- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 12 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to send any representatives to the EU conference, Towards an Effective Policy on Drugs: Policy Choices, Scientific Facts and Day-to-Day Practice, in Athens on 6 to 8 March 2003 and, if so, of what grade and department each such representative will be.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will not be sending representatives to the EU Conference in Athens on 6 to 8 March. The Home Office, which leads for the UK on international drugs policy issues, is sending a small delegation, which will represent UK interests. Although experts and some politicians will speak at the conference, the UK delegation will not include a ministerial representative. I understand that the conference, which will take the form of a series of presentations, will focus on evidence gathering rather than on high-level policy negotiations. The Scottish Executive is regularly consulted on, and fully involved in, discussions with the Home Office at official and ministerial level on the formulation of EU policies that touch on matters falling within the responsibilities of the Executive. The Home Office will feed back to the Executive the outcome of the conference in due course.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 12 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what methods of distribution were used for the summary document of Recording Our Achievements and what the cost of each method was.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's distributors, Task Force, distributed 1,711 copies of
Recording our Achievements: A Summary with the main
Recording our Achievements document and 80,029 copies directly to public libraries, local authorities, NHS GPs, dental, and opticians practices, charities, churches, young people's organisations, older people's organisations, and higher and further education institutions. The costs for this circulation included postage, labour, materials and couriers.A further 5,200 copies were distributed by the task force as inserts to the Friday 31 January 2003 edition (issue 231) of
Third Force News. Task Force also distributed 10,000 copies of
Recording our Achievements: A Summary to Scottish Post Offices; this involved a cost for the rental of Post Office leaflet space. Two thousand, five hundred and seventy-one copies of the summary document have been retained by the Executive for internal distribution and to meet further requests from members of the public for copies.The costs for distributing the main and summary documents can be broken down as follows.
| Distribution of main and summary reports by Task Force - 2nd class | £7,411.95 |
| Labour, materials and couriers | £3,714.23 |
| Distribution as insert to Third Force News | £1,762.50 |
| Rental of Post Office leaflet space | £3,000 |
| Total | £15,888.68 |
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-33093 and S1W-32973 by Cathy Jamieson and Mr Jim Wallace on 22 and 20 January 2003 respectively, how it was able to state the percentage of inmates that have mental problems and the number that are in receipt of prescribed psychiatric medication at HM Prison Polmont but not at other young offender institutions.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The information provided which is an approximation, is based on data collected locally at HM Young Offenders Institute Polmont but at no other establishment.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in the light of the conclusion of the Evaluation of the Scottish Prison Service's Tendering Process for Social Work Contracts that "contracting between public bodies for services that are themselves complex and reflect high levels of inter-connectivity may not provide the most effective means of achieving a balance between performance and risk that is appropriate and acceptable to each of the parties concerned."
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:Overall, the evaluation concluded that while these contracts were working better than the previous arrangements, they could be improved further. The SPS is likely to move to new more operationally and financially rigorous arrangements in respect of the remaining establishments.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32358 by Hugh Henry on 17 January 2003, what the total delegated budget has been for each prison and young offenders institution in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99, (c) 1999-2000, (d) 2000-01, (e) 2001-02 and (f) 2002-03 to date and what the expenditure outturn has been in each case.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The available information is as shown in the following table.
| Establishment | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 |
| Budget (£ million) | Under/(Over) Spend (£ million) | Budget (£ million) | Under/(Over) Spend (£ million) | Budget(£ million) |
| HM Prison Aberdeen | 5.8 | 0.1 | 6.1 | - | 5.9 |
| HM Prison Barlinnie | 24.5 | 0.6 | 24.1 | (0.2) | 24.2 |
| HM Prison Castle Huntly | 3.3 | 0.1 | 3.1 | - | 3.0 |
| HM Prison and YOI Cornton Vale | 8.1 | (0.3) | 8.5 | 0.2 | 9.2 |
| HM Prison and YOI Dumfries | 5.7 | - | 6.0 | 0.1 | 5.3 |
| HM Prison Dungavel | 0.8 | (0.1) | - | - | |
| HM Prison Edinburgh | 18.1 | 0.2 | 18.6 | (0.1) | 18.5 |
| HM Prison and YOI Glenochil | 16.7 | (0.2) | 17.6 | 0.3 | 16.9 |
| HM Prison Greenock | 6.8 | (0.1) | 7.4 | 0.2 | 6.9 |
| HM Prison Inverness | 3.9 | 0.1 | 3.9 | - | 4.1 |
| HM Prison Kilmarnock | 13.0 | 0.4 | 13.2 | 0.6 | 13.2 |
| HM Remand Institution Longriggend | 0.1 | - | - | - | |
| HM Prison Low Moss | 6.5 | 0.1 | 7.0 | 0.1 | 6.8 |
| HM Prison Noranside | 3.1 | (0.1) | 2.8 | - | 2.8 |
| HM Prison Penninghame | 0.3 | - | - | - | |
| HM Prison Perth | 16.9 | 0.4 | 15.5 | 0.2 | 16.5 |
| HM Prison Peterhead | 8.7 | 0.3 | 9.0 | 0.3 | 8.7 |
| HM YOI Polmont | 12.8 | (0.1) | 13.2 | (0.5) | 12.8 |
| HM Prison Shotts | 17.4 | 0.2 | 16.3 | 0.8 | 16.9 |
Notes:1. The table is based on delegated budgets for each of these years.2. Projected spend for 2002-03 is currently in line with budgets allocated.3. Budget details are no longer retained on the financial system for 1999-2000 and prior years.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30674 by Mr Andy Kerr on 13 November 2002, when the review of its planned advertising expenditure from January to March 2003 will be completed and whether it will report its conclusions to the Parliament.
Answer
The review of advertising expenditure started in late August has been completed and the First Minister has decided on a reduction of 25%. This reduction will apply to expenditure planned earlier this financial year for the period January to March 2003. For 2003-04, expenditure will be set at 25% less than the total for 2002-03.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30372 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 November 2002, how many injuries have occurred in each prison that were reportable to the Health and Safety Executive in 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 available information is as follows:
| Aberdeen | 9 |
| Barlinnie | 36 |
| Castle Huntly | 1 |
| Cornton Vale | 8 |
| Dumfries | 6 |
| Edinburgh | 13 |
| Glenochil | 11 |
| Greenock | 10 |
| Inverness | 2 |
| Low Moss | 8 |
| Noranside | 1 |
| Perth | 5 |
| Peterhead | 2 |
| Polmont | 8 |
| Shotts | 19 |
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30674 by Mr Andy Kerr on 13 November 2002, what its planned expenditure on advertising is for each month from January to April 2003.
Answer
It is not possible to breakdown total advertising expenditure for each month from January to March because items such as production and printing will, in some cases, have been invoiced and paid for in previous months. While some campaign expenditure has yet to be finalised, currently the committed expenditure on media buying for each month from January to March 2003 is currently:
| January | £978,898 |
| February | £306,835 |
| March | £180,698 |
The final level of expenditure for January to March will be at least 25% less than previously planned.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-32815 and S1W-32816 by Hugh Henry on 13 January 2003, whether there has been any case where an incident at HM Prison Kilmarnock has been recorded as a serious assault for the purposes of the Scottish Prison Service's key performance indicators, but where performance points have not accrued to the prison because an adjudication or criminal conviction has not been secured.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Yes, for the reasons set out in the question.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-32797 and S1W-32400 by Patricia Ferguson and Mr Jim Wallace on 21 and 20 January 2003 respectively, how the answer to S1W-32400 which states that legal advice was obtained is consistent with the answer to S1W-32797 which states that by long-standing convention its general policy is that it does not disclose whether it has taken legal advice.
Answer
The Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information indicates that certain categories of information are exempt from the commitment to provide information, including internal discussion and advice. By longstanding convention, the general policy of the Scottish Executive is that it does not disclose legal advice or whether legal advice has been or will be obtained.In relation to the answer to question S1W-32400, I was satisfied that it was appropriate on that occasion to disclose that legal advice had been obtained and the reason for doing so.
