- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been consulted on any proposal by the Home Secretary to withdraw from individual tenants the automatic right to be granted housing benefit and the impact of such a policy on its social justice policy.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will continue to liaise with UK Government on any proposals to make changes to the housing benefit and to advise on the implications for its devolved responsibilities.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings between Scottish and UK ministers have been held in each month since July 1999.
Answer
Scottish Executive ministers have held a wide range of meetings, both formal and informal, with UK ministers since July 1999. It is not our practice to disclose details of such meetings, which are numerous and not all recorded in detail, and which may often be in the context of sensitive and confidential negotiations.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings ministers plan to hold with UK ministers in April 2003; how many such meetings will take place in Scotland; when each meeting will take place, and which Scottish and UK ministers will attend each meeting.
Answer
Scottish Executive ministers will continue to be in contact with UK ministers as appropriate during April 2003.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the possible withdrawal of housing benefit for anti-social behaviour and the impact of such a policy on its social justice policy.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is interested in exploring any proposals which might help to tackle anti-social behaviour and will continue to liaise with the UK Government on the details and implications of any specific measures relating to housing benefit.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases were marked "no proceedings" due to delay in reporting to the procurators fiscal in April to December 2002, broken down by police force area.
Answer
The information is not available by police force area. Information by procurator fiscal office is as follows:
| PF Office | Number of Cases Marked "No Proceedings" Due to Delay in Reporting to Procurators Fiscal |
| Aberdeen | 144 |
| Airdrie | 1,591 |
| Alloa | 9 |
| Arbroath | 2 |
| Ayr | 227 |
| Banff | 24 |
| Campbeltown | 1 |
| Cupar | 40 |
| Dingwall | 2 |
| Dornoch | - |
| Dumbarton | 43 |
| Dumfries | 27 |
| Dundee | 85 |
| Dunfermline | 36 |
| Dunoon | 13 |
| Duns | 8 |
| Edinburgh | 988 |
| Elgin | 40 |
| Falkirk | 59 |
| Forfar | 4 |
| Fort William | - |
| Glasgow | 5,842 |
| Greenock | 48 |
| Haddington | 13 |
| Hamilton | 743 |
| Inverness | 78 |
| Jedburgh | 5 |
| Kilmarnock | 453 |
| Kirkcaldy | 115 |
| Kirkcudbright | 5 |
| Kirkwall | 4 |
| Lanark | 12 |
| Lerwick | 9 |
| Linlithgow | 217 |
| Lochmaddy | - |
| Oban | 14 |
| Paisley | 494 |
| Peebles | 11 |
| Perth | 30 |
| Peterhead | 4 |
| Portree | 1 |
| Rothesay | - |
| Selkirk | 20 |
| Stirling | 41 |
| Stonehaven | 8 |
| Stornoway | 2 |
| Stranraer | 16 |
| Tain | 4 |
| Wick | 1 |
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what ministerial announcements are planned for April 2003.
Answer
No ministerial announcements on policy or spending issues are planned for April, but there may be a need for ministers to respond to external events or issues of immediate importance, for example relating to any EU business which might take place during the month.Routine factual news releases, such as statistical figures published on a monthly or regular basis, will be issued during April, as stated in The Scottish Parliament Election Guidance 2003.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been referred to the Children's Reporter on offence grounds in each of the last four years broken down in respect of (a) one, (b) two to three offences, (c) four to six offences, (d) seven to nine offences and (e) 10 or more offences, broken down by reporter area.
Answer
This is a matter for the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration. I have asked the Principal Reporter to write to you with this data.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive to how many written parliamentary questions in each year since May 1999 it has given an answer that states that the information sought in the question cannot be provided, either in part or in whole, for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. However, all answers to written parliamentary questions are published on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33923 by Mrs Elish Angiolini on 10 March 2003, what the reporting policies are that have led to the increase in cases being marked "no proceedings" due to delays in the Strathclyde area.
Answer
This is a matter for Strathclyde Police. The force has emphasised that the various factors referred to in the earlier answer are inter-related, that the increase in detection rates is a further factor, and that a review is under way involving procurators fiscal with a view to reducing delays as far as possible. I understand that the reference to reporting policies relates to the prioritisation of the different sorts of cases dealt with by the police and procurators fiscal as well as other related factors such as the procedures for reporting where there are cases with a significant number of charges.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33923 by Mrs Elish Angiolini on 10 March 2003, what the resources problems have been that have led to the increase in cases being marked "no proceedings" due to delay in the Strathclyde area.
Answer
This is a matter for Strathclyde Police. The force has emphasised that the various factors referred to in the earlier answer are inter-related, that the increase in detection rates is a further factor, and that a review is under way involving procurators fiscal with a view to reducing delays as far as possible. I understand that the reference to resources relates mainly to the way in which case checking currently takes place and whether, by adopting different arrangements within the force, the current procedures can be improved.
