Our aim is to ensure that Scotland isan unattractive place for any organised crime gangs to do business. We haveworked with the UK Government on a number of measures including a joint ScottishExecutive and Home Office Action Plan on Human Trafficking. Law enforcementorganisations across the UK work together using an intelligence led approach toidentify emerging issues which are likely to impact on Scotland inthe future, including the accession of new member states to the European Union.Where intelligence indicates that a threat from organised crime exists the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency in support of the Scottish policeservice takes action to deal with it.

Affordable housing is broadlydefined in Scottish Planning Policy 3: Planning for Housing as follows“Housing of reasonable quality that is affordable to people on modest incomes. Insome places the market can provide some or all of the affordable housing that isneeded, but in other places it is necessary to make housing available at a costbelow market value, to meet an identified need.”

The main categories of affordablehousing are set out in Planning Advice Note 74, available on the Executive’swebsite at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/03/20796/54073.

Affordability, in terms of therents and prices paid by tenants and purchasers, varies from one location to anotherso should be determined in a way which takes account of incomes at the local level.

The co-operation of primary employers,whether in the public or private sector, is essential to supporting the role ofa retained firefighter. The government has no plans to prescribe how this is done,rather it will continue to fall to each Fire and Rescue Service to enter into dialoguewith primary employers to encourage local agreements.

It is already the case that,consistent with agreements made at the National Joint Council for Local AuthorityFire Brigades where responsibility for this matter lies, retained firefighters areprotected with respect to any loss of earnings incurred as a result of respondingto an emergency.

Jim Smith, a retainedfirefighter and a large employer with experience of releasing staff for fire-fightingduties, has recently been appointed as an Assistant Inspector with Her Majesty’sFire Inspectorate. Mr Smith’s role will revolve around drawing upon his experienceto raise awareness amongst employers about the benefits of employing staff who arealso retained firefighters.

Progression on the six-pointChartered Teacher salary scale typically involves one-off costs of around £1,200in return for an automatic increase of between £774 and £1,436 per annum inpensionable salary - overall £7,161 above the top of the unprompted teachers’scale. While no comprehensive survey has been conducted into the relativeimpact of cost or other factors in relation to uptake, Audit Scotland(2006) found that 74% of recently qualified teachers said they were likely toparticipate in the scheme.

Cost issues will beconsidered as part of the current review of the Chartered Teacher project.

The Queen Elizabeth NationalSpinal Injury Unit is able to assess and manage children aged 12 or over whoare admitted with acute spinal injuries. It also offers support, through itsliaison and outreach services, to all children in Scotlandwith spinal injuries.

The evidence suggests thatthe number of children in Scotland with highly complex spinal injuries is so small thata Scottish equivalent of the National Spinal Injuries Centre at StokeMandeville would not be viable.

Children under 12 with acutespinal injuries but no neurological damage are managed either in the RoyalHopsital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, or the Royal Hospital for Sick Childrenat Yorkhill, Glasgow, with input from the Queen Elizabeth National SpinalInjuries Unit at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow.

Children under 12 with bothacute spinal injuries and neurological damage are managed at Yorkhill, againwith input from the National Spinal Injuries Unit.

Children aged 12 or overwith acute spinal injuries can be admitted to the Queen Elizabeth NationalSpinal Injuries Unit.

In each of these cases, anassessment can be made of whether the children would benefit from referral tothe National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital,Buckinghamshire. The centre provides not only initial assessments but can alsoundertake annual reviews, depending on the child’s progress and clinical needs.

We are committed to workingwith education professionals to help every child, in every school, achievetheir full potential.

This information is not heldcentrally.

The Government is well awareof the difficulties families experience when a seriously ill or injured childis treated at a considerable distance from home. Everything possible is done toensure that the disruption caused is kept to a minimum. An initial assessmentat the National Spinal Injuries Centre can last up to eight weeks, but ifannual reviews are arranged, these are for a much shorter period. As much of the child’s rehabilitation as possible should be provided locally.

Children and their parentscan also benefit from referral to the centre, particularly through peer supportgained from the other children and their parents attending the centre.

The clinical costs of such referrals in 2006-07 was £18,909. Information on the associated costs of travel, meals and accommodation is not available centrally, as it is the responsibility of the NHS board of residence of each child to fund these costs.

The most recent review of the spinal injuries service in Scotland did not suggest any extension of its services to cover those currently provided by the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville. No estimate has therefore been made of the cost associated with employing the specialist staff who would be required.