- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how responsibility for strategic planning and planning for change in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is allocated.
Answer
On 4 March, I announced the appointment of a Chief Executive and Crown Agent Designate who will work with senior management to take forward implementation of the recommendations on strategic planning and planning for change of the recent review of the management, allocation and planning of resources at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive in what publications staff vacancies in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are advertised.
Answer
Staff vacancies are advertised in the Department's Staff Notice. When external applications are sought for trainee solicitors, Depute Fiscals and precognition officers, adverts are placed in the Herald, Scotsman and The Firm Law Magazine. Specialist posts, such as IT and audit, are also usually advertised in the national press and are trawled in other Government Departments. Administrative posts are advertised in local newspapers and job centres. Copies of adverts are sent to the Racial Equality Councils.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service operate a discretionary bonus scheme and what proportion of the salary budget is allocated to any such scheme.
Answer
The department does not operate a specific discretionary bonus scheme, but under the annual staff appraisal system managers may make recommendations for bonus payments to staff.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have a public relations policy.
Answer
In accordance with the Civil Service Code, the department has a policy of providing accurate factual information to media enquiries and to organisations and individuals who express an interest in the public services which its staff provide. The department publishes an annual report and places relevant information on its publicly accessible website:
www.crownoffice.gov.uk.Also, representatives from both a departmental and local level of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service regularly attend at specially organised events in such places as schools and universities to educate and inform members of the community about their role and duties performed.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many trained Information System/Information Technology staff are employed to develop and support computer systems in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Answer
There are nineteen members of staff within the department's Information Systems Unit as at February 2002. This number includes staff working in the national Help Desk support facility based in the Glasgow Procurator Fiscal's Office.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service plans to adopt any training programmes to help staff to avoid stress and manage its consequences and over what timescale any such programmes will be implemented.
Answer
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is currently examining proposals from a number of external providers for the provision of stress prevention training courses to its staff in the financial year 2002-03.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes in the provision of welfare officers are planned in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and over what timescale any such changes are to be made.
Answer
From 11 March 2002 the department has two full-time welfare officers. The department also has a contract for the provision of welfare services to its staff by the Employee Counselling Service.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what staff suggestion schemes are available in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and how many suggestions have been (a) received, (b) implemented and (c) held for further consideration, all since 1999, subject to the information being provided at a proportionate cost.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23156.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are made by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to provide relief staff to cover periods when staff are on vacation, attending training courses or absent through illness.
Answer
Arrangements for relief cover are made by line management. Measures may include the transfer of staff from other offices, the temporary appointment of ad hoc (often recently retired) fiscals, and the appointment of casual staff. In addition, the Fiscal Offices may work with other Criminal Justice Agencies to seek to manage court commitments accordingly.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 14 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times staff in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have been rewarded as a result of the implementation of a suggestion from a member of staff which was offered through a staff suggestion scheme since 1999.
Answer
The department does not currently operate a staff suggestion scheme.
