I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34226 today. 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.uk/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34221 today. 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.uk/webapp/search_wa.

Service planners and providers are required under section 5A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to consult effectively with service users and carers on the provision of local community care services, including respite care, to ensure that services are appropriate and accessible to carers. Our Carers Strategy specifically requires local authorities to consult carers on the use of resources allocated to them to provide services to support carers, including the provision of respite. Local authorities and NHS bodies are also encouraged to involve users and carers directly in implementing the Joint Future agenda to help deliver more integrated support services across health and social care.

Our Delayed Discharge Action Plan committed us to developing a model national framework for joint hospital discharge policies and protocols. Consultation has taken place on a draft and guidance will be issued. We intend to publish Local Authority and NHS Board Partnerships' Protocols on our Delayed Discharge Website and audit these annually. Good practice in relation to the needs of carers will be incorporated in the framework protocol.

Scotland's Transport: Delivering Improvements: Transport Indicators for Scotland stated the Executive's commitment to delivering an efficient, safe transport system which meets the needs of all and is accessible to all.Guidance issued by the Scottish Executive in 2000 underlined the importance of ensuring accessible travel in Local Transport Strategies (LTS). The guidance emphasised that everyone should have the opportunity for independent mobility. The LTS guidance is about to be reviewed and updated by the Executive and the consultation process will include all local authorities and the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS). MACS was established in May 2002 to allow disabled people to give their views on transport issues and suggest early practical improvements to transport for disabled people to the Executive.

The Executive is committed to an accessible public transport system and we will work with public transport providers and others to improve access to services and facilities across Scotland. We have established the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland to advise ministers on a wide range of accessible transport issues.

National and local health promotion activities and initiatives aim to improve the health of everyone in the community. Programmes cover a wide range of topics including diet, exercise, smoking cessation, oral health, mental health and well-being. Services provided by NHS Board Health Promotion Units may benefit carers themselves directly or indirectly through provision of services for the cared for person.Health promotion is the responsibility of NHS boards who should be approached directly for information about their plans and strategies for carers' health.

The Executive's recently published strategy Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life has a key goal of ensuring that everyone has the chance to learn, irrespective of their personal circumstances. Our policy on widening access to further education aims to break down barriers faced by all groups including carers. Our aim is to ensure that social prejudice plays no part in who gets to benefit from further education. We have delegated to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) the duty to secure adequate and efficient provision of further education in Scotland. We expect SFEFC to allocate budgets to individual colleges, and offer other support and guidance, in a way that takes account of that duty. Community Learning and Development Partnerships, including of course voluntary sector organisations, also play a crucial role in widening access into learning.

Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government through the Department for Work and Pensions, and Jobcentre Plus.

Transport authorities are responsible for making and administering concessionary travel schemes under section 94(4) of the Transport Act 1985. The powers within the act are discretionary and it is for individual authorities to determine what eligible categories will qualify under their concessionary travel scheme, and what level of concession should be given to groups, such as carers/companions.