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I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:No service-wide assessment has been undertaken.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:Information and evidence provided relates to the agreed key performance indicators contained in the contract between SPS and Medacs Forensic Services. I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-28224 on 2 September 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The transfer of the Scottish Borders housing stock to Scottish Borders Housing Association is progressing. The independent valuation required to be updated to reflect the basis of the sale e.g. intervening right to buy sales, rent increases and capital investment undertaken by the council. This work has been completed and Scottish Borders Housing Association is in the process of updating its business plan which is now due for submission by 31 October. The formal consent of ministers' should be available thereafter, allowing the transfer to complete by the end of the year. All parties remain fully committed to concluding this complex process as soon as possible in order that the significant commitments to tenants can be actioned.

Only the courts and the Lord Advocate have the direct power to reduce the number of accused held on remand, by means of the grant of bail to individual accused.The Executive has, however, provided funding and guidance to all local authorities to allow bail information and supervision schemes to be provided to courts within their areas.Bail information schemes are intended to assist procurators fiscal and courts through verification of information in respect of cases where bail might otherwise have been opposed or refused. Bail supervision is intended to increase the confidence of courts of successful completion of bail periods through the availability of supervised bail with the intention of reducing the number of accused remanded to custody.

I understand that Sheriff Principal Nicholson's comments in Thomson v Thomson have been considered by the Sheriff Court Rules Council, the statutory body responsible for proposing rules on civil procedure in the sheriff court, and that a change to the rules will be recommended to the Lords of Council and Session as the rule making authority in response to those comments.

On 11 June 2001, Scottish Ministers decided to suspend the use of additional days and loss of remission in Scottish prisons. The European Court held on 15 July 2002 in the case of Ezeh & Connors v United Kingdom that there were Article 6 difficulties with the procedure for awarding Additional Days Added (ADAs).The decision to suspend the use of ADAs on 11 June 2001 didn't lead to disciplinary problems. It was therefore decided that the time was right to complete the abolition of ADAs. On 16 August 2002, ministers remitted all ADAs which prisoners in Scotland were serving or were still liable to serve, provided these days had been awarded to a person sentenced by a Scottish court.No decision has yet been taken as to whether the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989 and other legislation will be amended to remove references to additional days. The Ezeh & Connors judgement does not require the legislation to be amended.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:This information is not available.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:None.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29475 on 1 October 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:In addition to a recent pay award for nursing staff, the Scottish Prison Service has recently begun a comprehensive nursing services review which, among other things, will look at nurse recruitment and retention issues.