The Scottish Executive is aware of private sector adult care institutions that provide services for people with learning disabilities and that some local authorities and NHS boards are commissioning such services. Information is not held centrally about the amount of public funding being used for private sector care.

The Scottish Executive remains committed to the principles of The same as you? whereby adults with learning disabilities should be provided with the care and support they need to live, wherever possible, in the community.

Of the 22 recommendations, most are for NHS 24 and the area NHS boards to progress, while some are for the health department. Work on a number of them has already begun. I expect the recommendations to be taken forward in partnership wherever that is appropriate and I also expect them to be delivered within the deadlines where these have been set. Progress will be monitored closely and shall be reported to me on a quarterly basis.

The priority for NHS 24 and all area NHS boards at the moment is to develop robust plans to deal with the expected winter demands on out of hours services. This addresses the first recommendation in the report.

NHS Health Scotland who have the remit to promote health improvement are reviewing all materials and resources they publish, including their health promotion material, over the next six to twelve months to ensure ethnic and cultural factors associated with health and health care are considered.

In addition, NHS Scotland introduced the Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment Toolkit for both the Health Department and NHS Scotland in March 2005. The toolkit is intended to support consideration of equality and diversity issues in the design, development and delivery of policies and services across NHS Scotland which includes health education schemes.

The Care Commission regulates and monitors standards within care homes, day care services and care at home services for the elderly, including those with mental health problems.

The NHS Health Scotland’s Later Life Programme and the Scottish Executive National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-Being are also working together to promote mental health and well-being in later life.

We will continue to work with the partner agencies to ensure that approaches to mental health awareness, prevention, protection and care extend to all ages.

This is a matter for Scottish Water. I have forwarded your inquiry to Scottish Waters Chief Executive and asked him to write to you.

This is a matter for Scottish Water. I have forwarded your inquiry to Scottish Waters Chief Executive and asked him to write to you.

The working group considered that it would be helpful to have an indication of the number of no income no assets (NINA) debtors and therefore commissioned a desk study of existing research on over-indebtedness and debt with a view to identifying any information relating to research to try and provide more detailed information on the size of the NINA pool and whether there were different types of NINA debtors who might require different solutions.

It was not possible, however, to quantify with any accuracy the number of NINA debtors in Scotland. Officials are currently considering whether further research is needed and if so when and how it should be undertaken.

The group’s recommendations propose extensive reform of debtor access to sequestration. A bill is currently in preparation which will introduce wide ranging reforms to the legislation affecting these areas. It is necessary to consider what impact these reforms will have before deciding whether it is appropriate to introduce further reforms which have the potential to markedly increase the numbers of Scottish sequestrations.

The working group reported back to the bill team in June 2005. Officials are considering how to take it forward. The bill currently in preparation will introduce wide ranging reforms to the legislation affecting these areas. It is necessary to consider what impact these reforms will have before deciding whether it is appropriate to introduce further reforms which have the potential to markedly increase the numbers of Scottish sequestrations.

Information is not available for periods prior to 1 April 2002. In the period since 1 April 2002, a total of three cases involving charges under section 121(3) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal in relation to offences under the Loch Lomond Registration and Navigation Bye-laws 1995. Two cases were reported in 2003-04 and one case was reported in 2004-05. One accused was subject to a warning by the Procurator Fiscal. In the other two cases summary proceedings were initiated though one of the cases was not called and marked for no further proceedings as a result of failed service of the complaint. There have been no cases in which the Procurator Fiscal decided to take no proceedings.