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I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The director has indicated that some further work is being undertaken which will not be completed until the end of March, at which point he will consider whether any procedural changes are required.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:Information about prisoners unlawfully at large by security category is not available. The SPS annual reports give details of numbers of prisoners escaping/absconding from custody.

The first meeting of the Criminal Justice Social Work Accreditation Panel is to be held on 22 and 23 April. The development of criteria for the accreditation of youth justice programmes will be discussed at this meeting.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34950 on 24 March 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34950 on 24 March 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

Yes. The Sewel Convention, which provides that the UK Parliament will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters in Scotland without the consent of the Scottish Parliament, has always been observed. The convention does not prescribe the precise stage at which consent should be sought, though the Scottish Executive has undertaken normally to seek the Scottish Parliament's consent before the UK Bill is given its Second Reading in the House of the UK Parliament in which it is introduced. It is recognised, however, that adherence to this timetable is not always feasible and can, in any event, put considerable demands on the Scottish Parliament. It is anticipated that improvements will be effected through the introduction of the revised process proposed by the Scottish Executive to the Scottish Parliament's Procedures Committee.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:Since the phase-in of prisoners in 1999, the number of Available Prisoner Places, as defined in the contract between SPS and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited, has remained at 500.The number of Additional Prisoner Places, as defined in the contract, was 48 from July 2000 until January 2003. Since 1 February 2003, the number of such places has been 96.

The action was taken because it was becoming apparent that the target introduced in 2000-01 was no longer a reliable indicator of performance. Moreover, targets had been introduced by the Health and Safety Commission in their publication Revitalising Health and Safety launched by the Deputy Prime Minister in June 2000, and it was decided to align the SPS's method of accident reporting in future years against these targets.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Long-term young adults receive training in preparation for freedom through the Beechwood Unit (Open Facility within Polmont YOI). The training includes preparation for work through community-based placements and throughcare supports such as budgeting for their own food and belongings, assistance with job applications, and cooking their own meals in advance of independent living.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Depending on sentence length and assessed needs, young adults are offered a range of employment supports including job interviews, CV preparation, literacies assistance, and building self-esteem. Links are also made with Apex Scotland, Job Centre Plus and individual employers to maximise chances of securing and retaining full, part-time and voluntary employment.