- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 4 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rate of pay for prisoners in HM Prison Kilmarnock was in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02 to date.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The SPS have been advised by Premier Prison Services Ltd that the average weekly wage for prisoners has been approximately:
| 1999-2000 | £21 per week |
| 2000-01 | £18 per week |
| 2001 to date | £17 per week |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 4 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the rate of pay for prisoners in Scottish Prison Service prisons was in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02 to date.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:The weekly rates of pay for prisoners are tabulated below.The actual amount paid to each prisoner depends on the type of work and response.(a) £3.40-£15.00(b) £3.40-£15.00(c) £4.80-£18.00
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16943 by Mr Jim Wallace on 8 August 2001, what measures it has taken to ensure, without causing unnecessary alarm, that groups known to be at risk from Gordon Johnstone, particularly the vulnerable elderly, are aware that he has not been recaptured since he absconded in July 2001 and that he should not be approached.
Answer
Lothian and Borders Police have the lead responsibility for the recapture of Gordon Johnstone. We understand that the main approach used to inform the public has been through the media. Extensive information has been provided, highlighting the groups that might be at particular risk, including the elderly, coupled with warnings not to approach him.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, given that (a) additional financial resources for schools, as described in the Scottish Executive Education Department's circular 5/2000, "must be clearly seen to be additional to existing planned education spending and to spending on individual schools", (b) the Scottish Borders Council (SBC) Directors of Finance and Education certified in their application for a grant for #416,000 on 18 December 2000 that the resources to be distributed to schools would be additional to existing or planned school budgets and (c) at the SBC Education Committee meeting on 30 January 2001 school budgets were reduced by #350,000, SBC is in breach of the terms of the award of the grant and, if so, what the consequences of such a breach are.
Answer
It is not unprecedented for authorities to make adjustments, both up and down, to planned budgets for services during a financial year. The money to which circular 5/2000 refers has been allocated by the council to schools. The council has assured the Executive that this allocation is additional to the resources that would otherwise have been available to schools in the area.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions marked by the Procurators Fiscal for solemn proceedings were returned from the Crown Office marked down for summary jury trial in the sheriff court, expressed also as a percentage of total criminal prosecutions, in 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01 to date.
Answer
It is assumed that "summary jury trial" should read summary trial.Statistics do not exist to show the number of summary prosecutions commenced as a result of Crown Counsel's instructions. The statistics for all reductions from petition procedure to summary proceedings whether by Procurator Fiscal or Crown Counsel are as follows.Cases reduced from preliminary solemn proceedings to summary proceedings
| Reduction to Summary | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
| 1,409 | 1,753 | 1,652 | 1,409 | 1,493 |
Cases reduced from preliminary solemn proceedings to summary proceedings, expressed as a percentage of all criminal prosecutions
| Reduction to Summary as % of total court disposals | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
| 0.9% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
It should be noted that the decision of a Procurator Fiscal to place an accused on petition is not an expression of his or her view of where proceedings should ultimately be taken. It is a preliminary procedure which is followed by further investigation and consideration of the case.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16978 by Mr Jim Wallace on 9 August 2001, how it intends to utilise the #17 million underspend in the Scottish Prison Service budget for 2000-01.
Answer
No final decisions have yet been taken on the allocation of End Year Flexibility accruing from 2000-01 budgetary underspends to any Scottish Executive Department/Agency. The Minister for Finance and Local Government hopes to announce these allocations shortly, following Cabinet agreement.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the staffing levels have been at each house-block in HM Prison Kilmarnock for (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001 to date.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The Scottish Prison Service does not hold such information. It is a matter for Premier Prison Services who operate the establishment.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prison officers were employed at HM Prison Kilmarnock in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02 to date and what the percentage turnover of prison officers was in each of these periods.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The Scottish Prison Service does not hold such information. It is a matter for the operators, Premier Prison Services Limited.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce a practice of flying the Saltire at Victoria Quay at all times.
Answer
The Executive has no plans to introduce such a practice. It is not our practice to fly any flags routinely, but only to mark special occasions in the calendar.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why prisoners will not have the opportunity to exhibit at the "Scene of the Crime" art exhibition later this year given that the Prison Trust Award scheme and the Koestler Award Trust will be offering cash pri'es for prisoners' artwork.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
The SPS consider the particular exhibition referred to might cause considerable public offence. Prisoner art displayed in a "Scene of the Crime" exhibition, to be woven into a "Murder Mystery Tour" by a well known crime writer, might be seen as distasteful at best particularly by victims and their families.
We are unaware of the Prison Trust Award scheme.
