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

This information is not held by the Scottish Prison Service.

The deployment of Reliance Custodial Services staff is a matter for the service provider. Court staffing levels will vary in accordance with court business on any given day and vehicle crews are routinely used to augment court staffing levels, a role for which they are appropriately trained.

The Scottish Government continues its engagement with UK Government, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority at official and ministerial level to ensure we can secure all opportunities available to Scotland from the 2012 games.

On business and Pre Games Training Camps (PGTC) specifically, we and our agencies have been working with the UK Government and LOCOG to discuss their involvement in our forthcoming events. These are: Going for Gold: Business Opportunities for Scotland, an event on 17 June aimed at encouraging ethnic minority businesses, companies owned/run by women and social enterprises to compete for London 2012 work; our seminar on 19 June to give marketing and promotional advice to Scottish facilities selected for LOCOG’s PGTC Guide, and the Scottish launch of the London 2012 Business Network and CompeteFor on 4 September.

Special advisers are subject to the same conduct and confidentiality rules as apply to all civil servants. Special advisers who are part-time are made aware in their contracts that they are appointed on condition that any other employment or appointments outwith their appointment as a special adviser do not interfere with or limit their duties as a special adviser. If they feel that any such employment or appointments may give rise to a conflict of interest with their special adviser role or to a public perception of such a conflict, they are advised to consult Scottish Government Human Resources and are expected to decline where reasonably necessary.

The information requested is available at the website of the Scottish Information Commissioner at:

http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/home/ScottishInformationCommissioner.asp.

This website shows a list of all outstanding cases with the commissioner for investigation and a full list of his decisions, including the text of the decision. For those involving the Scottish ministers a search can be undertaken against the terms “Scottish ministers” or “Scottish Executive”.

The following projects have been approved for construction contract award since May 2007 at a capital cost of £488 million compared to projects valued at £75.4 million which were approved for construction contract award from May 2006 to April 2007.

A9 Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness Improvements Phase 2	£5,446,234
A77 Haggstone Climbing Lane and Glen App overtaking improve	£18,710,664
M8 Harthill Footbridge Replacement	£5,112,438
A76 Glenairlie Improvement	£4,903,789
A7 Auchenrivock	£7,733,975
M74 Completion Scheme	£444,715,352
A737 Roadhead Roundabout	£1,350,728

 

There were no special advisers in post on 1 May 2007 as all had resigned in the lead up to the Scottish election. Currently, there are nine special advisers of which seven are full-time appointments, one a part-time appointment and one an unpaid appointment.

The current special advisers and their specific responsibilities are as follows:

Name	Specific Responsibilities
Duncan Hamilton (part time)	Political adviser to the First Minister
Professor Sir Neil McCormick (part-time unpaid)	Adviser to the First Minister on Europe and external relations
Kevin Pringle	Strategic co-ordination across all portfolios, political spokesperson and senior adviser on communications issues
Stephen Noon	Senior adviser on policy matters across all portfolios
Noel Dolan	Senior policy adviser to the Deputy First Minister
John McFarlane	Policy adviser, supporting Mr Noon
Jennifer Dempsie	Communications adviser and Parliamentary liaison
Geoff Aberdein	Advice on diary issues and support for Parliamentary Liaison Officers
Will McLeish	Support on communications issues

 

The total annualised costs (including ERNIC, and employer pension contributions) for special advisers for financial year 2006-07 was £854,376. The estimated annual costs of the current team are £566,026.

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

No prisoners have escaped since May 2007. The number who have absconded is illustrated in the following tables.

Table 1 shows the total number of prisoners recaptured and of those the number who remained at large more than (a) three months, or (b) more than six months.

Table 2 shows the number of prisoners remaining at large and of those the numbers who have remained at large more than (a) three months, or (b) six months.

Table 1

Total Absconds	Total Recaptured	At Large Greater Than 3 Months	At Large Greater Than 6 Months
71	68	1	2

 

Table 2

Total Remaining at Large	At Large Greater Than 3 Months	At Large Greater Than 6 Months
4	0	2

 

Higher education retention rates are published annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. The latest set was published on 5 June 2008 and is available on the internet at:

http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/category/2/32/141/.

In the June 2007 transport investment statement the Scottish Government committed to the following:

· Airdrie to Bathgate rail link project - £300 million to £375 million

· Glasgow Airport Rail Link - costs currently under review

· Edinburgh Waverley Station - estimated to cost £150 million

· Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link - £80 million to £85million

In September 2007 the Edinburgh and Glasgow improvements programme was announced at a cost of £500 million to £1,050 million and £500 million was committed to the Edinburgh tram project.

In March 2008 the government confirmed its commitment to the Borders railway project, with costs expected in the range of £235 million to £295 million

Ministers also approved the construction of the replacement vessel for the Islay ferry services. This vessel which, including commissioning, will cost £24.5 million, has been commissioned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), and will be funded by loans from the Scottish Government to CMAL.

A number of smaller rail projects, with a total cost of £6 million have been announced between March 2008 and June 2008.

In the previous year £25 million was announced for smaller rail projects.

Transport Scotland has received a copy of the final STAG report from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, and it is being considered in the strategic transport projects review, which will report to ministers in the summer.