- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 16 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how Scottish Water has re-prioritised its investment programme following the recent contamination of water supplies by the cryptospiridium bacterium.
Answer
The Cryptosporidium Directions required Scottish Water to carry out a risk assessment on all its supplies and introduced sampling appropriate to the assessed risk. The Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) audits the requirements of the directions annually. Following the recent events in Glasgow and Edinburgh I have asked the DWQR to carry out a review of the detailed workings of the directions. The outcome of this review will be available in about two months. In the meantime, my initial assessment is that the investment priorities for 2002-06 given in the Quality and Standards paper published in August 2001 were broadly correct.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to upgrade or rebuild the police station at Peebles; whether consideration has been given to building a combined police station and courthouse; whether such a combined police station and courthouse has been built elsewhere, and, if so, how much it cost.
Answer
Provision of a police station at Peebles is a matter for Lothian and Borders Police. I am not aware of any proposals for upgrading or refurbishing the police station at Peebles nor of any plans for building a combined police station and courthouse at Peebles. No combined police station and courthouse have been built elsewhere in Scotland in recent years.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27460 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002, whether, in calculating the additional cost of implementing the transfer of sheriff court business from Peebles to either Edinburgh or Selkirk, an informed assessment of any additional costs associated with the use of police resources, including personnel, will be made.
Answer
Yes. The Scottish Court Service will be consulting with Lothian and Borders Police on the options for future provision of court services in Peebles.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 12 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the staffing levels have been at HM Prison and Young Offenders' Institute Cornton Vale in each quarter in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03 to date, expressed as a percentage of the full staff complement.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The readily available information is shown in the following table.
| Date | Staff in Post | %Age |
| 1 April 1999 | 250 | 102 |
| 1 August 1999 | 247 | 100 |
| 1 December 1999 | 246 | 99 |
| 1 April 2000 | 246 | 99 |
| 1 August 2000 | 248 | 100 |
| 1 December 2000 | 245 | 99 |
| 1 April 2001 | 239 | 97 |
| 1 August 2001 | 244 | 99 |
| 1 December 2001 | 254 | 99 |
| 1 April 2002 | 278 | 107 |
| 1 August 2002 | 269 | 103 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 12 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on reduced efficacy of the induction process at HM Prison and Young Offenders' Institution Cornton Vale owing to increased numbers and staff shortages, referred to in the Annual Report 2001-02 of the prison's Over 21's Visiting Committee.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The standard induction process of three days for convicted prisoners has continued to operate as normal. Additional nursing resource has been supplied in order that health care for the increased number of admissions can be more effectively provided. The increased pressures on Cornton Vale have been caused by increased numbers rising markedly above the available capacity of the establishment. SPS have announced the conversion of Darroch Hall at HM Prison Greenock to house women prisoners. This will ease overcrowding at Cornton Vale. This will be in addition to the creation of an open prison facility in the SPS houses adjacent to Cornton Vale which will also help to ease pressures.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 12 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on section 2.5 of the Annual Report 2001-02 of the Over 21's Visiting Committee of HM Prison and Young Offenders' Institute Cornton Vale, with particular regard to the committee's concerns about the (a) level of success of action on drugs programmes in the prison and (b) place of mandatory drug testing within the prison's overall drug strategy.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:Cornton Vale makes available and is further developing a range of interventions/drugs programmes including health care and addictions assessment, information and awareness, detoxification and substitute prescribing, relapse prevention and pre- and post-release support. Mandatory drug testing allows the prison to monitor drug misuse and the effectiveness of interventions and to identify inmates who may need specialist support. The increased pressures on Cornton Vale have been caused by numbers rising markedly above the available capacity of the establishment. SPS have announced the conversion of Darroch Hall at HM Prison Greenock to house women prisoners. This will ease overcrowding at Cornton Vale.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 12 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 9 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for issuing guidance to Children's Panels.
Answer
The Scottish Executive Education Department is responsible for issuing guidance to members of Children's Panels. The intention of such guidance is to provide members with generic advice which will assist them in reaching decisions at Children's Hearings.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 12 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of prisoners at HM Prison and Young Offenders' Institute Cornton Vale are currently accommodated in shared cells.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Currently about 50%.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 12 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 9 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what directions or guidance is given to Children's Panels on the information panels may forward to the Youth Crime Diversion Programme when making a referral to the programme.
Answer
Rule 21 of the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Rules 1996 sets out what information, and to whom, the Reporter should communicate following the decision of a Children's Hearing. However, that is only one aspect of the network of communication involved in these situations. Where a child is referred to a diversionary project, the project itself will usually have clear expectations, agreed with referring agencies, about what information it should receive.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 12 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners at HM Prison Young Offenders' Institute Cornton Vale have been (a) on remand and (b) in custody awaiting sentence in (i) 1999-2000, (ii) 2000-01, (iii) 2001-02 and (iv) 2002-03 to date.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The information is not available in the requested format. Figures are available for average daily population and are listed below.Average Daily Population on Remand in Cornton Vale
| Year | Untried | Convicted | Awaiting Sentence | Total Remand |
| 1999-2000 | 35 | 13 | 18 | 48 |
| 2000-01 | 27 | 13 | 23 | 40 |
| 2001-02 | 38 | | | 55 |
| 2002 (Apr-Jul) | 47 | | | 70 |
Note: Components may not add due to rounding.
