- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21063 by Mr Jim Wallace on 7 January 2002, what the estimated annual cost is of providing night-time sanitation to those 1,905 prisoners.
Answer
The cost of providing night-time sanitation is not separately identifiable from the other necessary improvements in living conditions in the prison service. The independently verified costs of improving the estate were set out in the Executive's consultation paper of the future of the Scottish Prison Service estate, which show that the public sector whole life costs would be about double those of the private sector for the same quality of output.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26764 by Cathy Jamieson on 27 June 2002, how many secure accommodation places for (a) boys and (b) girls with (i) a physical disability and (ii) mental health problems there have been in (1) 1997-98, (2) 1998-99, (3) 1999-2000, (4) 2000-01 and (5) 2001-02.
Answer
There are no secure places designed specifically for young people with a physical disability or who are have a clinical diagnosis of a mental health disorder. As part of the Executive's implementation of the 10-point youth crime action plan, I am currently examining options for the re-configuration of the secure estate.I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26764, Table 3 of which gives the number of male and female residents on 31 March in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Places are currently not segregated with the exception of the six bed unit for girls only which has operated in Kerelaw since 2001.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has identified any issues in respect of there being no practitioner of civil legal aid in Peebles.
Answer
Ministers have no powers to direct that private solicitors undertake legal aid work; this is a commercial decision by solicitors. I understand that a legal aid practitioner in Peebles, which undertook 15 cases in 2000-01, has decided not to undertake new civil legal aid cases. There are, however, two firms of solicitors who provide civil legal aid in Galashiels and a further two firms in Selkirk.The provision of legal advice and representation in rural areas is a priority area for pilot work as part of the Review of Legal Information and Advice Provision in Scotland.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil cases have been initiated at (a) Lochmaddy, (b) Tain, (c) Dingwall, (d) Portree and (e) Peebles sheriff courts in (i) 1999-2000, (ii) 2000-01, (iii) 2001-02 and (iv) 2002-03, broken down by type of case.
Answer
The information provided by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service for each of the courts is set out in the following table:Sheriff Court Civil
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | April-June2002 |
Ordinary Actions |
Lochmaddy | 37 | 43 | 30 | 6 |
Tain | 119 | 150 | 148 | 36 |
Dingwall | 243 | 229 | 214 | 51 |
Portree | 89 | 86 | 70 | 19 |
Peebles | 115 | 118 | 111 | 34 |
Summary Cause |
Lochmaddy | 10 | 14 | 11 | 2 |
Tain | 175 | 188 | 126 | 8 |
Dingwall | 109 | 99 | 119 | 22 |
Portree | 45 | 39 | 43 | 3 |
Peebles | 58 | 109 | 84 | 18 |
Small Claims |
Lochmadday | 47 | 23 | 26 | 1 |
Tain | 283 | 148 | 120 | 17 |
Dingwall | 258 | 171 | 163 | 30 |
Portree | 100 | 59 | 45 | 14 |
Peebles | 109 | 93 | 86 | 23 |
Total | | | | |
Lochmaddy | 94 | 80 | 67 | 9 |
Tain | 577 | 486 | 394 | 61 |
Dingwall | 610 | 499 | 496 | 103 |
Portree | 234 | 184 | 158 | 36 |
Peebles | 282 | 320 | 281 | 75 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any sheriff courthouses have been built since May 1999 and what the cost of any such developments has been.
Answer
I have been advised by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service that no new sheriff courthouses have been built since May 1999, but a number have been extensively refurbished.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what figures it holds on additional costs to the public purse of implementing each of its proposals for court business in Peebles.
Answer
The consultation exercise by the Scottish Court Service on the alternative proposals for the delivery of court business in Peebles will provide an opportunity for any additional costs or savings to be identified. At present, while it is recognised that there may be a small increase in some costs due to the increased travel, for example for witness expenses, it is not anticipated that there will be significant additional costs to the public purse given the low level of business currently undertaken at Peebles.Should any additional costs be identified these would have to be weighed against the potential savings to the Scottish Court Service and the substantial cost required to upgrade the court.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive which sheriff courthouses have had renovation work carried out on them since May 1999 and what the cost has been of such works.
Answer
I have been advised by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service that the sheriff courthouses which have been the subject of substantial renovation works since May 1999 and the cost spent on each is as follows:
Arbroath | £1.7 million |
Ayr | £10.7 million |
Peterhead | £2.7 million |
Stirling | £1.6 million |
Work is currently under way or about to commence at Dumbarton and Lanark Sheriff Courts.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many summary complaints have been dealt with at (a) Lochmaddy, (b) Tain, (c) Dingwall, and (d) Portree sheriff courts, whether proceeding to trial or otherwise, in (i) 1999-2000, (ii) 2000-01, (iii) 2001-02 and (iv) 2002-03.
Answer
The information provided by the Scottish Court Service for the number of summary complaints dealt with at each of the courts requested is set out in the following table:Sheriff Court - Summary Criminal
| 1990-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | April-June2002 |
Summary Complaints Registered | | | | |
Lochmaddy | 89 | 99 | 87 | 17 |
Tain | 557 | 497 | 618 | 157 |
Dingwall | 513 | 435 | 471 | 129 |
Portree | 50 | 90 | 77 | 18 |
Summary Complaints Concluded | | | | |
Lochmaddy | 98 | 90 | 84 | 15 |
Tain | 542 | 485 | 585 | 151 |
Dingwall | 441 | 464 | 462 | 113 |
Portree | 58 | 73 | 83 | 18 |
Summary Trials Evidence Led | | | | |
Lochmaddy | 4 | 4 | 8 | 5 |
Tain | 41 | 31 | 26 | 7 |
Dingwall | 27 | 17 | 28 | 12 |
Portree | 7 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the council offices at Rosetta Road, Peebles, would provide suitable alternative accommodation for a sheriff courthouse.
Answer
I have been advised by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service that the council offices at Rosetta Road do not at present have sufficient available ancillary accommodation suitable for the sheriff, procurator fiscal, solicitors, witnesses and to hold prisoners in custody for it to be used as a sheriff courthouse.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 July 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on the refurbishment of Jedburgh Sheriff Court in each of the last five years.
Answer
I have been advised by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service that it is not possible to provide a separate figure for refurbishment since some of the general maintenance expenditure on the court can include an element of refurbishment. The total spent on the maintenance and refurbishment of Jedburgh Sheriff Court in each of the last five years is set out in the following table. The expenditure in 2001-02 included a general redecoration of the court and provision of a new fire detection system.
Jedburgh Sheriff CourtMaintenance and Refurbishment Expenditure | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 |
| £3,800 | £28,700 | £18,739 | £14,600 | £161,985 |