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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4W-02493

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of building HMP Highland will be.

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

The cost of building HMP Highland will depend on a range of factors, including site characteristics, planning conditions, market conditions at the point of awarding a construction contract etc. The Scottish Prison Service currently estimates that the cost of HMP Highland will be around £52 million.

Question reference: S4W-02495

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-00788 by Kenny MacAskill on 24 June 2011, when it expects the acquisition of the site for HMP Highland to be finalised.

Question reference: S4W-02724

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) operational and (b) civilian police staff are trained to operate defibrillators.

I am informed by ACPOS (Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland) that the numbers of operational and civilian police staff trained to operate defibrillators, broken down by police force area, are as follows:

Force	Trained Police Officers	Trained Police Staff
Central	76	7
Dumfries and Galloway	7	12
Fife	50	-
Grampian	30	-
Lothian and Borders	-	-
Northern	-	-
Strathclyde	70	-
Tayside	29	26

Question reference: S4W-02723

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police patrol vehicles are fitted with defibrillators, broken down by police force area.

Question reference: S4O-00251

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the provision of defibrillators.

Question reference: S4W-02721

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) CalMac, (b) NorthLink and (c) Argyll ferries have a defibrillator on board.

Question reference: S4W-02634

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has set aside funding for improvements to the rail network on the Far North Line.

Question reference: S4W-02633

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to improve rail times on the Far North Line.

Question reference: S4W-02492

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the upgrading of the A96 from Inverness to Nairn will incorporate a path or lane for cyclists.

Question reference: S4W-01600

Asked by: David Stewart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 4 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been allocated to (a) victim and witness support and (b) offender services in each year since 2007.

The table below shows the outturn expenditure by the Scottish Government specifically for support to victims and witnesses, including the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, as well as for Offender Services:

2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11*
£000	£000	£000	£000

Victim and Witness Support	5,000	4,700	4,700	5,600
Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme	21,000	29,400	28,400	28,000
Violence against Women Fund	8,200	10,100	10,500	11,500
Total Spend on Victims and Witnesses	34,200	44,200	43,600	45,100
Offender Services	14,300	21,100	22,300	23,500

Note: *The figures for 2010-11 are provisional pending publication of the Scottish Government’s accounts.

Expenditure incurred to deliver victim and witness support includes grants to Victim Support Scotland and People Experiencing Trauma and Loss (PETAL). The Violence against Women Fund includes grants to organisations such as Rape Crisis Scotland, Scottish Women’s Aid and the Rape Crisis Helpline.

There is also expenditure on victims and witnesses that is incurred across a range of criminal justice agencies. For example, engagement with victims and witnesses is central to the operation of the police, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Court Service. This work is such an integral part of the normal functions of these agencies that it is not possible to disaggregate total expenditure on victims and witnesses. In addition, a number of services are delivered to both victims and witnesses as there is an overlap between the two categories.

In each year the local government settlement includes an allocation of £86.45 million to Community Justice Authorities for criminal justice social work services.

Force	Police Vehicles
Central	2
Dumfries and Galloway	-
Fife	1
Grampian	-
Lothian and Borders	-
Northern	-
Strathclyde	10
Tayside	-