- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 12 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure adequate provision of specialist teachers in response to challenges resulting from language diversity in schools.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10357 on 12 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- 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 3 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty鈥檚 Government about reducing cash and valuables in transit offences.
Answer
No such discussions have taken place. However, we have recently announced a three year funding package of 拢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. Through the Scottish Financial Crime Group, which the SBCC are responsible for, Scotland continues to monitor the issue, particularly in relation to any migration/displacement of such crimes and any local and regional increases in Scotland. Prevention is very much the primary focus of its work.
- 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 it has taken to emulate the reduction of offences against cash and valuables in transit workers in parts of England, such as Birmingham, through work undertaken by cash couriers, the banking industry, the GMB trades union, the Home Office, the Department for Transport and the Association of Chief Police Officers, in consultation with local government and other interested parties.
Answer
We have recently announced a three year funding package of 拢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. Through two groups managed by the SBCC (the Scottish Financial Crime Group and the Scottish Commercial Crime Group) the Scottish Banking Industry liaises with the Scottish Police Service and the Cash in Transit (CIT) Industry. The CIT industry is represented by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), which is also a member of the SBCC.Prevention is very much the primary focus of the work of the SBCC.
- 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 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 拢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 discussions it has held with the banking industry about reducing cash and valuables in transit offences.
Answer
No discussions with the banking industry have taken place. However, we have recently announced a three year funding package of 拢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. Through two groups managed by the SBCC (the Scottish Financial Crime Group and the Scottish Commercial Crime Group) the Scottish Banking Industry liaises with the Scottish Police Service and the Cash in Transit (CIT) Industry. The CIT industry is represented by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), which is also a member of the SBCC. CIT access issues discussed at SFCG can then be fed into local policing procedures where appropriate. In addition, in March 2007, the Scottish Financial Crime Group ran Exercise Fecund, a table top exercise examining a tiger kidnap scenario within the financial sector. The seminar involved over 300 delegates from law enforcement, banks and the CIT industry.
- 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 local authorities about reducing cash and valuables in transit offences.
Answer
No such discussions with local authorities have taken place. However, we have recently announced a three year funding package of 拢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. The SBCC deals with Cash in Transit (CIT) issues through the Scottish Financial Crime Group (SFCG) and Scottish Commercial Crime Group (SCCG). While no direct discussions have taken place with local authorities, member police forces deal with local authorities on CIT issues, together with wider aspects of crime prevention, through work carried out by architectural liaison officers (ALOs). Engagement at local and regional levels has led to Crime Prevention through Environmental Design being incorporated as a central strand of City Plans, for example, Glasgow City Plan 2.
- 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 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.
