Chamber and committees

The Bull Stud project aims to modernise the Scottish Government’s bull stud at Knocknagael. In the process of doing so an area of land within the current farm boundary has been identified as surplus to the stud’s future requirements.

The current planning application, which has yet to be approved by the local authority, seeks to develop the surplus land at Knocknagael for low density housing. This proposal was put together following full consideration of the best use of the site and formed the basis of the public consultation held on 19 September 2012 in Inverness.

The Scottish Government has already submitted a response to the next Highland Council Development Plan Consultation identifying that the surplus land would be suitable for the use of housing, allotments or other green space. We would expect Highland Council to consider the suitability of the land for allotments or a community growing area as part of their assessment of the current planning application.

If a local community group wishes to obtain some of this land for community use there may be a mechanism to do so – the (Rural) Community Right to Buy - should they meet the required criteria. For further information please see our website - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/Rural/rural-land/right-to-buy/Community.

Through the forthcoming Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill the Scottish Government wants Scotland to be successful and to empower local communities to do more for themselves. It is intended that the Bill will make it easier for communities to take over unused and underused public or private assets (including land) and to introduce measures to help communities deal more effectively with vacant and unused assets in their area.

Along with the other jurisdictions that comprise the UK the Scottish Government is required to be compliant with this Directive by 6 April 2013. I consider that Scotland is already broadly compliant with the requirements of the Directive, but the Scottish Government is considering whether any final measures may be required to transpose the obligations of this Directive into domestic legislation.

Along with the other jurisdictions that comprise the UK, the Scottish Government is required to be compliant with this Directive by 18 December 2013. I consider that Scotland is already broadly compliant with the requirements of the Directive but the Scottish Government is currently considering whether any further measures may be required to transpose the obligations of this Directive into domestic legislation.

The police record details of all personal injury accidents, including on the A9 trunk road, however road design is not recorded as a contributory factor.

Transport Scotland collates information on reported personal injury accidents on trunk roads in Scotland and this database is updated periodically, as data provided by the police is checked and verified. The following table shows the number of fatal accidents and number of fatalities on the A9 between Perth and Inverness by year, since 2003.

*up to present date, which is 24^th January 2013

The figures quoted may differ slightly from those published elsewhere due to being extracted on a different date and the database may have changed between the two dates, e.g. due to late returns or corrections.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

Whilst there is no specific information sharing protocol we work closely with our criminal justice partners to tackle the unacceptable behaviours demonstrated by perpetrators of domestic violence. In addition, the Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011 contain a power to allow Governors to take reasonable steps to prevent or restrict written communications and telephone calls from a prisoner to a person, where that person so requests.

Rule 9.11 of the Scottish Parliament’s Standing Orders (which reflects the requirements of paragraph 7 of Schedule 3 to the Scotland Act 1998) states that:

“Where a Bill contains provisions, or is amended so as to include provisions, which would, if the Bill were a Bill for an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament, require the consent of Her Majesty, the Prince and Steward of Scotland or the Duke of Cornwall, the Parliament shall not debate any question whether the Bill be passed or approved unless such consent to those provisions has been signified by a member of the Scottish Government during proceedings on the Bill at a meeting of the Parliament.”

Information on Crown consent where it has arisen in relation to individual Bills is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. However, the Scottish Government understands that Crown consent has been sought, and granted, for every Scottish Parliament Bill enacted since 1999 for which the parliamentary authorities have determined that consent is required by Rule 9.11. Where Crown consent has been signified, that fact has been confirmed during the debate on the relevant Bill at a meeting of the Parliament and has been recorded in the Parliament’s Official Report.

There is no requirement for the Scottish Police College to inform the Scottish Government when it is involved in the training of police officers from overseas.

The provision of training to police officers from overseas is currently a matter for the Scottish Police Services Authority and will be for the Scottish Police Authority to consider after 1 April 2013.

The Scottish Police College is internationally recognised as a centre of learning excellence. The Scottish Government supports the aims of the College but does not have a specific role in encouraging overseas authorities to send senior police officers for training at the College.