Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken research on the reason for the increase in the number of prisoners on remand.

Kenny MacAskill: The population of remand prisoners has increased over the past decade, but the latest figures for 2009-10 show an average daily remand population 9% lower than the previous year.

There has been internal analysis of the reasons for the increase in the remand population. Trends in the number of remand prisoners are monitored through regular prison statistics publications and the most recent prison population projections statistical release includes discussion of the factors contributing to increases in the remand population during the late 2000s.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubPrisons.

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many human rights cases are pending against the Scottish Prison Service from prisoners at HMP Edinburgh, broken down by type of claim.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

This information is not available. However, SPS records show that there are 391 live claims relating to slopping out that includes periods held in HMP Edinburgh. There are also seven claims relating to segregation that include periods held in HMP Edinburgh and three personal injury claims where prisoners allege a breach of their human rights.

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prison officers at HMP (a) Edinburgh and (b) Addiewell were assaulted in 2010 and what disposals were applied.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The following table illustrates the number of Prison Officers assaulted within HMP Addiewell and HMP Edinburgh, included are serious, minor and non injury assaults for the period 2010:

The following table illustrates the number of Prisoners who have been subject to disciplinary proceedings as a result of their participation in alleged assaults on Prison Officers within HMP Addiewell and HMP Edinburgh.

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been released from prison in the Lothians region under automatic early release in each year since 2006-07, broken down by prison.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The following table shows the number of offenders released at the earliest date of liberation from prisons in the Lothians region by calendar year.

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many banned items were seized from individuals entering prison in the Lothians region in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) item and (b) prison.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The following table illustrates the number of banned items seized from prisoners entering prisons within the Lothian region over the last five years, broken down by item and establishment.

The following table illustrates the number of banned items seized from visitors entering prisons within the Lothian region over the last five years, broken down by item and establishment.

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many drug finds there have been in prisons in the Lothians region in each month since January 2007, broken down by (a) prison and (b) type of drug.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

The following tables illustrate the number of drug finds recorded in each month since January 2007 for each of the prisons located in the Lothian’s region broken down by establishment. SPS does not carry out analysis on substances found.

Note: HMP Addiewell’s prisoner population was integrated over a period of three months, with maximum prisoner population achieved March 2009.

Note: HMP Addiewell opened 09 December 2008.