Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30448 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.

The information requested is not held centrally.

There are a number of close support units in Scotland, offering alternatives to secure accommodation. Local authorities are also able to use youth crime monies to develop such services, £13.5 million has been allocated to local authorities between 1999-2000 to 2002-03. On 18 October, I announced a new Intensive Support Fund of £3 million to enable both local authorities and voluntary organisations to increase the level of community-based supervision of young offenders, to improve the quality of care in secure and to improve support for those returning to their communities from secure accommodation.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30212 on 23 October 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questionsare available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The allocation of funds to individual higher education institutions is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC). Ministers are expressly prevented, in terms of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, from framing SHEFC grant conditions by reference to particular institutions or programmes.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30448 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.

The Scottish Executive has issued no guidance on average caseloads for social workers working in the community. Employers take account of complexity, local circumstances such as geography and the experience of individual social workers in determining caseloads.

Panel members are normally recruited up to the age of 60 and will not usually be re-appointed beyond the 15 May following their 65 birthday. However, if recommended by a Children's Panel Advisory Committee (CPAC), appointments may be made up to the age of 62 for new applicants. Reappointment of serving panel members beyond their 65 birthday may also be approved subject to a recommendation by a CPAC. Reasons might include recruitment or retention difficulties affecting the balance of skills and experience, age or gender of the panel. This change was notified to CPACs on 18 August 2000. The circular is currently being updated to reflect this and other changes.

Information on the number of guardianships granted under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 in the three years 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02, and the number applied for and granted under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 from April 2002 to date, by local authority area, is provided in the following tables. Information on the number of guardianships applied for under the 1984 act is not available centrally.Number¹ of Guardianships Granted Under the Mental Health (Scotland ) Act 1984

Authority	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
Aberdeen City	7	16	16
Aberdeenshire	*	6	6
Angus	*	*	*
Argyll and Bute	*	*	*
Clackmannanshire	0	*	*
Dumfries and Galloway	*	*	*
Dundee City	6	*	9
East Ayrshire	*	*	*
East Dunbartonshire	*	*	*
East Lothian	*	*	*
East Renfrewshire	*	*	*
Edinburgh, City of	12	17	21
Eilean Siar	0	0	*
Falkirk	*	*	*
Fife	9	17	19
Glasgow City	22	27	32
Highland	21	18	13
Inverclyde	0	*	*
Midlothian	*	*	0
Moray	0	*	*
North Ayrshire	0	*	8
North Lanarkshire	*	9	9
Orkney	0	0	0
Perth and Kinross	*	*	*
Renfrewshire	*	*	*
Scottish Borders	*	*	*
Shetland	0	0	0
South Ayrshire	*	6	*
South Lanarkshire	*	*	*
Stirling	*	*	*
West Dunbartonshire	*	*	*
West Lothian	*	6	10
Total	126	160	190

Notes:1. Information supplied by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.*Number is less than five.With effect from 1 April 2002 guardianship under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 was replaced by guardianship under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. The following table provides information on the number of guardianships sought and granted since 1 April 2002 under the 2000 act.Number¹ of Guardianships Applied for and Granted Under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000

	Guardianship Applied For			Guardianship Granted
	Welfare	Financial	Joint	Welfare	Financial	Joint
Aberdeen City	15	1	0	8	0	0
Aberdeenshire	6	0	5	2	0	0
Angus	3	0	0	2	0	0
Argyll and Bute	10	0	2	8	0	1
Clackmannanshire	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dumfries and Galloway	5	4	1	2	3	0
Dundee City	0	0	0	0	0	0
East Ayrshire	5	1	1	1	0	1
East Dunbartonshire	0	0	0	0	0	0
East Lothian	4	0	0	4	0	0
East Renfrewshire	0	0	0	0	0	0
Edinburgh, City of	7	4	2	6	0	1
Eilean Siar	1	1	0	1	0	0
Falkirk	2	1	0	2	1	0
Fife	6	0	1	6	0	1
Glasgow City	14	2	1	10	0	1
Highland	13	2	0	8	0	0
Inverclyde	1	1	2	1	1	2
Midlothian	2	0	0	2	0	0
Moray	4	0	0	4	0	0
North Ayrshire	2	1	0	1	0	0
North Lanarkshire	5	3	0	4	2	0
Orkney	0	1	0	0	0	0
Perth and Kinross	9	0	0	5	0	0
Renfrewshire	0	0	3	0	0	1
Scottish Borders	3	0	1	1	0	0
Shetland	0	0	1	0	0	0
South Ayrshire	1	0	3	1	0	0
South Lanarkshire	5	3	3	3	3	1
Stirling	2	0	0	2	0	0
West Dunbartonshire	4	0	0	1	0	0
West Lothian	6	1	0	4	0	0
Total	135	25	26	89	10	9

Note:1. Information supplied by the Office of the Public Guardian.

This information is not held centrally.