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Private security companies are bound by the Data Protection Act 1998. This act gives individuals rights over their personal information and makes it generally unlawful for anyone to collect, hold or process information about people without those persons'' having implicit or explicit knowledge of the fact and, in most cases, without the implicit or explicit consent of those persons. The enforcing body, and general privacy watchdog, in the UK is the Information Commissioner''s Office. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the ICO and particularly with his representative in Edinburgh, the Assistant Commissioner for Scotland.

Ministers are democratically accountable to the Scottish Parliament and, ultimately, to the Scottish people for any view they formulate as Scottish ministers, whether on a reserved or devolved matter. The Scottish Government will not hesitate to formulate a view on any matter if it considers that doing so is in the best interest of the Scottish people.

Statistical information is not held on the number of letters received by Scottish ministers on reserved matters in each year since 1999.

The new procedure put in place to respond to ministerial correspondence on reserved matters will not require any additional resources.

There is no outsourced physical guarding at the Scottish Government''s premises as this service is provided in-house. However, the Scottish Government has a contract for security guarding services at certain Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service''s sites in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Private security companies are also occasionally used to provide specialist security advice and/or services in relation to IT security, information security and physical security.

The Scottish Government does not centrally collate information on agencies, non-departmental public bodies and associated bodies'' contracts for this type of service.

Figures on the number of police officers employed by each force on 30 September 2008 are expected to be published by the Scottish Government on 2 December 2008.

For financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08, figures on the number of police officers employed by each force are available in the Quarterly Strength Return, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 40257 and 43307). This is updated on a quarterly basis to reflect returns for 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December each year.

The Scottish Public Finance Manual will be amended to reflect the target of paying the bills of small businesses around Scotland within 10 days.

The policy for handling correspondence addressed to Scottish ministers on reserved matters is as follows:

Issues where Scottish Government ministers would not have a view and which are appropriate for response by a UK Government will receive an acknowledgement.

Issues where Scottish ministers would want to give a view, but not necessarily in opposition to the UK Government will receive a substantive reply.

Issues where Scottish ministers would want to give a view and express a view different to that of UK Government will receive a substantive reply incorporating those views.

In all cases copies of the correspondence will be forwarded to the relevant UK Department for consideration and further response to points of policy where appropriate.

Discussions take place with UK ministers on a range of matters on a regular basis.

No specific discussions took place with UK ministers regarding the decision to respond directly to ministerial correspondence on reserved matters.

Communications officers already deal with issues relating to reserved matters, and have done so since 1999. Responses are decided on a case-by-case basis and this will continue. No additional cost is anticipated.