- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the consequences would be for Scottish Ministers if it were subsequently proved that rendition flights had used airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd.
Answer
It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Executive to speculate on this matter without credible and reliable information.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of individuals convicted of a child sex offence since 1999 have reoffended within one year of their release.
Answer
The following table provides information on the percentage of offenders convicted of a crime of indecency who were reconvicted for any crime within one year.
Offenders Released from a Custodial Sentence or Given A Non-Custodial Sentence, 1999-2002, Whose Index Conviction1 was for a Crime of Indecency: Percentage Reconvicted2 Within One Year.
| | Percentage Reconvicted2 within 1 year: |
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| All crimes of indecency3 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
| Crimes of indecency with a child victim4 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 |
| Other crimes of indecency3,5 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 |
Notes:
1. For each offender in the cohort, this is the conviction which resulted in a non-custodial sentence being served or the one which had originally led to a custodial sentence being served.
2. Reconvictions for any crime or offence in the Scottish Offenders Index.
3. Excluding prostitution offences.
4. Only those crimes of indecency which by definition had child victim(s): defilement of a girl under 13, defilement of a girl under 16, person with custody and care of girl and causing her seduction; lewd and libidinous practices.
5. The Scottish Offenders Index does not otherwise hold information on victim characteristics so no data are available on how many persons were convicted of other types of crime, e.g. rape or indecent assault, which involved child victims.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 1 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will investigate a means whereby contracts for the provision of catering in the Parliament are drafted to ensure that the menus in the members¿ dining room use Scottish-sourced produce, while remaining compatible with European procurement legislation.
Answer
Our contractor is currently reviewing its menus to introduce traditional and contemporary Scottish dishes in the members’ dining room.
The SPCB cannot adopt a policy which specifies that all produce must be Scottish as this is not permissible under European procurement law. We pursue sustainable development objectives in the catering service contract in line with our Responsible Purchasing Policy. This covers, for example, food production, packaging, wastage, nutrition, healthy food, freshness, fair trade products and local sourcing. We encourage local supply. The contract already specifies the use of fresh and seasonal produce and our contractor is working with us in the sourcing of local produce taking account of quality, price and health and safety standards of suppliers. Examples of locally sourced products are, salmon, pork, most root vegetables, cheese and milk.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 1 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, if it is successful in its bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, whether it will ensure that sporting competitions are located around Scotland, such as equestrian events in the Scottish Borders.
Answer
The Scottish Executive and Glasgow City Council have received advice from the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland indicating that the prospects for Scotland’s bid to be successful are maximised if the events venues are as close together as possible and if the use of these facilities is maximised where possible.
Therefore it is likely that, should Scotland be successful in its bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the majority of sporting events would be based within or close to Glasgow. All of the bid partners are, however, committed to ensuring the bid is one that involves and benefits the whole of Scotland.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S20-8690 by Robert Brown on 19 January 2006 (Official Report c. 22548) regarding the children of failed asylum seekers, what the timetable is for finalising the agreement with the UK Government.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22161 on 23 January 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S20-8690 by Robert Brown on 19 January 2006 (Official Report c. 22548) regarding the children of failed asylum seekers, whether the Commissioner for Children and Young People is being consulted on the nature of the agreement with the UK Government.
Answer
Officials have had a number of recent meetings with the Children’s Commissioner’s office to discuss children of asylum seekers amongst other things. There will be further meetings in the coming weeks.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S20-8690 by Robert Brown on 19 January 2006 (Official Report c. 22548) regarding the children of failed asylum seekers, whether the Parliament will be given the opportunity to consider and scrutinise the agreement with the UK Government.
Answer
We have made clear on many occasions that we are seeking to agree improvements in a range of issues and that we will report to Parliament once our discussions with the Home Office are concluded. It will be for Parliament to determine whether any parliamentary consideration is appropriate in due course.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its officials have received an honour in the (a) Queen’s Birthday Honours List and (b) New Year’s Honours List in each year since 1999.
Answer
The number of Scottish Executive officials who have received an honour in the (a) Queen’s Birthday Honours List and (b) New Year’s Honours List in each year since 1999 are detailed in the following table.
| Honours List | Awards |
| New Year 2006 | 6 |
| Birthday 2005 | 7 |
| New Year 2005 | 6 |
| Birthday 2004 | 5 |
| New Year 2004 | 5 |
| Birthday 2003 | 7 |
| New Year 2003 | 8 |
| Birthday 2002 | 6 |
| New Year 2002 | 6 |
| Birthday 2001 | 7 |
| New Year 2001 | 4 |
| Birthday 2000 | 7 |
| New Year 2000 | 10 |
| Birthday 1999 | 5 |
| New Year 1999 | 9 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out since 1999 to examine the economic impact of independence and, in particular, whether it would have a positive impact on the Scottish economy.
Answer
No such research has been carried out.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 31 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 that it has handled resulted in a fee notification being issued and how many of those applicants proceeded with their request after the notice was issued.
Answer
Of the records held centrally one fees notice has been issued and the applicant did not proceed with the request.
