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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-18994

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that young offenders are engaged in purposeful activity and that the provision of such activity is monitored, as identified in the Visiting Committee of Polmont Young Offenders Institution Annual Report 1 April 2000-31 March 2001.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has made at Polmont significant investment to enhance the capabilities of the various workshops by the introduction of new machinery. Additionally, a paint finishing plant is being installed. This investment should provide further workplaces and training opportunities, as well as making work more interesting. Polmont has also introduced two further training areas, an Information Technology and Business Centre and Vocational Training Painting and Decorating. Both these areas will deliver quality and certificated training.

As a result of the new staff attendance work patterns SPS introduced at Polmont on 1 October 2001, and if more contract work can be sourced, we hope to introduce a workshop efficiency scheme similar to those already established in some other SPS establishments, but without restricting numbers or insisting on full attendance throughout the working week. This would ensure that time for education programmes and PE is maintained. Production through each workshop is monitored on a weekly basis and used to compile annual report statistics on value of production. Polmont also intend to carry out daily monitoring of workshop attendance records.

Question reference: S1W-18559

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by David Steel on 22 October 2001

To ask the Presiding Officer when the written answers search engine will again be fully functional.

The written answers database and search engine was added to the redesigned website on 18 June. Towards the end of August, problems were encountered in loading the latest answers into that database. Extensive investigations have shown that this is a complex matter that has needed input from Parliament IT staff and the database product supplier.

The written answers search engine has been fully functional as from 22 October 2001.

Question reference: S1W-17664

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail (a) the training given to newly recruited prison officers and (b) the in-service training given to prison officers at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

Newly recruited Scottish Prison Service prison officers spend one week at their establishment followed by five weeks at the Scottish Prison Service College. They are then deployed as officers, and are contractually obliged to complete the SVQ in Custodial Care within two years. New recruit and in-service training at HMP Kilmarnock is a matter for Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd.

Question reference: S1W-18585

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time taken to finalise appeals regarding Records of Needs has been for 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000 to date.

The average times are 66 weeks in 1998-99, 74 weeks in 1999-2000 and 39 weeks in 2000-01 for the 13 completed so far. No appeals received in 2001-02 have yet reached decision. The number of appeals received in each year is 24, 32, 31 and 22 to date, respectively.

The process is time consuming and the length of individual cases can be influenced by a variety of factors. Appeals go through the following stages:

checking validity of appeal and gathering relevant documentation from all parties concerned, including, in certain cases, parents' reasons for appealing, and often allowing time for the submission of independent assessments;

assigning appeal to an adviser to the Scottish ministers;

scheduling investigations, usually involving observation of the child in school and meetings with the parents and relevant professionals;

production of a detailed report on the case;

circulation of the report and a period of consultation on it for both parties;

collation of all comments on the report, and

a decision made on the basis of all information available including the report and comments made on it.

Question reference: S1W-18586

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals have been received regarding Records of Needs in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000 to date.

Question reference: S1W-18589

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what the target timescale is for completion of an appeal regarding a Record of Needs.

Question reference: S1W-18587

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many successful appeals regarding Records of Needs there have been in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000 to date and what this figure is as a percentage of the number received.

Question reference: S1W-17839

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 September 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-17668 and S1W-17536 on 28 August 2001 by Mr Jim Wallace, why these questions on HM Prison Kilmarnock were referred for answer by Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, when the Scottish Prison Service does not hold information on this prison; whether the Executive holds such information and, if it does not, whether it will obtain such information from Premier Prison Services in order that it is in the public domain.

Paragraph 4.40 of the Framework Document governing the relationship between ministers and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), provides for parliamentary questions related to matters delegated to the SPS to be referred to the Chief Executive for a response.

The SPS, as the customer of the services provided by the contractor, Premier Prison Services, seeks such information as is appropriate for monitoring the output performance of the contract. This does not include the sort of input information sought which is solely a matter for the contractor.

Question reference: S1W-17840

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 September 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many questions to the Minister for Justice have been passed to Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), for answer.

Question reference: S1W-17985

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 September 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has put in place any new environmental strategies designed to help local authorities in relation to the recycling of waste paper and cardboard, given the current situation in the waste paper and cardboard recycling market.

The Scottish Executive supports the Waste and Resources Action Programme which is a major programme (with over £40 million public funding) for England, Wales and Scotland aimed at creating and developing stable and efficient markets for recycled materials. One of its seven work programmes, launched in June 2001, is focused on developing the market for paper. This work aims to benefit local authority paper recycling schemes across the UK.

Year	Decisions in the parents' favour	As a % of appeals reaching decision
1998-1999	8	40%
1999-2000	16	64%
2000-01	7	54% (excludes 7 still in progress)
2001-02 no appeals yet reached decision