- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with trades unions representing cash and valuables in transit workers about reducing the number of offences committed against drivers and operatives.
Answer
The Minister for Police and Community Safety wrote to GMB Scotland on 7 February encouraging them to discuss their concerns through the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland Cash-in Transit Working Group.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences took place in Scotland in (a) 2003, (b) 2004, (c) 2005, (d) 2006 and (e) 2007 involving cash and valuables in transit, broken down by (i) type of offence and (ii) local authority area.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides local authorities on the safe accessing of pedestrianised areas by cash and valuables in transit workers.
Answer
We do not provide guidance to local authorities on this issue as it is an operational matter for the Police. However, we have recently announced a three year funding package of £778,000 for the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC). The SBCC provide practical advice to the business/commercial sectors on how to develop business crime reduction and prevention strategies.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure consistency of approach by police forces and the sharing of best practice in tackling offences against cash and valuables in transit workers in different parts of Scotland.
Answer
There are agreed procedures throughout all Scottish police forces in respect of police action when dealing with vehicles carrying high-risk loads.
The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) chairs a Scottish cash-in transit working group which meets quarterly to address relevant issues, highlight good practice, and to provide support to organisations within the sector. A number of security carriers are represented on the group. The group reports back to ACPOS any relevant issues which require to be addressed on a national basis.
One of the issues presently being addressed through this working group is parking of security vehicles within town and city centres, and the parking tickets and subsequent fines issued. Research is currently being carried out on a national basis to discover the different local authority/council positions on this. It is hoped that following consultation a common sense approach can be developed.
The working group also addresses issues such as CCTV installation, removing obstacles etc, with the intention of ensuring the safety of cash-in transit couriers across Scotland.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken by police forces specifically to reduce the incidence of offences against cash and valuables in transit workers.
Answer
This is an operational matter for relevant chief constables.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that offences against cash and valuables in transit workers are comprehensively recorded and classified.
Answer
The Scottish Financial Crime Group (SFCG) monitors offences against and cash and valuables in transit workers through the British Security Industry Association. They pay particular attention to any migration/displacement of such crimes and any local and regional increases in Scotland. Prevention is the primary focus of its work.
The SFCG brings together specialist investigators from the Scottish Police Service, with their counterparts within the Scottish banking industry and the wider financial sector, to monitor developing crime trends and implement specialist tactics to disrupt criminal activity and protect financial institutions and their customers.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to “design out” crimes against cash and valuables in transit workers through the planning system and, in particular, in respect of access, parking, safer routes, safe docking systems and secure areas.
Answer
We have recently announced a three year funding package of £778,000 for the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC). The SBCC provide practical advice to the business/commercial sectors on how to develop business crime reduction and prevention strategies.
Much of the input regarding access, particularly within City and Town centres, is incorporated within the master planning process, to which Police Architectural Liaison Officers (ALO''s) have input. However, the issue of controlled access is also being incorporated within the ALO Secure By Design (SBD) Public Realm accreditation toolkit, standards which have been developed by The Association of Chief Police Officers Crime Prevention Initiative. The toolkit will be rolled out throughout Scotland. The Scottish SBD Officer is based within the SBCC.
In addition, Scottish Policing has provided input to a review of the Scottish Building Standards Regulations, where the concept of designing out crime was raised, particularly in relation to its status within planning process. This review is on-going.
Finally, access requirements for Cash in Transit vehicles must now also be balanced with more general vehicle restrictions which are a requirement of the Protect and Prepare elements of the CONTEST anti-terrorism strategy.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 19 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20223 by Linda Fabiani on 4 February 2009, when it will announce its final decisions on applications for funding from Scottish-based organisations that wish to assist in providing emergency relief in Gaza.
Answer
Details of the Scottish Government''s assistance to Scottish Non-Governmental Organisations for their relief efforts in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza were announced on Sunday 15 February 2009.
Further information on the successful projects can be found on the Scottish Government''s website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/International-Relations/internationaldevelopment/idffundingguidance/gaza.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 14 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of cases have transferred from the high court to the sheriff court in each year since the Criminal Procedure Amendment (Scotland) Act 2004 came into force.
Answer
Section 3 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 was amended by the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 on 1 May 2004 and increased the maximum sentencing powers of the sheriff, sitting with a jury from three to five years imprisonment, meaning that some cases which would previously have been indicted in the High Court are now indicted in the sheriff court. Individual cases are not, however, recorded as being indicted in the sheriff court on that basis. The main provisions of the Criminal Procedure Amendment (Scotland) Act 2004 came into force on 1 February 2005.
The following table shows the total number of cases disposed of in the High Court and the total number disposed of in sheriff and jury courts in each year since 2003-04.
Court Disposals - Solemn Cases
| Year | High Court Cases | Percentage Change from Previous Year | Sheriff and Jury Cases | Percentage Change from Previous Year |
| 2003-04 | 1,170 | +3.3% | 3,352 | +1.5% |
| 2004-05 | 864 | -26.2% | 3,611 | +7.7% |
| 2005-06 | 836 | -3.2% | 3,905 | +8.1% |
| 2006-07 | 839 | +0.4% | 4,224 | +8.2% |
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 12 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a ministerial statement on the open prison system and on HM Prison Castle Huntly in particular.
Answer
I will consider the requirementfor a ministerial statement when I have seen the review currently being undertakenby the Scottish Prison Service.
