- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 August 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much will need to be spent to make each of Lochmaddy, Tain, Dingwall and Portree sheriff courts compliant with disability discrimination legislation.
Answer
The information requested is not yet available. The Scottish Court Service is currently undertaking a review of all court buildings to determine current compliance with disability discrimination legislation. The full extent of work needed and costings have yet to be determined.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 August 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26175 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 June 2002, why the report on the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court has not been published, given that refurbishment is not one of the options subject to consultation by the Scottish Court Service.
Answer
The feasibility report on the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court, which was prepared by consultants for the Scottish Court Service, will be made available to interested parties together with the consultation document once the consultation process commences. This will ensure that all relevant material is available at the same time.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 20 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale was from the decision to build to occupancy in respect of HM Prison Kilmarnock.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The contract was awarded in November 1997. The prison was opened in March 1999.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 20 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18178 by Malcolm Chisholm on 28 September 2001, whether the definition of personal care contained in its guidance circular CCD 4/2002, which states that "food preparation and provision of meals are not included", contradicts the recommended definition in the Care Development Group's report, Fair Care for Older People, which includes "assistance with preparation of food" and, if so, what action it is taking in respect of this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Executive do not believe that there is any discrepancy between the Care Development Group Report, the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 schedule 1 and the subsequent guidance CCD/4/2002 issued to councils on the implementation of the policy.The Care Development Group recommended that there should be sufficient flexibility in the definition and in turn application of personal care to ensure an individual's care needs can be properly met. "Assistance with the preparation of food" was therefore included in the definition to encompass those with severe physical and/or mental frailty who may need support for certain tasks. The Executive will continue to monitor the practical effect of the policy across all local authorities and keep the guidance under review.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 19 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to the impact of (a) the imminent increase in the Small Claims level to #1,500 and Summary Cause level to #5,000 with an increase in representation by party litigants and (b) the proposed Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill on the proposals to remove all civil business from Peebles Sheriff Court, given its commitment in Access to Justice - Beyond the Year 2000.
Answer
I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:All major new legislation is reviewed to identify resource implications for the Scottish Court Service. The impact of increasing the financial thresholds in small claims and summary causes and the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill would not be expected to affect materially the level of business of the courthouse at Peebles.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet representatives of Scottish Borders Council and Scottish Water, the Water Commissioner for Scotland and relevant MSPs to address the capacity of waste water treatment works in certain towns and villages in the Scottish Borders Council area.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28957 today. All answers to written PQs are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will meet representatives of Scottish Borders Council to discuss the authority's concerns regarding lack of spare capacity in waste water treatment works in a number of settlements there, including Duns, Ayton, Earlston, Newtown St Boswells, Lauder, Stow, Peebles, West Linton and Eddleston.
Answer
The Executive has been aware of the issues relating to constraints on water and waste water infrastructure for some time. A number of meetings were held earlier this year with representatives of the house building industry, the then water authorities, representatives of local authorities, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Water Industry Commissioner, to explore the way forward.In the first instance, however, this is an operational matter for Scottish Water. I am aware that they have been undertaking a significant amount of work in past months following the meetings referred to, to review their whole investment programme. This work has been necessary to inform them better about the investment required to ease such constraints across Scotland, and about its prioritisation.When this work is completed, I understand that Scottish Water intend to arrange meetings with local authorities to discuss their findings.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether development is being delayed in the Scottish Borders Council area owing to lack of further sewerage capacity in some towns and villages and what action it is taking in respect of this matter.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28957 today. All answers to written PQs are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the quality of delivery of service in sheriff courts.
Answer
The ministerial targets set for the Scottish Court Service include targets relating to quality of service. Quality of service in the sheriff courts is measured by the percentage of sheriff courts achieving administrative standards agreed with the Sheriff Principal and by the percentage of court houses meeting the Coming to Court standards. The results are reported in the Scottish Court Service Annual Report and Accounts.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what facilities for access for disabled people there are in Lochmaddy, Tain, Dingwall and Portree Sheriff Courts.
Answer
I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:Tain Sheriff Court has no facility to allow easy access for disabled persons. However Lochmaddy, Dingwall and Portree all have disabled access into the building and disabled toilet provisions. In addition Portree has a stair lift to gain access to the courtroom on the first floor.
