Chamber and committees

In 2012, Saheliya was allocated £225,390 from the Violence Against Women Fund to tackle Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) over the period 2012-15, and will receive a further £137,000 from the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund during 2013-15 for work with minority ethnic young women, including FGM.

It has been estimated that 3,000 women and girls are at risk in Scotland. This figure for Scotland is a pro rata projection based on research by FORWARD in England and Wales in 2007. According to the 2001 Census data, there were 2,946 women between the ages of 0 to 49 living in Scotland and born in one of the 29 countries in which Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is reported to be a traditional practice.

We are currently considering data that might help us more accurately estimate the prevalence of FGM in Scotland. The numbers from the 2011 Census (when available later this year) are likely to be significantly higher, as is demonstrated by the increase over time in numbers of births registered in Scotland to mothers who were born in one of these countries (from 120 births in 2001 to 656 births in 2011).

We are committed to gathering the best possible data on outcomes for drug and alcohol service users to inform and improve service design and delivery and are currently considering the most effective and efficient way of doing so.

Information Services Division has led a recent consultation on a proposed Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) which, if progressed, would integrate and rationalise the functions of the existing Scottish Drug Misuse Database and Drug and Alcohol Treatment Waiting Times Database, while including new data on alcohol treatment and recovery outcomes.

The DAISy consultation ended on 12 July 2013 and ISD plan to publish the findings in the coming months, which will inform appropriate next steps. Information on costs is not currently available as a decision has not yet been taken on the solution that will be adopted.

Under Action 21 of the Hepatitis C Action Plan for Scotland Phase II, NHS Information Services Division (ISD) was tasked with the development of a data collection system to monitor Injecting Equipment Provision (IEP) in Scotland.

Development of the IEP system a) cost £44,265 and b) took 12 months to complete.

This system was developed to enable electronic data capture from NHS boards on IEP. At launch, six NHS boards used the IEP system; currently the same six NHS Boards continue to use the system.

To ensure the IEP database provides comprehensive coverage across Scotland, the remaining six NHS boards who use alternative systems were required to submit a paper survey. From 2013, the IEP system will receive data feeds from those NHS boards who use alternative information systems, allowing the paper survey to be phased out.

I consider that Scotland is already broadly compliant with the requirements of the Directive. The Anti-Trafficking Progress Group is taking forward the 11 priority action points identified and agreed at the summit in October 2012. These actions include training and awareness raising; improving victim support and care, and considering whether there are any gaps in legislation. The group will meet again shortly to review progress so far and is scheduled to report back to a re-convened Summit in 2014. We have also given a commitment to bring forward a human trafficking statutory aggravation and will do so shortly.

Following the establishment of the new police landscape on 1 April 2013, the collection of these data is now a matter for the Police Service of Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not previously collected monthly data on police non-emergency calls, however, the latest annual data on police non-emergency calls is available in the Scottish Policing Performance Framework (SPPF) Annual Report 2011-12, which provides the number of calls between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012. This report, published in November 2012, was jointly produced by the Scottish Government and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

The equivalent SPPF Annual Report 2012-13, due for publication on 5 November 2013, will provide the total number of non-emergency calls between 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013.

This information is not held by constituency.

My officials are working closely with the Law Society of Scotland to develop its regulatory scheme. We hope to be able to refer a proposed scheme to the Lord President and Office of Fair Trading as the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 requires, in the near future.

This information is not held by postcode.

Scottish Government officials have actively participated in the Collaborative Working Group between UK Plant Health Authorities and the UK Horticulture and Soft Fruit Industry. The aim of the group is to share knowledge and to facilitate preparedness of the soft fruit sector in relation to this pest. The group has met eight times since May 2012.