- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 10 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the prosecution of Shirley McKie, what costs were incurred by (a) it, (b) the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO) and (c) any other public bodies, including the Crown Office and the police, in (i) prosecuting the case, (ii) inquiring into the (1) circumstances of the prosecution and (2) deficiencies of the SCRO revealed as a result of the prosecution, (iii) considering the prosecution of those involved in the case and (iv) defending legal actions initiated by Shirley McKie.
Answer
The cost incurred by the various public bodies involved in work related to these matters cannot be separately identified from within the costs incurred by those bodies in discharging the totality of their business.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 10 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31827 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 December 2002, what outstanding matters from previous inspections of the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO) will be considered by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in the follow-up inspection of the SCRO in January 2003.
Answer
As part of the forthcoming Review Inspection of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO), HM Inspectorate of Constabulary will seek to identify the progress made in addressing all of the recommendations and suggestions contained in its Primary Inspection Report of the SCRO Fingerprint Bureau.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 10 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure the Scottish Criminal Records Office has incurred with regard to the (a) salaries, (b) pension contributions and (c) other work-related expenses paid in respect of the fingerprint experts that gave evidence in the prosecution of Shirley McKie, broken down by the periods (i) from June 2000 until their suspension from work, (ii) during their suspension from work and (iii) since their return to work.
Answer
Responsibility for pay and other staff-related service conditions for the civilian staff at the Scottish Criminal Record Office formally rests with Strathclyde Joint Police Board. The board has, however, made available the following information in respect of the three fingerprint officers who gave evidence in the prosecution of Shirley McKie and a fourth officer who did not give evidence but who was involved in the process leading up to the prosecution and who was suspended with the other three officers:
| Period (i) | £33,544 |
| Period (ii) | £314,049 |
| Period (iii) (projected to March 2003) | £200,303 |
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 10 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what response it made, or advice it gave, to the Public Petitions Committee with regard to petition PE544 on the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO); whether any such advice or response indicated that it was unable to provide information to the committee because of a pending civil case; whether it acted properly in giving such advice, and whether it will now respond to the concerns of the petitioners.
Answer
The substance of the Scottish Executive's response is recorded at column 2532 of the Official Report of the meeting of the Public Petitions Committee held on 3 December 2002 and can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/cttee/petit-02/pu02-1802.htm#Col2532The Executive is satisfied that its response was appropriate.The petition was addressed to the Public Petitions Committee and it will be for the committee in the first instance to decide how to respond to the petitioners' concerns.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 10 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO), or any other public body, made any financial contribution to the legal costs of the fingerprint experts involved in the prosecution of Shirley McKie either before, during or after their suspension for wrongful identification of the fingerprint evidence led by the SCRO in the case.
Answer
The Scottish Criminal Record Office has not made any financial contribution to the legal costs of the fingerprint experts involved in the prosecution of Ms McKie, nor has any other public body as far as I am aware.The Scottish Executive has accepted responsibility for the defendants' legal cost arising out of the civil action raised on behalf of Ms McKie.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 10 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct HM Inspectorate of Constabulary to ensure that its previous recommendations and those of the Change Management Review Team established by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland regarding openness and accountability in the Scottish Criminal Records Office are implemented fully.
Answer
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has a statutory duty to enquire into police efficiency independently of the Scottish Executive. It would not, therefore, be appropriate for the Scottish Executive to direct HMIC in how it should discharge its duty.The forthcoming Review Inspection of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) will seek to identify the progress made in addressing the recommendations and suggestions contained in its Primary Inspection Report of the SCRO Fingerprint Bureau. The ACPOS Change Management Review Team Report was a positive initial step in the process of responding to HMIC's recommendations and suggestions and the forthcoming Review Inspection will take this and other work into account as it evaluates the effectiveness of changes made within the SCRO Fingerprint Bureau.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 9 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates since 1 July 1999 ministers have made reported statements or comments in support of the Larkhall rail link and what timescale for the completion of the link was anticipated in such statements.
Answer
Strathclyde Passenger Transport is the lead authority taking this project forward. As the Scottish Executive is the major funder of the Larkhall to Milngavie rail link, Scottish ministers have made numerous reported statements and comments in support of this rail link. Key statements made include the joint funding package with Strathclyde Passenger Transport of £23 million (27 August 2001) and, more recently, the agreement in principle by the Rail Regulator to a solution to issues around the performance regime applied to Railtrack (30 September 2002). I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-3811 on 13 June 2000, S1W-5863 on 27 April 2000, S1W-14515 on 9 April 2001, S1W-17805 on 24 September 2001, S1W-17856 on 18 September 2001, S1W-19847 on 23 November 2001, S1W-20663 on 28 December 2001, S1W-20800 18 February 2002, S1W-21213 on 28 January 2002, S1W-22010 on 25 February 2002, S1W-22693 on February 2002, S1W-23553 on 15 March 2002, S1W-25032 on 9 May 2002, S1W-26181 on 17 June 2002, S1W-26336 on 17 June 2002 and S1W-29636 on 30 September 2002. 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/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 9 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects work to commence on establishing the proposed Larkhall rail link.
Answer
Strathclyde Passenger Transport is the lead authority taking the Larkhall rail link forward.I understand that, since the Rail Regulator agreed in principle to a re-benchmarking solution that will remove the issues around performance costs, Strathclyde Passenger Transport and Railtrack have been in discussion over the remaining technical and legal issues. The outcome of these discussions will help inform the timetable for the introduction of this rail link.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Watson on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the availability of opportunities throughout Scotland for adult non-native speakers to learn Gaelic.
Answer
The responsibility for the delivery of Gaelic to adult non-native speakers rests with education authorities and further and higher education institutions. The Scottish Executive provides direct funding to Gaelic bodies and institutions engaged in Gaelic education for adults, and education authorities may also bid into the specific grant scheme for this purpose. The Scottish Executive will be providing extra resources for Gaelic next year and will be looking to Bord Gaidhlig na h-Alba for advice on spending priorities.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources were made available to (a) South Lanarkshire Council, (b) the enterprise company serving South Lanarkshire and (c) other bodies to assist with economic difficulties in the Larkhall area following the closure of DAKS Simpson.
Answer
Following the announcement in October 2001 that manufacturing would cease at DAKS Simpson Larkhall site, support was provided to those being made redundant through the Scottish Executive's Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) framework. The Lanarkshire PACE team includes Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire Council and Jobcentre Plus.The PACE team offered a range of services to help the redundant workers find retraining and employment opportunities. These included an on-site Jobshop, presentations to the workforce by the PACE partnership, job fairs to introduce the workforce to local employers and providing business start up information.
