- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what dialogue it has had with the HIV Blood Transfusion Group on the development of terms of reference for a public inquiry into contaminated blood and blood products.
Answer
I have met twice with representatives of the Scottish Haemophilia Forum about the public inquiry into hepatitis C and HIV infection from NHS treatment with blood and blood products. The Scottish Government has not had a direct meeting with the HIV Blood Transfusion Group.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 30 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when the expert group on privacy will report on its work and whether such reports will be published.
Answer
The expert group has been tasked with developing high-level draft principles on identity assurance and privacy. It is anticipated that it will report to ministers on its work by March 2009, and that a public consultation on the draft principles will follow.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 30 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when the expert group on privacy will next meet and what issues will be included on its agenda.
Answer
The expert group will meet next on 15 December 2008. An agenda has not yet been prepared.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 30 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the expert group on privacy has examined the operation of Scottish citizen accounts.
Answer
The examination of the operation of the Scottish Citizen''s Account is not within the remit of the expert group.
Atos Consulting have been commissioned by the Scottish Government to carry out an independent review of the security and data protection aspects of the citizen''s account system, and are currently preparing their report.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 30 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how often the expert group on privacy has met since it was announced on 9 September 2008 and what issues were discussed at each meeting.
Answer
The expert group has met once on 6 October 2008. At that meeting the group discussed the terms of reference and ways of working, and its remit to develop draft principles on identity assurance and privacy for public consultation, and provide high level advice on the draft Biometrics Technologies in Schools Guidance consultation.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what changes there have been to the membership of the expert group on privacy since it was announced on 9 September 2008.
Answer
There has been one change: Gareth Crossman from Liberty accepted a new job in an unrelated field and therefore withdrew from the group before its first meeting.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15893 by John Swinney on 17 September 2008, in what ways a register covering the whole population would differ from a national identity register.
Answer
In this context, a register covering the whole population would be a list of everybody resident in Scotland on a particular date, similar to the census. Like the census, it would be used for statistical and research purposes, not as a way of establishing identity.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive which airport operators ministers have met since May 2007; when these meetings took place; who was present, and what issues were discussed at each meeting.
Answer
Ministers have met airport operators on 10 occasions since May 2007 and were accompanied by a senior official from the Scottish Government at each meeting. The information is set out in the following table:
| Minister | Date | Airport Operator | Reason for Visit/Meeting and Issues Discussed |
| First Minister | 22 June 2007 | BAA Aberdeen | Attendance at redevelopment of Aberdeen Airport''s terminal building |
| Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change | 26 September 2007 | Glasgow Prestwick Airport | Surface access Freight International links |
| Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change | 2 October 2007 | BAA | Competition Commission Surface access Environmental issues Investment Programme, including Master Plans |
| Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change | 6 November 2007 | Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) | Briefing and dinner for Stewart Stevenson and MSPs |
| Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change | 29 November 2007 | HIAL | Dundee Airport Inverness terminal Policy and Financial Management Review Air links |
| First Minister | 11 March 2008 | Glasgow Prestwick Airport | Surface access Freight Master Plan |
| Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change | 24 April 2008 | HIAL | Dinner with HIAL Board |
| John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth | 7 May 2008 | BAA | Air links Surface access Competition Commission Master Plans Strategic Transport Projects Review |
| Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change | 14 August 2008 | Argyll and Bute Council | Oban Airport opening |
| John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth | 11 September 2008 | BAA | Environmental issues Competition Commission Master Plans |
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any ministers have met representatives of BAA since May 2007 and, if so, when these meetings were, who was present and what matters were discussed.
Answer
Ministers have met senior officials from BAA on four occasions since May 2007 and were accompanied by a senior official from the Scottish Government at each meeting. The information is set out in the following table:
| Minister | Date | Reason for Visit/Meeting and Issues Discussed |
| First Minister | 22 June 2007 | Attendance at redevelopment of Aberdeen Airport''s terminal building |
| Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change | 2 October 2007 | Competition Commission Surface access Environmental issues Investment programme, including Master Plans |
| John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth | 7 May 2008 | Air links Surface access Competition Commission Master Plans Strategic Transport Projects Review |
| John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth | 11 September 2008 | Environmental issues Competition Commission Master Plans |
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 17 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many charges recorded as racially aggravated under section 96 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 have been (a) reported to procurators fiscal by police, (b) prosecuted, (c) marked for no proceedings and (d) disposed of in other ways in each year since 2003-04.
Answer
The following table shows the number of charges reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service with a racial aggravation recorded and how these charges were dealt with.
Charge Aggravations: Racial1,2,4
| Non-Racial Charges with a Racial Aggravation Recorded | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| a. Total Charges Reported | 984 | 1,394 | 1,492 | 1,580 | 1,635 |
| b. Court Proceedings | 749 | 1,089 | 1,208 | 1,287 | 1,352 |
| c. No Action | 43 | 70 | 71 | 49 | 64 |
| d. Direct Measures | 85 | 92 | 98 | 87 | 87 |
| e. Not a separate charge3 | 107 | 143 | 115 | 157 | 150 |
Notes:
1. The information in this table has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service''s Case Management Database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency the database will record details only of the amended charge.
2. The database is charge-based. The figures quoted therefore relate to the number of charges rather than the number of individuals charged or the number of incidents that gave rise to such charges.
3. The charges referred to at (e) were not included as separate charges in any court proceedings or other action, but action was taken in relation to other charges against the accused.
4. The table reflects the position at 9 September 2008.
