A revised policy is currently in preparation. We intend to publish the draft Scottish Planning Policy for full consultation in late spring 2005.

A revised policy is currently in preparation. We intend to publish the draft Scottish Planning Policy for full consultation in late spring 2005.

We intend to publish a draft Scottish Planning Policy for full consultation in late spring 2005.

I have indicated to theConvener of the Park Authority that ministers will make additional fundsavailable to the extent that there are additional and previously unforeseenenforcement costs falling on the authority which cannot be contained within theapproved budget for 2005-06.

The procedures for introducingbyelaws (including statutory periods for different stages of the process) are setout in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, and in Sections 202 to 204 of the LocalGovernment (Scotland) Act 1973. The National Park Authority are proceedingwith the current policy consultation for byelaws covering activity on Loch Lomond,with a view to presenting draft byelaws for my consideration in the course ofthis calendar year. The current expectation is that revised byelaws would beintroduced early in 2006.

The current tolling order for Erskine Bridge will expire on 1 July 2006. Anyproposal to extend the tolling period, under powers in section 4(3) of the ErskineBridge Tolls Act 1968, would be effected by Statutory Instrument, subject to affirmative resolution in the Parliament.

Local authority Grant Aided Expenditure, including for community care for older people, is published on the Scottish Executive website at www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/gaestats.

Grant Aided Expenditure is funded by a combination of centrally provided government funding through Aggregate External Finance and funding raised by local authorities through locally raised council tax revenue. Local authorities are free to spend above or below the Grant Aided Expenditure level, according to their own priorities. The money that local authorities receive through Aggregate External Finance is, in the main, provided by way of a block grant and is not allocated to specific services.

Grant Aided Expenditure is allocated to individual local authorities on the basis of a needs-based distribution formula agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

General funding allocations to NHS boards of £6.01 billion for 2005-06 were detailed in written answer S2W-14069 on 4 February 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search. It is for boards to decide how best to utilise these funds to meet the health care needs of their resident populations, including services for older people, taking account of national and local priorities.

£29.5 million was allocated to NHS boards in 2004-05 for local authority/NHS Partnerships specifically to tackle the problems of delayed discharges in Scotland. These funds were distributed as follows:

NHS Board	£000
Argyll and Clyde	2,553
Ayrshire and Arran	2,292
Borders	665
Dumfries and Galloway	957
Fife	1,982
Forth Valley	1,559
Grampian	2,679
Greater Glasgow	5,455
Highland	1,367
Lanarkshire	3,152
Lothian	3,986
Orkney	124
Shetland	134
Tayside	2,361
Western Isles	234
Total	29,500

 

Similar delayed discharge allocations for 2005-06 have yet to be announced.

There are a number of strategies in place to assist disabled people to live independent lives, whether for housing, health, transport, employment or lifelong learning.

Supporting People, which delivers housing support services to people with disabilities and other service users, allocated approximately £138 million in 2003-04 to directly support nearly 6,500 disabled people across Scotland to live independently in their own homes.

Direct Payments allow disabled people to buy the community care they are assessed as needing. Being self-directed, it gives users choice and control over the services they receive, with £8.3 million in 2003-04 providing care for 912 users including disabled people.

Free Personal and Nursing Care is available for disabled and non-disabled people aged 65 and over and the Executive committed £250 million from 2002 to 2004 with a further £147 million for 2004-05 and £153 million for 2005-06. There will also be free local off-peak bus travel across Scotland for older and disabled people from April 2006.

The European Social Fund helps people with disabilities back into the labour market. Measure 2.1 aims to improve social inclusion in target groups such as disabled people by supporting access to training, employment and income earning opportunities and by addressing the key barriers they face.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14118, on 28 February 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search.

The National Park Authority expects to launch its draft National Park Plan for consultation on 16 May 2005. Following consultation, the draft plan will be submitted to Scottish ministers for approval.