This planning application has been notified to Scottish ministers who are currently considering whether or not it should be called in for their own determination or cleared back to the council. No scientific advice has been sought.

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.

Large-scale poultry developments are dealt with through the local authority planning consents process, and there are no additional requirements for these to be notified to Scottish ministers. All poultry keepers with 50 or more birds are legally required to supply their contact details to the Great Britain Poultry register. Keepers of less than 50 birds are encouraged to register on a voluntary basis. On 9 January 2008, the register held details of 2,231 Scottish premises. Bird migration takes place across very wide fronts, and it is appropriate to assume that the whole of Great Britain lies under migratory flyways.

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

 

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

The SPS does not have a category of prisoners who are held in segregated protective custody. The following table displays the number of prisoners who have been held on protection conditions within SPS establishments.

Incident Establishment Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	Grand Total
Aberdeen		1			2	2		5
Barlinnie			1	2	1			4
Cornton Vale	1				1		2	4
Edinburgh	1	2		1	1	1		6
Glenochil Prison	1			1				2
Kilmarnock		1				1		2
Low Moss	1	1	2	1		2	1	8
Perth	1	1			4	1	2	9
Peterhead						1		1
Polmont		5	2	2		1	1	11
Shotts		1						1
Grand Total	5	12	5	7	9	9	6	53

 

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 of instances of attempted escape. Reliable data is not available prior to 2001.

Incident Establishment Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	Grand Total
Aberdeen		1			2	2		5
Barlinnie			1	2	1			4
Cornton Vale	1				1		2	4
Edinburgh	1	2		1	1	1		6
Glenochil Prison	1			1				2
Kilmarnock		1				1		2
Low Moss	1	1	2	1		2	1	8
Perth	1	1			4	1	2	9
Peterhead						1		1
Polmont		5	2	2		1	1	11
Shotts		1						1
Grand Total	5	12	5	7	9	9	6	53

 

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.

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.

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.

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.