Chamber and committees

I have today written to the Conveners of the Justice Committees outlining a wide-ranging package of proposed reforms, which have been agreed following intensive discussions between the Executive, the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Legal Aid Board. The reforms involve three key elements: a new application and reporting regime; a new block fee structure for work in the sheriff court, and the introduction of a quality assurance scheme, based on registration and peer review, to be operated jointly by the society and the board. These reforms also respond to recommendations of the Justice 1 Committee in its report on legal aid. Taken as a whole, the package represents real modernisation of the legal aid system. Together with changes made last year to eligibility, urgency provision, and contributions, it will be the first major change in over a decade. The reforms I propose should deliver significant benefits to all of the key stakeholders. For clients, they will create a fee structure that rewards efficient and effective conduct of cases, and ensure quality of service. For solicitors, they will deliver improved remuneration in return for modernisation. For the wider public, they should ensure an adequate supply of legal practitioners across the country. For the board and the Executive - and the Scottish taxpayer - the reforms will provide better monitoring and control of cases; and simpler, more flexible and more transparent processes which will facilitate the introduction of e-business, creating more efficiencies. Overall, I believe that the package marks a significant step towards a civil legal aid system that is fit for purpose for the 21st century - a system that delivers efficient and effective access to justice for people who need it. I intend to lay regulations on the new fee structure before Parliament for approval as quickly as possible.

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland is developing a new Crime Recording Standard which will improve consistency in recording practices between Scottish police forces.Forces' data on assaults is centrally collated by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary who now routinely check the quality of the returns. Similar arrangements are in place in respect of the data collated by the Scottish Executive and by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Fire Services on assaults on ambulance personnel and fire crews respectively.

One of the key aims of the existing School Sports Co-ordinator Programme is to develop links between schools and local sports clubs which will enable our young people to continue their involvement in sport after leaving school. I am satisfied that with the significant increase in resources in the Scottish Budget for School Sports Development Officers, we will be able to strengthen these links.

The information requested is not held centrally. However, everyone applying to the police for a firearms or shotgun certificate in the UK is required to state purpose and their occupation, and police forces will therefore hold the information sought.

The available information is shown in the following tables.Assaults on Police Officers

Force	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
Central	267	262	404
Dumfries and Galloway	14	11	111
Fife	164	221	n/a
Grampian	68	279	76
Lothian and Borders	304	299	313
Northern	215	223	236
Strathclyde	8,713	6,670	7,045
Tayside	276	270	14

Note:The information provided relates to assaults on police officers returned to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary by forces on an annual basis. Forces are asked to record all assaults on police officers whether or not injury occurred and whether or not any person was charged. However, changes in recording systems, differences in counting conventions and differences in the nature of the incidents probably lie behind some of the large annual variations within certain forces and differences between forces. Action is in hand to try to improve the consistency with which this information is collected.Assaults on Ambulance Personnel

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
Scotland Total	195	176	181

Note:Detailed information by ambulance divisions is not held centrally.Incidents involving Assaults on Fire Crews: 1 January to 30 June 2002

Central Scotland	1
Dumfries and Galloway	0
Fife	1
Grampian	0
Highland and Islands	0
Lothian and Borders	12
Strathclyde	54
Tayside	1

Note:The information is shown by fire brigade area which equates to police force area. Information on assaults was not collected prior to 2002. Prosecutions and Convictions for Assault Against a Police Officer

	1999	2000	2001
Persons proceeded against for assault against a police officer	2,941	2,627	2,651
Persons convicted of assault against a police officer	2,343	2,073	2,059
Average custodial sentence (days)	121	117	113
Average fine (£)	251	253	260

Notes:1. The individuals associated with the figures in each row will not correspond exactly with those in other rows.2. The information is not held centrally by force area.3. Equivalent information relating to assaults on firefighters and ambulance personnel is not held centrally.

The Executive has established a working group bringing together external experts to consider the support needs of children who run away from home or residential care and children abused through prostitution.The interim Report of the Working Group issued on 30 December. Copies have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 25819). This contains draft guidance for professionals to help improve services and good practice examples.The Executive has identified additional funding for helplines that provide support and counselling for children and up to £600,000 in funding to take forward work on refuge provision.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The evidence from the Scottish Gamekeepers Association will be considered at the next meeting of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime in February 2003, at which police representatives will be present.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not available.