Chamber and committees

We have the full support of COSLA to ensure that local authorities provide the funding necessary to support the extra refuge spaces. The Local Government Spending Review 2000 provides an extra £1.2 billion in support for local government over the next three years - an increase of 10.5% in real terms. This should enable all local authorities to provide the necessary support for all women's refuges. All bids submitted for funding from the Refuge Development Programme were required to indicate plans for sustainability.

No, but we will post progress reports on the Scottish Executive website.

National statistics on child protection are compiled and published annually by the Scottish Executive, using data supplied by local authorities about children who have been referred to them because of concerns that they have been abused or may be at risk of abuse. Statistics for the year ended 31 March 2000 were published on 23 October 2001 and are available on the Scottish Executive website (www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00114-00.asp). This provides a breakdown by primary known/suspected abuser, category of abuse and a breakdown by gender for all children referred for child protection enquiries.

The Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund is supporting a project to encourage agencies in Edinburgh to tackle male violence by working with men who have abused or are abusing their partners. This pilot is to encourage services, both statutory and voluntary, which already work with men to adopt good practice in terms of addressing men's abusive behaviour.

The Good Practice Guidelines in the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland contains a section on employment practices. It asks employers to develop a domestic abuse policy as part of the human resources function of the organisation and to undertake preventive work with employees. The National Group to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the National Strategy.

Abusers, either alleged or proven, cannot attend a Children's Hearing unless that person holds parental rights over the child in question. In that event, the hearing must balance the human rights of the parent and child. This can be achieved through the Children's Hearing sitting separately to listen to the views of each party and ensuring that no meeting takes place between the child and the abuser.

The Scottish Executive has set up a group to implement the recommendations of the Lord Advocate's Working Group on Child Witness Support. One of the recommendations seeks to clarify the roles of those making decisions relating to therapy before court proceedings. A draft code of practice on the provision of therapy to child witnesses prior to criminal trials and children's hearings court proceedings is at present the subject of consultation within the Executive. Thereafter the code will be passed to outside agencies and bodies for wider consultation.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:There are a range of programmes/activities available for offenders to enable them to address their offending behaviour. Although not all offence specific, they would be suitable for domestic violence, e.g. Cognitive Skills, Anger Management, Problem Solving and Relationship Skills.

The most relevant information available is given in Table 1 of the statistical bulletin Domestic abuse recorded by the police in Scotland, 1 April - 31 December 1999, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17267). Incidents of domestic abuse are defined as those involving "any form of physical, non-physical, or sexual abuse which takes place within the context of a close relationship, committed either in the home or elsewhere. This relationship will be between partners (married, co-habiting or otherwise) or ex-partners." The figures therefore exclude other crimes of violence committed against women.The bulletin does not present information on those convicted but Tables 1, 14 and 15 give information on the numbers of perpetrators referred to the Procurator Fiscal by police force area.The statistics collected centrally on crimes recorded by the police and persons proceeded against at court do not include information about the victims and cannot, therefore, distinguish crimes of violence against women.

The Scottish Executive has not commissioned research into the reasons for cases involving violence against women failing to reach court. I would, however, refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19180 on 15 November 2001 concerning research into and reasons for rape cases failing to reach court.