- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned any independent research on the safety of the police use of Taser guns.
Answer
Taser technology has been subject to rigorous assessment by the police Scientific Development Branch and the Defence Scientific Advisory Council’s Sub-Committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Technologies (DOMILL).
DOMILL continues to receive information from police forces across the UK to ensure on-going clinical scrutiny of the use of Taser.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the committee set up to monitor and assess the medical implications of Taser guns is still in existence and where its minutes can be accessed.
Answer
The Defence Scientific Advisory Council’s (DSAC) Sub-Committee on the Medical Implications of less lethal technologies is a non-departmental public body of the Ministry of Defence and is responsible for monitoring the medical implication of taser. The secretariat of the DSAC can be contacted on the following link
http://www.mod.uk/dsac/secretariat.htm.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 18 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which models of Taser guns are in use in Scottish police forces.
Answer
The Taser X26 is the device used in Scotland.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 7 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require individuals to hold an identity card in order to have a criminal record check and, if so, when this requirement will be introduced.
Answer
If Scottish ministers wanted to make it compulsory for those using the services of Disclosure Scotland to hold an identity card or submit to an identity check through the National Identity Register, then this, according to Section 44 of the Identity Cards bill, would require an act of the Scottish Parliament.
The Executive currently has no plans to require individuals to hold an identity card in order to have a criminal record check carried out or for any other purpose.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 6 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of grant funding has been awarded under section 16B of the National Health Services (Scotland) Act 1978 and to which organisations in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06.
Answer
Comprehensive information on all grants made by the Executive to voluntary organisations is available publicly on the Executive’s website. Information for 2004-2005 is to be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Voluntary-Issues/15300/22255
Information for 2005-2006 is at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Voluntary-Issues/15300/DF0506.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 5 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposed Planning Bill will ensure the protection of the historic environment.
Answer
The Planning Bill will lay the foundations for a planning system that will serve Scotland’s aspirations for prosperity, a better environment and greater participation. Its primary purpose is not to address the protection of the historic environment but it will provide an opportunity to update some of the detailed provisions of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.
The Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland has been asked by Scottish ministers to advise on whether there is a need to review heritage protection legislation in Scotland. They are due to report in May 2006. Ministers will then consider whether revised legislation for the protection of the historic environment is required.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 November 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways SEA Gateway is supporting, advising and offering guidance on the strategic environmental assessment of National Planning Policy Guideline 6 on Renewable Energy or any other Executive plans, programmes or strategies currently being developed.
Answer
The SEA Gateway team are in regular contact with the team in the Executive reviewing the National Planning Policy Guidance 6 (NPPG 6) on Renewable Energy Developments. The SEA Gateway has given support by providing general policy advice on SEA; highlighting the relevant SEA guidance and will manage the transmission of required SEA documentation to and from the Consultation Authorities.
The SEA Gateway offers this support to any Responsible Authority developing plans, programmes or strategies subject to SEA legislation, including those from the Executive.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 November 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with the UK Government whether teachers, childcare workers and convicted criminals will be required to hold an identity card in Scotland before it becomes compulsory for all other Scottish citizens.
Answer
No such specific discussions have taken place.
We shall remain in close communication with the Government about any implications that the identity card scheme may have for people living in Scotland, including in the event that the Government pursues plans to introduce a link between identity cards and other official government documents.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 November 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is still its position, as set out in the answer to question S2W-16503 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 May 2005, that the entitlement card will not be linked to any national identity register or similar database.
Answer
I can confirm that it is still the case, as stated in my answer to S2W-16503, that the Executive has no plans to link the entitlement card to any national identity register or similar database.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 November 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a citizen's account number could be stored on the UK National Identity Register under clause 4(1)(b) of Schedule 1 of the Identity Cards Bill.
Answer
As Schedule 1 of the Identity Cards Bill stands at present, this would not be possible. Clause 4(1)(b) of Schedule 1 refers to “the number of any ID card issued to him”, and “ID card” is defined at Section 43 of the bill as meaning a card issued under the identity card scheme as specified by Section 8(1) of the bill.
The bill allows for Schedule 1 to be amended via secondary legislation. However, we are not aware of any plans to seek to do so in the foreseeable future.
