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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-09102

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to ensure public accountability of professional associations, such as the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, which are wholly or partially funded from the public purse.

Any organisation in receipt of Scottish Government funding will be subject to conditions of grant attached to that funding.

A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between ACPOS and the Scottish Government agreed in October 2007 setting out the provisions governing the payment of grant-in-aid to ACPOS is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 44794).

On 1 April 2007, ACPOS became an incorporated company limited by guarantee. This means that it has responsibilities under the Companies Acts 1985 and 1989 to register its memorandum and articles and to produce annual accounts.

Question reference: S3W-09095

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many weapons that individuals have attempted to smuggle into prison have been recovered by prison authorities for each year since 1999, broken down by prison.

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

The SPS does not record where weapons are specifically recovered from visitors. Any such recovery is included in the overall weapon find count.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9094 on 20 February 2008. 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.

Question reference: S3W-09103

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Frank Mulholland on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many official protocols have been agreed between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and government agencies and departments responsible for administering justice in Scotland in each year since 1999 and what the protocols are.

Eleven formal protocols have been agreed between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Services (COPFS). These protocols are:

ACPOS/COPFS Protocol on Disclosure of Evidential Material in Criminal Prosecutions, February 2007;

COPFS/ACPOS/Scottish Executive/Scottish Prison Service/Scottish Court Service (SCS)/District Courts Association Protocol on the Prioritisation of Warrants in the Scottish Criminal Justice System, April 2007;

Work Related Death Protocol “ COPFS/ACPOS/Health and Safety Executive/British Transport Police, January 2006;

COPFS and ACPOS Protocol in relation to Search Warrants, December 2005;

COPFS National Forensic Science Protocol, February 2004;

ACPOS and COPFS Joint Protocol on Police Reports, 2004;

COPFS and Police Protocol for witness citation targets, May 2004;

Joint Protocol between ACPOS and COPFS on Domestic Abuse, November 2004;

COPFS and ACPOS Family Liaison Protocol April 2003;

Protocol between COPFS/SCS/ACPOS for Instruction of interpreters for criminal court diets, February 2002, and

ACPOS/Crown Office Major Intelligence led Crime Investigations protocol, November 2001.

Question reference: S3W-09101

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was received in public funds by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland in each year since 1999.

Information on Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) accounts is held by the Association. The Scottish Government has contributed to the costs of the association''s secretariat. Details of the amounts involved are as follows:

Scottish Government Funding to ACPOS, 1998-99 to 2007-08

Year	Amount (£000)
1998-99	152
1999-2000	146
2000-01	142
2001-02	145
2002-03	185
2003-04	155
2004-05	267
2005-06	231
2006-07	224
2007-08	314

Question reference: S3W-09097

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents there have been of illegal drugs recovered by prison authorities from individuals who have attempted to smuggle drugs into prison in each year since 1999, broken down by category of drug and prison.

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

The following table illustrates the number incidents where drugs have been recovered from visitors attending Scottish Prisons. Reliable data is not available prior to 2001 and category of drug is not recorded.

Incident Establishment Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	Grand Total
Aberdeen				3	6	32	24	4	69
Barlinnie			2	25	58	39	21	4	149
Cornton Vale		1	1	2	3	6	5		18
Dumfries				2	1	2	1		6
Edinburgh	4	1	2	13	17	14	14	1	66
Glenochil Prison	4	11	7	3	2	4	9	1	41
Glenochil YOI		2	2						4
Greenock	1	1		7	14	3	14	1	41
Inverness	1					1	1		3
Kilmarnock			10	21	32	28	19	1	111
Low Moss	3		1	7	6		1		18
Perth	5	4	7	25	29	29	18	1	118
Peterhead						3	1		4
Polmont				10	14	15	22	2	63
Shotts	2	2	7	9	14	18	9	2	63
Grand Total	20	22	39	127	196	194	159	17	774

Question reference: S3W-09100

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders released on licence have been recalled to prison to serve the remainder of their sentence in each year since 1999, broken down by prison.

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

The following table illustrates those offenders who have been recalled having been released on licence.

Establishment	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	Grand Total
Aberdeen	16	22	16	21	20	22	16	23	19	2	177
Barlinnie	156	133	132	163	147	117	137	156	137	24	1,302
Castle Huntly	2	4	4	12	9	5	1	1			38
Cornton Vale	14	15	17	9	5	10	7	15	18	1	111
Dumfries	7	7	10	13	13	7	8	16	9	3	93
Edinburgh	48	41	55	85	85	70	93	115	133	12	737
Glenochil	26	21	23	31	39	50	50	82	85	7	414
Glenochil YOI	4	2									6
Greenock	28	27	34	34	11	26	24	22	28	5	239
Inverness	7	4	6	8	7	10	9	7	9	0	67
Kilmarnock	70	61	82	81	40	30	46	64	57	5	536
Low Moss	30	17	21	11	12	11	14	9	2		127
Noranside		1		4	5	4	1				15
Open Estate	3	7	3	8	20	12	16	17	8	0	94
Perth	40	26	44	31	45	43	30	59	78	11	407
Peterhead	6	2	4	5	7	10	16	19	17	1	87
Polmont	6	3	5	2	3	10	10	23	38	6	106
Shotts	27	14	21	24	22	21	41	31	34	0	235
Grand Total	490	407	477	542	490	458	519	659	672	77	4,791

Question reference: S3W-09087

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were assaulted in Scottish prisons while (a) on remand and (b) serving their sentence in each year since 1999, broken down by gender and category of assault.

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

The following table illustrates the total number of assaults broken down by establishment and gender. Reliable data is not available prior to 2001, neither is it possible to distinguish between remand and convicted.

Establishment	Prisoner Gender	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	Grand Total
Aberdeen	F	1	4			1				6
	M	19	30	21	12	30	32	20	2	166
Barlinnie	M	55	77	47	34	51	62	60	8	394
Castle Huntly	M	1					3			4
Cornton Vale	F	11	8	8	7	31	22	32	1	120
Dumfries	M	6	10	17	8	17	18	29		105
Edinburgh	M	32	41	51	51	52	80	66	7	380
Glenochil Prison	M	14	8	13	15	15	15	20	5	105
Glenochil YOI	M	3	9	2						14
Greenock	F		1	3	6	1				11
	M	8	10	10	30	21	25	22	3	129
Inverness	M				2	12	13	17		44
Kilmarnock	M	18	31	16	21	41	38	49	11	225
Low Moss	M	4	19	9	14	19	16	6		87
Noranside	M		1		1	2				4
Open Estate	M							1		1
Perth	M	10	33	53	92	59	37	59	8	351
Peterhead	M	8	4	3	2	4	8	10		39
Polmont	M	24	51	95	151	151	145	141	10	768
Shotts	M	6	10	13	10	15	14	11	1	80
Grand Total		220	347	361	456	522	528	543	56	3,033

Question reference: S3W-09096

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents there have been involving the recovery of illegal drugs by prison officers carrying out searches of prisoner accommodation and prisoners in each year since 1999, broken down by category of drug recovered and prison.

Incident Establishment Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	Grand Total
Aberdeen	13	68	52	35	41	20	29	4	262
Barlinnie	128	146	168	200	265	307	378	40	1,632
Castle Huntly	2	5	13	17	37	79	19		172
Cornton Vale	46	79	52	58	94	83	106	4	522
Dumfries	5	12	31	23	20	22	33	2	148
Edinburgh	112	231	309	231	265	219	215	38	1,620
Glenochil Prison	79	93	69	98	116	114	137	15	721
Glenochil YOI	13	21	4						38
Greenock	27	51	50	85	71	80	64	8	436
Inverness	1	1			1	18	12	1	34
Kilmarnock	79	86	123	171	236	333	226	30	1,284
Low Moss	80	71	66	89	102	68	25		501
Noranside	2	2	4	24	23	22	5		82
Open Estate							48	8	56
Perth	44	94	103	182	202	163	130	14	932
Peterhead	4	2	2	3	1	9	5		26
Polmont	32	71	53	163	157	102	99	20	697
Shotts	68	29	47	65	154	135	90	15	603
Grand Total	735	1,062	1,146	1,444	1,785	1,774	1,621	199	9,766

Question reference: S3W-09695

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Frank Mulholland on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8921 by Frank Mulholland QC on 7 February 2008, whether the protocol between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Electoral Commission, specifically relates to the Scottish parliamentary and local government elections of May 2007.

on 7 February 2008, whether the protocol between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Electoral Commission, specifically relates to the Scottish parliamentary and local government elections of May 2007.

(S3W-09695)

Frank Mulholland QC I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9752, on 20 February 2008. 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.

Question reference: S3W-09752

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Frank Mulholland on 20 February 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8921 by Mr Frank Mulholland QC on 7 February 2008, whether the protocol between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Electoral Commission relates specifically to the Scottish parliamentary and local government elections held in May 2007 and no other elections held in Scotland for any purpose.

on 7 February 2008, whether the protocol between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Electoral Commission relates specifically to the Scottish parliamentary and local government elections held in May 2007 and no other elections held in Scotland for any purpose.

(S3W-09752)

Frank Mulholland QC The Protocol between the Electoral Commission and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland deals with offences created by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The protocol is not specific to the May 2007 elections.