- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of reductions in learning disability services by local authorities for the current financial year and, if so, whether these will have an impact on their ability to deliver the recommendations of The Same As You?.
Answer
The Executive is not awareof any reduction in learning disability services provided by local authorities.Patterns of local authority expenditure for learning disability services areoutlined in the answer to question S2W-25133 on 8 May 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to NHS boards for learning disability services in each year since 1999, broken down by board.
Answer
No specific funding allocationis made to NHS boards for learning disability services. Each NHS board is givenan annual allocation of funds to meet the health care needs of its residentpopulation, including the cost of learning disability services, taking accountof national and local priorities. It is for NHS boards to decide and prioritiseon what services they provide for their residents. There are no plans toring-fence funds for expenditure on learning disabilities.
A table showing learningdisabilities services expenditure by NHS board has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39508).
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on progress in implementing each of the 29 recommendations in The Same As You?.
Answer
The same as you? Implementation Group has produced a number of reports,which demonstrate areas where work has been taken forward to implement therecommendations of
The same as you?. These reports look at
hospitalclosure and service reprovision, employment, advocacy, children’s services, andday services.
The majority ofrecommendations were not for the Executive to implement, however, the NationalOverview of the Partnership in Practice agreements will outline areas ofprogress at a national and local level.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will develop a new range of playwork training material and courses to meet the needs of the education profession.
Answer
The Executive has no plans toproduce a new range of playwork training materials or courses for the educationprofession.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority(SQA), working in partnership with the relevant sector skills councils, Skills Activefor playwork and Skills for Care and Development for early education and child care,update and where appropriate develop new training courses to meet the needs of thesector. This is an on-going process designed to ensure employers, the current workforceand new entrants are appropriately trained.
Teachers also have a commitmentto continuing professional development and can access a range of training publications,best practice case studies, events and courses on play through Learning and TeachingScotland.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct all local authorities to take a lead role in developing local play policies.
Answer
A number of Scottish Executivepolicies and strategies already require local authorities and individual providersto support play opportunities for children.
In particular, the Executive’sChildcare Strategy stresses the importance of ample opportunities for sporting activitiesand play. This is reinforced by the National Care standards for early educationand child care up to the age of 16, which require that activities provided by staffwill allow children and young people to enjoy both organised and free play.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will develop guidance to facilitate the development of a community-build play area programme.
Answer
The Executive has no plans todevelop guidance specifically to facilitate the development of a community-buildplay area programme. However, the £318 million Community Regeneration Fund allocatedto Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) is supporting a range of projects andservices to help deliver better outcomes in disadvantaged communities. It is forCPPs to decide locally whether to support the development of community play facilities.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place a statutory duty on local authorities to provide for children's play needs to minimum standards.
Answer
The Executive has no plansto place a general duty on local authorities in the way described.
Local authorities have aspecific duty under the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland)Regulations 1967. These regulations also state that at every school there shallbe an outdoor area or areas laid out and surfaced for educational andrecreational activities.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 20 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring systems are in place to track the progress of delivering continued funding to New Futures Fund projects; what the frequency is of such monitoring, and which Executive department will receive and act on the monitoring reports.
Answer
We are currently developing monitoringarrangements on the use of New Future Fund successor funding as part of the guidanceto Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs). The Enterprise, Transport and LifelongLearning Department with assistance from Communities Scotland, will be monitoringthe reports from CPPs.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 20 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4504 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 December 2003, what the outcome was of discussions with the Department of Work and Pensions regarding reform of arrestment and furthcoming.
Answer
The outcome of discussions withthe Department of Work and Pensions is the proposal in the Bankruptcy and DiligenceBill to stop creditors from arresting all the money in a bank account. A minimumbalance will be protected, currently fixed at £370. This reform will help all debtors,including those who rely on benefit income.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 20 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement in December 2005 regarding the funding for New Futures Fund projects, how many of the 43 projects currently receiving funding have had confirmation that they will continue to be funded for the financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08, broken down by local authority area, and what the timescales are for the remaining projects to receive notification of future funding from Community Planning Partnerships.
Answer
We do not yet have this information.We have agreed with Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) that by the end of Februarythey should have notified projects that funding has been extended until June 2006.Early in June, CPPs will set out longer term plans on how they intend to use NewFutures Fund successor funding in their areas.
