Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive is in discussion with Fife Constabulary about the additional policing costs arising from the commencement of the proposed Rosyth ferry service.

The Scottish Executive is in discussions with Fife Council about its access strategy to the new ferry terminal at Rosyth, including signage to keep heavy goods vehicles to existing agreed routes. The A823 (N) is a local road. As such, proposals for developing a new access road would be a matter for Fife Council as the local roads authority for the area.For information, there are currently no proposals for the Executive to extend the A823 (M) trunk road.

The Executive has no plans to amend the signing at this location. The existing signing, which is the responsibility of Fife Council, does not direct traffic for Dunfermline through Rosyth.

The procedure for the imminent appointment of a successor to Lord Gill as Chair of the Scottish Law Commission has been formulated in consultation with the Executive's Public Appointments Unit and with the approval of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.In terms of the agreed procedure, the senior judiciary will be consulted before a new Chair is appointed.

The procedure for the imminent appointment of a successor to Lord Gill as Chair of the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) has been formulated in consultation with the Executive's Public Appointments Unit and with the approval of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).

Children's Panel Training Organisers, who are funded by the Scottish Executive to provide training to panel members, are responsible for the development of material used in training. They have drawn on expertise provided by child psychologists and psychiatrists which has been incorporated into training on communicating with children which features in panel member pre-service training. In-service training may involve workshops on specific issues. The National Autistic Society conducted such a workshop in October 2001 in Dundee.

The recent reappointments of Professors Maher and Thomson as Scottish Law Commissioners were conducted in accordance with the procedures for appointments to public bodies and after due consultation with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21349.

My officials met Supporters Direct last September to discuss the possibility and practicalities of Supporters Direct extending the service they provide in England and Wales to Scotland. Supporters Direct were asked to submit a written proposal on how this could be achieved together with costings.Following the setting up of the Scottish Football Partnership (SFP) in November 2001, Supporters Direct were encouraged to apply to the SFP for funding and I understand that initial contact has been made. My colleague, Mike Watson has written to the Chairman of the Partnership asking that his board consider sympathetically any subsequent application received from Supporters Direct for funding. It is, however, a matter entirely for the board of the SFP. We remain committed to examining all possible means of encouraging responsible groups of supporters to become more involved in their football club.

We seek to promote consistency in the way that police forces record crime through guidelines and audits.We issue guidance through the Criminal Statistics Handbook. The guidance is discussed with police representatives through the Scottish Criminal Statistics Committee and is ratified by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.The Justice Department Justice Statistics Unit also visits police forces to monitor police recording practice and confirm that the guidance is being followed. In its regular programme of primary inspections, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary also audits processes and procedures used within forces to record crime.