home Office have proposed further measures to make some of these offenders subject to the same registration requirements as sex offenders convicted in the UK.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 13 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19180 by Iain Gray on 15 November 2001, what further research has been carried out into "attrition rate" as recommended by Dr Lynn Jamieson and Dr Michelle Burman in the Central Research Unit report The 'Attrition' of Sexual Offences in the Criminal Justice System.
Answer
No further research has been carried out into the rate of attrition in sexual offence cases. Responses to the consultation document, Towards a Just Conclusion, provided numerous examples of the problems experienced by victims giving evidence. As noted in my response to your question on plans for research into the treatment of sexual offence witnesses in court (question S1W-18513, answered on 9 October 2001), we plan to commission further research to provide a baseline of information prior to any changes to be brought about by the Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Bill.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20358 by Nicol Stephen on 7 December 2001, whether it plans to review the appropriateness of allowing parents convicted of abusing their children to participate in a children's hearing.
Answer
We have no current plans to review the arrangements described by Nicol Stephen in his answer given to question S1W-20358 on 7 December 2001.