- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 1 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5273 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 May 2002, when the further work by the working group on the distribution of funds to police forces was completed; what conclusions were reached, and what further action has been, or will be, taken as a result.
Answer
The Police Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) Review working group completed its initial reassessment of the proposals put forward by independent consultants in September 2002. On the basis of this analysis, the group recommended, as an interim step, that additional funding should be made available to four police forces (Grampian Police, Fife Constabulary, Central Scotland Police and Northern Constabulary) in each of 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06. The Executive accepted these initial recommendations. As a result, for example, the GAE for Grampian Police in 2005-06 has been increased by £2.5 million. However, the group also concluded that a number of aspects needed further work before it could reach a final recommendation and this further work is now being undertaken with a view to completion by March 2004.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 1 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fires were started wilfully in each of the last three years, broken down by fire brigade area and how much each fire cost to deal with, expressed also as a percentage of fires and of the total cost of dealing with fires.
Answer
The most recent statistics on the number of fires started wilfully in the Scottish Fire Brigade areas which are available cover the period 1999-2001, and are shown in the following table.
| Brigade | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
| Strathclyde | 4,922 | 4,956 | 4,779 |
| Highland and Islands | 126 | 120 | 131 |
| Grampian | 480 | 500 | 516 |
| Tayside | 524 | 604 | 635 |
| Lothian and Borders | 1,696 | 1,736 | 1,771 |
| Fife | 414 | 491 | 532 |
| Central | 308 | 338 | 364 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 64 | 70 | 78 |
| Total | | | |
Sources:
Fire Statistics United Kingdom 1999Office of Deputy Prime Minister
Fire Statistics Scotland, 2000Fire Statistics Scotland, 2001Statistics relating to the costs of wilful fire raising are not available in the format requested. However, I would refer the member to the report
Joint Thematic Inspection: Fire: Raising the Standard published in 2002, section 4 of which provides some estimate of the economic costs of fire raising in Scotland. This document is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20981).
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 30 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional authority or powers it expects to acquire as a result of the recent cabinet reshuffle of Her Majesty's Government.
Answer
The powers and duties of the Scottish Executive, as set out in the Scotland Act 1998 and associated subordinate legislation, remain unchanged. However, it has been agreed that the Scottish Executive will now take the lead in the promotion of Scotland abroad.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of the negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1179 on 26 June 2003. 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/search_wa.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any funding from NHS Education for Scotland was allocated for converting a building in Aberdeen for interim postgraduate dental training facilities and then withdrawn and, if so, why it was withdrawn; what level of funding had been requested for the facilities; when any decision was taken to withdraw such funding; to whom any such decision was communicated, and whether it will provide any new funding to improve the postgraduate training facilities for the dental profession in Grampian prior to any establishment of a more permanent facility.
Answer
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have allocated £100,000 to the development of the Westburn Centre. The Westburn Centre funding was not withdrawn but delayed while NES went through an option appraisal on alternatives. This is normal practice and to ensure value for money as the Westburn Centre has a limited lifespan. We can now confirm that NES will be proceeding with this development shortly.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 12 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34605 by Mr Andy Kerr on 24 March 2003, how much of the #1.8 million allocated to the rates relief scheme for the white fish industry (a) has been paid out and (b) is expected to be paid out and whether any fish processing businesses have benefited from this scheme or are expected to benefit.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally, as hardship relief is administered by local authorities. However, local authorities have been asked to provide details of the relief granted to the Scottish Executive by the end of November 2003.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to reduce drug-related crime.
Answer
During our first term of Government we established the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) which, together with Scottish police forces and other law enforcement partners, is tackling drug-related crime across Scotland. In our second Programme for Government we have committed to expand the SDEA to enable it to build on its achievements.Drug dealers' assets have been targeted through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, which is designed to strengthen and extend powers to investigate, trace and recover the proceeds of crime.To reduce drug crime, we have also introduced Drug Treatment and Testing Orders and, more recently, pilot drugs courts provide the courts with an intensive and demanding community sentence for drug misusing offenders who might otherwise receive a custodial sentence. The aim is to reduce both the drug misuse itself and, in turn, the associated acquisitive crime.Arrest Referral Schemes which, while not a part of the criminal justice process, will also provide access to support and treatment services for drug misusing offenders. Research shows entry into and retention in treatment can be effective in reducing offending.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 10 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered drug misusers there have been (a) in total and (b) broken down by NHS board area in each of the last four years, showing the percentage increase in each year.
Answer
The term "registered drug misuser" no longer exists. Information on the numbers of people misusing drugs is not available on an annual basis.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to promote the medical prescribing of heroin for long-term addicts and, if so, what these plans are.
Answer
There are no current plans to promote the medical prescribing of heroin for long-term addicts. We will continue to keep in touch with our counterparts in England and Wales on this question.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2003
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any further recommendations from Sir John Arbuthnott in relation to the distribution of NHS funds and, if so, whether it will give details of the recommendations and what the timescale will be for any ministerial decisions being taken in respect of this matter.
Answer
The Standing Committee on Resource Allocation, chaired by Sir John Arbuthnott, has completed a piece of research on unmet need. This is currently being considered by officials and a ministerial decision on the implementation of that work will be taken in due course.
