Chamber and committees

In response to a Scottish Executive survey of children educated outwith school, education authorities reported that a total of 349 children were known to be receiving home education as a result of parental choice in 2000-01. The survey requested information about all children who had received education outwith school at any point during the 2000-01 school year, whether out of necessity or by parental choice. The above figure relates only to those children educated outwith school by parental choice. It does not include those who received education outwith school because they were unable to attend due to illness or exceptional circumstances. The Scottish Executive recognises that the true figure is likely to be much higher since many children who are educated at home by choice are not currently in contact with their education authority.

Scotland Against Drugs supports schools in a number of ways, including the provision of teacher training and education, and promotion of alternatives and awareness programmes in many schools.Scotland Against Drugs has however no formal role in recommending drugs education material and resources for schools.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21650.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21650.

The Scottish Executive's Drug Action Plan: Protecting our Future sets the national standard that all schools will provide drug education to every pupil and will have written procedures for managing incidents of drug misuse, in line with national advice, by 2002. This commitment to drug education is reflected in our Programme for Government, Working Together for Scotland.We undertake an annual survey of schools and in the latest survey 97% of schools reported that they provided drug education to every pupil, 81% in line with national advice. To assist education authorities and schools to deliver the national standards, additional grant funding has been made available in 2001-02 as shown in the following table. No previous grant funding has been made available. A further survey of schools will be carried out this year.National guidelines set out the principles which should be observed, but it is for education authorities and school managers to develop their health education programmes and determine the resources that will be used, including the choice of drug education material. We have no plans to specify the choice of resources.

Education Authority	Amount	Education Authority	Amount
Aberdeen City	32,557	Highland	36,712
Aberdeenshire	39,000	Inverclyde	18,500
Angus	21,359	Midlothian	18,289
Argyll and Bute	17,552	Moray	17,740
Clackmannanshire	12,550	North Ayrshire	26,360
Comhairle an Eilean Siar	8,900	North Lanarkshire	58,234
Dumfies and Galloway	26,082	Orkney	7,700
Dundee	26,526	Perth and Kinross	22,500
East Ayrshire	23,272	Renfrewshire	32,989
East Dunbartonshire	25,000	Scottish Borders	20,009
East Lothian	17,725	Shetland	8,460
East Renfrewshire	21,350	South Ayrshire	21,659
Edinburgh	58,000	South Lanarkshire	52,216
Falkirk	26,714	Stirling	17,528
Fife	58,017	West Dunbartonshire	20,970
Glasgow	85,230	West Lothian	31,900

This is ultimately a matter for the multiple retailers and others in the private sector. The Scottish Executive's role is to facilitate discussions amongst industry stakeholders. A representative member of the multiple retailers, along with other stakeholders, was asked to comment on the DTZ Pieda report into the future of raspberry breeding in Scotland published early in 2001. Their view was that investment in new varieties was not a matter for them. The Scottish Executive is continuing discussions with other stakeholders within the industry.

The Scottish Executive continues to fund a number of research projects into soft fruit, much of this directly underpinning raspberry and blackcurrant breeding. Funding in the current financial year amounts to over £935,000. In addition, since the end of EU funding of the special scheme for raspberries intended for processing, the Scottish Executive has been engaged in discussions with stakeholders within the industry on the prospects for a replacement raspberry breeding programme.

As stated in Our National Health, the Scottish Executive is committed to the development of advocacy services for those who most need them. The Executive's policy statement, Renewing Mental Health Law, says that the new mental health legislation will impose a duty on NHS Boards and local authorities to ensure that a range of advocacy services is provided for mental health service users. The resource implications of the new legislation will be set out in the accompanying Financial Memorandum.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21326.

A number of Patients' Councils are in existence, with support from the relevant NHS Boards. The precise support provided to collective advocacy, at a local level, is a matter for the relevant local agencies.