To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was provided to agencies in Dumfries and Galloway by the Executive for services for looked-after children in 2006-07 and how much will be provided in 2007-08.
The Scottish Governmentprovides general financial support for Scotland’s local authorities’ core services, including looked after children, butit is the responsibility of each individual local authority to allocate its totalresources, including collected council tax, on the basis of local needs and priorities.If a council decides to allocate some of its resources to agencies on its behalfthen that is its responsibility. In 2006-07 Dumfries and Galloway local authority received support for coreservices amounting to £251 million. This figure has been increased to £262.5millionin 2007-08.
In addition specificfunding allocated for looked after children initiatives to Dumfries and Galloway local authority are:
Educational attainmentpilots: 2006-07 £96,850; 2007-08 £152,500
Residential care grant:2006-07 £17,465; 2007-08 £8,254
Fostering FundingImprovement: 2006-07 £189,200; 2007-08 £94,600
One-off capital grantfor foster carers and kinship carers: 2006-07 £47,893
One-off training grantto support foster carers and kinship carers: 2007-08 £128,000.