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In 2013-14 and 14-15 the Scottish Government allocated grant funding totalling £3.22 million to support the development of specific projects providing community justice services for women, in response to the recommendations of the Commission on Women Offenders (CWO). These grants were made in response to proposals submitted by local community justice bodies. Three proposals were to establish Community Justice Centres, with other projects seeking to implement the CWO’s recommendations for gender specific, holistic and multi-agency services in other forms that suited local need and resources. A further £640k was provided in 2015-16 to a number of these projects (and Centres) which requested additional support.

These grants were agreed as one-off payments, where ongoing services would be sustained by local resources at the conclusion of the grant funding.

Grant funding to the three Community Justice Centre projects was as follows:

NOTES:

Details of SG’s grant funding in 2013-17 to support local community justice services for women (apart from Community Justice Centres) have been reported separately, in response to your question S5W-03901 on 17 November 2016.

It is not possible to provide details on the full funding issued by Scottish Government in respect of community justice activity specifically for women. A total of £99.3m of funding is distributed annually through Community Justice Authorities (CJAs) for the delivery of Criminal Justice Social Work (CJSW) services and programmes to reduce reoffending. It is not possible to break this funding down by gender, as much of the expenditure and resources are applicable to both genders.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

In line with our commitment to improve support for women offenders, between 2013-17, the Scottish Government has provided development funding to assist local partners to enhance the delivery of community justice services for women.

In 2013-14 and 2014-15, in response to the recommendations of the Commission on Women Offenders, the Scottish Government allocated grant funding totalling £3.2 million to support the development of specific projects providing community justice services for women. These grants were made in response to proposals submitted by local community justice bodies which they considered would meet the needs of women in the local population. Of the total funding provided £1.5 million was invested in Women’s Community Justice Centres, and £1.7 million in wider community justice projects for women. A further £640k was provided in 2015-16 to a number of these projects (and Centres) which requested additional support. This included £230k for the Community Justice Centres, and £410k for the wider community justice projects.

These grants were agreed as one-off payments, where ongoing services would be sustained by local resources at the conclusion of the grant funding.

The table below provides an overview of the projects for women offenders funded directly by Scottish Government between 2013-2016 (Not including Community Justice Centres):

In addition to the funding listed above, a further £860k (2015-16) and £1.5 million (2016-17) has been distributed equally amongst the eight Community Justice Authorities (CJAs), to support increasing the use of diversion and supervised bail for women.

In addition, the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund, supported by the Scottish Government and other funding partners (the Scottish Government has contributed £7.5 million over 2012-17), has issued grant funding to support a third sector-led mentoring service for women with convictions, both in the community and on release from custody. The Shine PSP for women offenders received £1.1 million in 2013-14, and £1.4 million in 2014-15, 15-16 and 16-17.

The 218 Centre in Glasgow has also been funded separately from mainstream community justice budgets. The Centre opened in December 2003, and the Scottish Government has provided £1.7 million each financial year since then.

This funding is in addition to the £99.3 million p.a. which is distributed through the CJAs for the delivery of Criminal Justice Social Work (CJSW) services and programmes to reduce reoffending. Each CJA is responsible for determining what funding goes to each Local Authority or other service within their area, in order to deliver statutory CJSW services and respond to local priorities, this will include the delivery of services to support women offenders.

The number of medical incidents which the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has responded to as co-responder/first responder in each year since 2013-14 are set out within the SFRS Fire and Rescue Incident Statistics Scotland 2015-16. These can be accessed at the following link:

http://www.firescotland.gov.uk/media/1009443/fire_and_rescue_statistics_scotland_2015_16.pdf

Plant and machinery for generation relying on a solar power source is excluded from rating valuation where the power is mainly for distribution for sale to consumers or where the generation comprises micro-generation (as defined in the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006). Subject to that, as with all rateable property, valuation is for the independent Assessors and the applicable rates poundage is set at a competitive and sustainable level by Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government has no plans to change the existing plant and machinery exemptions relating to power generation relying on a solar power source.

The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with the UK Government on the existing plant and machinery exemptions relating to power generation relying on a solar power source.

The requested information is not held centrally. The development and staffing of community justice services is a matter for the local leadership of public services engaged in these activities – primarily from local criminal justice social work services, but where appropriate including staff from local housing, healthcare, addictions, other social work, and third sector services.

In June 2015, I announced my vision for a new and innovative approach for the female custodial estate in Scotland. Since then a programme of work has been established in the Scottish Prison Service in partnership with the Scottish Government to deliver this vision. The programme includes:

The design and construction of a new small national facility for women on the site of HMP and YOI Cornton Vale. This facility will be run using therapeutic community principles and will incorporate gender-specific and trauma informed practice. Construction on the new national prison is expected to begin in mid-2018 subject to financial and planning approvals and;

The design and development of up to five Community Custody Units (CCUs) located across Scotland sited to ensure that women are held in facilities as close as possible to their own communities. The CCUs will focus on rehabilitation and reintegration and will ensure women are held in conditions of appropriate security.

A range of work is already underway to further develop these models.