- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 15 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive which specialisms within general, medical and surgical practice and among nursing staff will be invited to participate in the Expert Group on acute services reviews.
Answer
In
Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, I set out my intention to establish an expert group to support and advise local NHS boards in managing changes in the configuration of services and to advise the Health Department on the appropriateness of local reconfiguration.
I expect the expert group, details of which will be announced shortly, to include a wide range of community, clinical and public service experience. The members of the group will be drawn from general medical, surgical and nursing expertise, as appropriate.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 15 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents regarding adventure activities undertaken in the context of school trips.
Answer
None.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the implications of the Scotland Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights for the business and judicial resources of the supreme courts.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18633. In the further representations which the Lord President made to ministers last year he took account of the impact of the new legislation when requesting an increase in the complement of judges.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of pressures on the judicial resources of the supreme courts.
Answer
The Lord President of the Court of Session has responsibility for planning the programme of business for the Supreme Courts. In 1999 he made a case for an increase in the complement of Judges to 32 to cope with pressure of work and Ministers made the necessary resources available. The Supreme Courts remain under significant pressure and the position is kept under regular review by Ministers.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the need for additional judicial resources as a result of the demands made on the High Court of Justiciary.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18633.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in increasing the transparency and openness in the process for the appointment of Senators to the College of Justice.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18631. The Judicial Appointments Board will be expected to interview all candidates before recommending people to the First Minister. No individual will be appointed unless the Board have so recommended.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will show any percentage increase in the number of (a) High Courts indictments, (b) solemn appeals, (c) judge sitting days, (d) judicial time devoted to first instance criminal business and (e) judicial business devoted to criminal appeal work in the year up to 31 August compared with the two previous years.
Answer
The information requested is included in the following table.
| 1999-2000 Actual Full year | 2000-2001 Actual Full year | 01.04.01 to 31.08.01 Actual To date | 01.04.01 to 31.08.01 % change over the same period in 2000 | 01.04.01 to 31.08.01 % change over the same period in 1999 |
| High Court Indictments | 1478 | 1343 | 666 | +7 | +14 |
| Solemn Appeals | 930 | 1038 | 436 | -2 | +15 |
| Judge Sitting Days | 5079 | 5597 | 2144 | -3 | +12 |
| Judge days - First Instance Crime | 2225 | 2802 | 1053 | -13 | +12 |
| Judge days - Criminal Appeal work (including sifting) | 810 | 717 | 391 | +34 | +25 |
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the effects of new business before the Outer House of the Court of Session on its judicial resources.
Answer
New Outer House business has stayed fairly constant over the last few years. It is the responsibility of the Lord President to allocate judicial resources in the Court of Session and this takes account of the level of business in the Outer House.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting period in term weeks was for (a) four day proofs and (b) proofs with an estimated duration of 10 days or more in the Outer House of the Court of Session in the year up to 31 August 2001 and the two previous years.
Answer
Four days Proofs
1999-2000 | 18 term weeks |
2000-2001 | 20 term weeks |
01.04.2001 to 31.08.2001 | 21 term weeks |
Information of the average waiting periods for proofs of 10 days or more is not held centrally.
Proofs of this duration are fixed on an individual basis taking account of a range of factors. These include the availability of counsel, the urgency of the case and the court programme.
- Asked by: Brian Fitzpatrick, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the implications for the business and judicial resources of the supreme courts of the settlement rate of cases in the Outer House of the Court of Session.
Answer
In programming the work of the Outer House the court proceeds on the assumption that the settlement rate will run at around 95%. This figure is monitored from time to time and has been fairly constant in recent years.
