- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank Mulholland on 8 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, when considering plea bargains, what emphasis is placed on the sentence, particularly in domestic abuse cases, in order to give comfort to victims who are also witnesses so that they know that they have been believed.
Answer
Procurators fiscal have a duty to consider all pleas of guilty offered by the defence and to accept them where it is in the public interest to do so. The likely sentence is one factor in the process of considering whether to accept any pleas which the accused is prepared to offer. Other factors, include, the nature and gravity of the offences libelled, the views of the victim, where known, and the effect of adjusted pleas in avoiding the attendance and testimony of witnesses.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank Mulholland on 8 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that victims who are also witnesses receive the same information regarding possible plea bargains as victims who are not witnesses.
Answer
Procurators fiscal have a duty to consider all pleas of guilty offered by the defence and to accept them where it is in the public interest to do so. The views of the victim may, where known, be taken into account at the discretion of the Procurator Fiscal as one factor in the process of considering whether to accept any pleas which the accused is prepared to offer.
Victims receive the same level of information regardless of whether they are cited to give evidence at trial.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank Mulholland on 8 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that when an individual is prosecuted for domestic abuse they do not inadvertently become a victim of abuse.
Answer
In dealing with domestic abuse cases, the police and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are committed to identifying best practice and obtaining consistency of approach in the investigation reporting and prosecution of these cases, with a view to improving the service that is provided to the public.
The Procurator Fiscal will consider all the circumstances of the case before deciding whether it is in the public interest to prosecute or, in exceptional cases, to take other action.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank Mulholland on 8 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive at what age it considers that children are able to receive information in their own right on cases where they are witnesses and whether this differs from the age of criminal responsibility.
Answer
In considering the age at which it was appropriate for Victim Information and Advice (VIA) to send information on case progress direct to children and young people in their own right, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service consulted with the Children''s Commissioner. This is also consistent with the Vulnerable Witness (Scotland) Act 2004 which presumes that a child witness is of sufficient age and maturity to form a view on special measures if aged 12 or older.
It should be noted that the proposed changes to the age of criminal responsibility will harmonise this.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital appointments were missed or cancelled due to the patient transport service being unable to provide transport in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government or the Scottish Ambulance Service.
However, the Scottish Ambulance Service is committed to reducing the number of times it is unable to provide transport and will continue to work with NHS boards to do so.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what transport is available for patients attending hospital clinics held outwith hospital premises.
Answer
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) Patient Transport Service will take patients to their appointments wherever they are being held. This will include clinics held outwith hospital premises.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be a reasonable length of time for people attending hospital to wait for public transport and whether this varies with age and fitness level.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23342 on 7 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what distance it considers reasonable for ill or older patients to be required to walk to a bus stop or railway station when attending hospital services.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23342 on 7 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients who require a family member to escort them to hospital are eligible for patient transport services.
Answer
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) have a clear policy on relative or carer eligibility for travel with patients. A relative or a carer will be able to escort a patient where the patient is a child or if the patient''s clinical condition is such that they require constant attention. Should a patient require an escort to travel with them and if they fit this criteria, which will be established following a medical assessment, then the ambulance service will make every effort to accommodate the request.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 7 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what access to patient transport services patients have who must attend a series of appointments requiring them to stay away from home and close to the hospital for a number of days (a) in hospital-provided accommodation, (b) in charitable accommodation, (c) in a hotel or bed and breakfast and (d) with family or friends.
Answer
We would encourage patients to discuss their specific circumstances with their NHS board to establish the support and options available to them for transport to appointments.
