- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to protect the environment when Chapelcross power station closes.
Answer
Under the terms of the nuclear site licence issued by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), the licensee, British Nuclear Fuels plc will be required to put in place a decommissioning plan. This would be expected to cover plans to remediate contamination on the nuclear licensed site and should show how radioactive wastes will be stored in a manner whereby the waste is immobilised and the need for maintenance, monitoring or other human intervention is minimised until all nuclear materials, including waste, have been removed from the site.
Before starting decommissioning, British Nuclear Fuels plc will also be required to make an assessment of the environmental effects of their proposed decommissioning plan, to consult the public, and to have consent from the HSE. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and local authorities would be consulted by the HSE in that process and HSE would be required to take account of any written representations from members of the public. SEPA's authorisation would be required in advance for disposal of any radioactive waste on or from the site or its vicinity.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 7 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Women's Aid refuge spaces there are in Scotland and what steps it is taking to increase this provision.
Answer
Groups affiliated to Scottish Women's Aid have a total of 325 refuge spaces. Information is not held centrally on spaces provided by non-affiliated groups.
Funding from the Scottish Homes element of the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund will provide a further 123 bed spaces over the next two years.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 1 June 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on any further progress on the multi-modal study into the completion of the M8.
Answer
The consultants have held a series of Focus Groups and individual in-depth interviews in West Central Scotland and a Consultative Forum in Cumbernauld. The forum was well attended and provided the opportunity for comment on the range of problems and possible solutions, the scope of the study and the study objectives. A further Consultative Forum is planned before the end of June. We expect the consultant's report on the preliminary stage of the study around the end of July.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether materials contaminated with CJD or MRSA are being treated through Eurocare's Cumbernauld plant.
Answer
The operators of the Eurocare plant at Cumbernauld are not permitted by the terms of their licence from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to treat materials contaminated with CJD, which should be incinerated.
MRSA belongs to Hazard Group 2 of the risk groups of the World Health Organisation Laboratory Biosafety Manual in terms of infection. This group is considered to pose a moderate risk to individuals and a low risk to communities and is unlikely to be a serious hazard. Such material may be included in the clinical waste streams which are permitted to be treated at the Eurocare plant at Cumbernauld. The heat treatment process at the plant is designed to render such biological material harmless.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 23 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of police stations have dedicated rape suites and what steps it is taking to ensure that every police force establishes such a facility as a matter of priority.
Answer
In total there are 25 police stations with dedicated rape suites (5.5%). In addition police forces in Scotland have made provision for the use of other suitable facilities through their local social work departments and hospitals.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 18 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the report commissioned by West Lothian Council into the re-opening of the rail link between Bathgate and Airdrie.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has received a copy of the report. It provides insufficient grounds for a serious consideration of re-opening the line.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 17 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the conviction rate was for each of the past five years for the crimes of (a) murder, (b) culpable homicide and (c) serious assault.
Answer
The percentages of prosecutions resulting in a conviction, where the main offence involved was murder, culpable homicide or serious assault, are given in the following table. Serious assault includes crimes classified as attempted murder.
| Year |
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
| Number of persons prosecuted |
Murder | 57 | 79 | 73 | 52 | 55 |
Culpable homicide | 43 | 47 | 63 | 46 | 30 |
Serious assault | 1,508 | 1,298 | 1,421 | 1,485 | 1,452 |
| Percentage with a charge proved |
Murder | 67 | 58 | 77 | 77 | 75 |
Culpable homicide | 91 | 91 | 92 | 98 | 87 |
Serious assault | 70 | 69 | 71 | 72 | 72 |
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering the development of a new definition of rape; whether, in so doing, it will take into consideration the views of victims of rape, and whether it will give a timescale for developing any new definition.
Answer
The Executive has no plans to change the definition of rape. As with other criminal offences, this is an issue that we keep under review and if in future the Executive does consider any change is required, we would of course consult all appropriate interests, including victims' groups.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4714, to detail, by local authority area, what percentage of rape victims have their request to be examined by a female police surgeon granted and, of this percentage, what is the average distance travelled and time waited by these victims to receive attention in comparison with those who receive treatment from a male surgeon.
Answer
The information requested is not held by the Executive.
- Asked by: Gil Paterson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the judge presiding over a rape trial states any conditions of release at the time of sentencing.
Answer
We have no plans to change the current arrangements. It is for the courts to determine the sentence in any particular case. The Executive's role is to ensure that the sentencer has a range of disposals available to ensure that offenders can be dealt with effectively. The law already provides for Scottish Ministers, in certain classes of case, to insert conditions in a prisoner's release licence in accordance with recommendations of the Parole Board and, in other classes of case, after consultation with the board.
