Chamber and committees

The statutory responsibility regarding the requirement to monitor those subject to intensive supervision lies with local authority criminal justice social work departments rather than with the Scottish Government. They receive a funding allocation for that purpose. The number of applications to the Scottish Government for assistance with intensive support packages that have been received and rejected in each year since 2007 are as follows.

Proposals for ISPs are considered by professional social work advisors at the Scottish Government to determine whether the measures proposed are in accordance with standard professional practice. The Scottish Government have not made any payments for intensive support packages in the current financial year.

Decisions of the courts on the use of fines are a matter for judges and are made independently of Government, within the framework set by legislation.

Police fixed penalty notices are alternatives to prosecution and are not alternative punishments to community service orders or custodial sentences. The range of offences for which police fixed penalty notices may be used are set out in legislation and guidance on the circumstances in which they should be used is determined by the Lord Advocate’s Guidelines.

Judicial decisions on sentencing take account of many factors, in light of the case presented and sanctions available. The value of the outstanding fine is likely to be one such factor in determining the length of a supervised attendance order, but the Scottish Government does not hold data that would allow the level of correlation to be determined.

The Scottish Government has not given the Scottish Court Service any guidance on this, as it is an operational matter.

The functions of the prison monitors will be detailed in the section 14 order under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. The draft order will be laid in September.

The duties of the senior monitors will be detailed in the section 14 order under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

The section 14 order under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 will detail what powers and duties have been modified and/or transferred.

Disclosure Scotland has held information about civilian staff and constables employed in relevant police forces in Scotland to carry out checks on Disclosure Scotland applications only since the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme went live on 28 February 2011.

Disclosure Scotland has not at any time held information about staff employed in relevant police forces outwith Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-07308 on 28 May 2012. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing.