Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-11315

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it provides to Scotland-based businesses seeking to export to China.

The Scottish Government through its international trade and investment arm, Scottish Development International (SDI), provides comprehensive and tailored support for Scottish businesses seeking to export to China.

Support is wide ranging and is aligned to customer need. Assistance spans market awareness events, export skills development, strategy development support and help to develop or expand in the Chinese market.

Services include:

Export assessment
Market awareness events
Smart exporter preparing to export and preparing for international growth programmes
Export technical support
International strategy development
Overseas market research and identification of business opportunities
Exhibition and missions
In-country support via SDI offices and representation overseas, including GlobalScots
Partnering support and assistance to establish a presence in China

SDI provides assistance directly in China through its offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai and across Scotland via SDI trade advisers.

Question reference: S4O-01529

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how the Opportunities for All policy is being implemented in the west of Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-10799

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour in West Scotland.

Tackling antisocial behaviour and making communities safer and stronger remains a top priority for this Government. Recorded crime in Scotland is at it a 37 year low and has fallen by 25% since 2006-7. There are also 17,373 Police officers (full-time equivalent) working in our communities.

In March 2009 the Scottish Government and COSLA jointly published their Framework for tackling antisocial behaviour, Promoting Positive Outcomes. It followed a thorough review of national antisocial behaviour policy, recognising that prevention; early and effective intervention; and diversion, should be at its heart.

Since 2007, over £1.6 million has been invested through CashBack for Communities across local authorities in the West Scotland region through a wide range of CashBack partner organisations including the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), Youth Scotland and Youthlink Scotland promoting positive inclusive behaviours through their activities.

Question reference: S4W-10801

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 14 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it provides to members of the public who have difficulty obtaining legal aid.

The Scottish Government provides funding through the legal aid scheme to assist people who might not otherwise be able to afford legal representation in civil litigation or criminal cases. Applications for legal aid are considered by the Scottish Legal Aid Board, who applies the following statutory tests: probable cause, reasonableness and financial eligibility.

Criminal legal aid is automatically available in some circumstances, and may be granted by the court in other circumstances. Otherwise the test for criminal legal aid for solemn proceedings is undue hardship, and for summary and appeal proceedings undue hardship and the interests of justice.

Ministers cannot interfere in the operation of these tests in individual cases by the Scottish Legal Aid Board. Section 4 (2)(c) of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 provides a power for Ministers to direct that payments be made from the legal aid fund outwith the usual statutory parameters, but this is only done in limited and unusual circumstances.

In order for legal aid to be granted, the applicant will require a solicitor who is prepared to represent them. For details of the position of people who may have difficulty finding a solicitor, I refer the member to the answer to S4W-10186 on
8 November 2012. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4F-00972

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2012

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's assessment is of the economic impact on Scotland of the planned three pence increase in fuel duty.

Question reference: S4W-10800

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 November 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 9 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it provides to victims of crime in West Scotland.

The Scottish Government provides funding for a number of organisations which offer support and assistance to victims throughout Scotland, such as Victim Support Scotland, People Experiencing Trauma and Loss (PETAL) and Rape Crisis Scotland.

In addition, around £25m is made available each year to fund Scottish cases within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

The Scottish Government offers a range of information which may be of assistance to victims. This includes the Victims of Crime website which can be found at; www.victimsofcrimeinscotland.org.uk; tailored information aimed at victims of serious crime, such as rape and sexual assault; and for bereaved families following murder, culpable homicide or a road death.

The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a Victims and Witnesses Bill in this Parliamentary session to further improve the support available to victims and witnesses across Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-10186

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 8 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what provisions are there to help people wanting to take a civil case forward but unable to obtain legal representation.

<>The Scottish Government provides funding through the legal aid scheme to assist people who might not otherwise be able to afford legal representation in civil litigation. The Scottish Legal Aid Board (“the Board”) has a statutory responsibility to monitor the availability and accessibility of legal services in Scotland, and the first monitoring report can be found at the following link. http://www.slab.org.uk/export/sites/default/common/documents/about_us/whatwedo/2012_Final_Monitoring_Report.pdf.

The Board found no general evidence of lack of access to legal services. The Board also provides four Civil Legal Assistance Offices in Scotland, which offer legal services in targeted geographical and subject areas.

The Law Society of Scotland offers a comprehensive online search facility on its website (www.lawscot.org.uk) to help members of the public find a solicitor. Other sources of information and support include independent advice agencies, such as Citizens Advice Bureaux or Shelter, and local authority advice services.

Ultimately, though, the Government cannot direct solicitors to provide legal representation in individual cases, and nor is legal representation formally required in order to bring forward a civil case.

Question reference: S4O-01438

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the prison estate in the west of Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-09287

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 21 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what the value was of office furniture that has been (a) scrapped and (b) recycled by each NHS board in each of the last 10 years.

This information is not held centrally.

Zero Waste Scotland is currently taking forward a programme of support for NHSScotland and one of the tasks in relation to clarification of the NHS boards current policy for furniture and waste electrical equipment (WEE). This includes:

undertaking a situational analysis to identify current disposal routes for furniture, WEE and IT;

gathering available information on the weight of furniture, WEE and IT disposed;

estimating the level of furniture, WEE and IT which could be available for recycling;

undertaking research on good practice methods of disposal of furniture, WEE and IT, and

investigating the potential for implementing a re-use tool which NHS boards would use to improve data capture and tracking of items available for reuse or redeployment.

Question reference: S4W-09284

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 21 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines regarding surplus office furniture NHS boards have.

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