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I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:Full structural surveys, which are expensive, are not normally commissioned unless indications from visual inspections, settlement or other problems indicate that they are necessary. A visual survey was carried out in August 1994 to ascertain the extent of the problem of rain penetration through the numerous cracks in the mass concrete walls. This survey also included investigation of external wall foundations at four locations. We do not believe a full structural survey now is necessary or would be good value for taxpayers money, as we already know that the cells are too small for integral sanitation; there is no access to night sanitation; there is no electrical power in cells or in cell fire detection system; the windows are below SPS security standards and non-compliant with the current building regulations in terms of daylight factor and natural ventilation, and site services for electricity, gas, water and drainage are at full capacity, indeed at times overloaded, or in need of replacement. The term "state of exhaustion" is a brief summary of the factors which make the current accommodation not in our view fit for purpose.

The report on the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court was prepared for the Scottish Court Service by Keppie Design, Architects, in partnership with Currie & Brown, Quantity Surveyors, White Young Green Consulting Engineers and Melville Dundas, Contractor.

Yes, the cost of repair and refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court is estimated to be in the order of £1 million.

The report into the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court will be available to interested parties once a conclusion on this matter has been reached.

Police officers inform the procurator fiscal, in the report which they submit, of any dates on which they will not be available. Procurators Fiscal take that information into account in accepting suggested trial diets. Lothian and Borders Police are, with the co-operation of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Court Service piloting arrangements for police rostering, leave and availability to be checked immediately before trials are fixed. Early indications are that significant reductions in adjournments are being achieved as a result. Grampian Police are also, with the co-operation of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Court Service, piloting a similar process but one based on direct computer access in court. Such measures are designed to ensure that, so far as possible, trial dates are fixed when police officers will be available.

The training received and written guidance held by procurators fiscal identifies particular classes of case as generally requiring priority. These include, for example, cases involving children, cases in which the accused is in custody and cases in which a time bar is approaching. The allocation of priorities as between the several cases which a given member of staff or a given office requires to deal with at a particular time is a matter for professional judgement in light of training and experience and depends on consideration of all of the circumstances of each case.

We are addressing the timeliness of reporting with the police and other reporting agencies.

We are addressing the timeliness of reporting with the police and other reporting agencies.

This information is not held centrally. However, we are addressing the timeliness of reporting with the police and other reporting agencies.

It is, by statute, one of the duties of a police officer to attend any court of law for the purpose of giving evidence. Procurators Fiscal have been instructed in the following terms: "Procurators Fiscal should take steps to ensure that no more witnesses are cited than are necessary to prove a particular case. Procurators Fiscal are therefore urged to examine carefully the question of who should be cited to attend in a particular case, with the aim of ensuring that unnecessary witnesses are not cited. Police witnesses speaking only to a non-reply to caution and charge or to forms raised by the police in terms of the detention provisions of section 14 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 are unlikely to be necessary witnesses. In summary cases Procurators Fiscal should therefore rely where appropriate on the presumption offered by section 280(A) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and should take steps to ensure that such witnesses are not normally cited (or, where they have been cited, countermand them once the position becomes clear). Where there is ample other evidence consideration should also be given to the need to cite both police witnesses speaking to an incriminating reply by an accused. For the avoidance of doubt two police witnesses will of course be required to speak to 'special knowledge' replies".