The white paper proposes to place a statutory duty on local authorities to update all development plans within five years of the date of adoption or approval.

Where serious failures occur, ministers will have powers to request information from planning authorities on the operation of their functions and to direct an audit of those functions with a clear process for making and following up on recommendations.

In addition, ministers will have powers to intervene and prepare a strategic or local development plan, and to recover the costs of preparation from the relevant authority. However, these powers would only be used in exceptional circumstances and where other measures have failed.

The white paper proposes that there will be a statutory duty placed on local authorities to update all development plans within five years of the date of adoption or approval.

We will work in partnership with planning authorities to deliver the package of reforms contained in the white paper and to support authorities where difficulties arise.

The Executive will continue to monitor development plan progress under the new development plan system and to make this information publicly available.

The Scottish Executive provides help with travel costs for mature students under further and higher education funding. Student discounts for travel are commercial decisions made by travel operators at their discretion.

This information is not collected centrally.

The Scottish Executive recognises the import role that the social economy sector plays in providing training and employment opportunities for people, particularly those from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. A number of social economy organisations provide work opportunities for people with mental health problems which help support their employment aspirations.

The £18 million investment in Futurebuilders Scotland, delivered by Communities Scotland for the Scottish Executive, demonstrates the Executive’s on-going commitment to the overall development of the social economy in Scotland. The Scottish Executive will continue to highlight the importance of the role of the social economy by promoting the social economy sector as a training provider and employer for people with a range of needs, including those people with mental health problems.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20517 on 21 November 2005. 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/wa.search.

The research recently commissioned by the Executive on the subject of Resources for Planning examined, among other matters, issues relating to the supply and demand for planning staff and their professional education and training. The Executive will be discussing the report’s conclusions and recommendations with planning authorities, higher education institutions and other interested bodies.

The subsidy provided varies between parents as the amount is based on individual need. However, the subsidy usually takes the form of funding 100% of child care costs for the parent for a short, time-limited period only. It is then replaced by the child care element of Working Tax Credit which meets 70% of a parents’ childcare costs. The difference between receiving 70% of child care costs through Working Tax Credit and 100% of child care costs through subsidy, for the initial period on entering employment, can be crucial in supporting parents to sustain their employment at this important but often difficult transition period.

The NHS in Scotland should take account of all relevant evidence, including National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines in their area when planning and delivering services.

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) has set up a group to consider the current provision of services to those affected by neurological conditions and identify key issues in the delivery of these services. This will recommend a programme of work for NHS QIS on provision of services to those affected by neurological conditions.

My department has commissioned research into the urban design aspects of new residential streets, and into the associated process of road construction consent. The objective is to demonstrate that new residential areas can be designed with the needs of people uppermost and with reduced car dominance. The results of the research are twofold: a Planning Advice Note 76 New Residential Streets was published on 7 November, and the report of the research on Road Construction Consent was published on the Scottish Executive website on the same day. My officials conducted three presentations to stakeholders round Scotland in October, and are opening a debate on the way forward with local authority Heads of Planning and Chief Officers of Transportation.