The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration collects statistics on under 16s who are registered by the Reporter, under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, where a child has allegedly misused alcohol or any drug. In 2003, 1907 children were registered by the Reporter, and 1,646 were referred by the Reporter for alleged misuse of drugs or alcohol. A child can be referred to the Reporter multiple times on the same grounds, so the number of referrals may be higher than the number of children referred.

Figures on drug and alcohol misuse are not held separately, and information on numbers who did not receive treatment is not held centrally.

The registration scheme should have a positive impact on the private rented sector by providing the key to engaging with the sector to encourage good standards, driving out unacceptable landlords and ensuring that the sector’s important role in providing for housing need is enhanced. We will design the details of the scheme in discussion with representatives of key interests to minimise the burden on acceptable landlords and we do not believe that the overall effect of registration will be a reduction in affordable renting by acceptable landlords.

We will develop the detailed implementation of the registration scheme in discussion with representatives of key interests including local authorities, landlords and agents. One of the objectives of this exercise will be to avoid unnecessary duplication between the requirements of the registration scheme and those for houses of multiple occupation licensing.

A landlord removed from the register will continue to have the same rights and obligations under any letting contract and relevant statute as applied before that removal. Where there is an assured tenancy the landlord can seek possession under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 if any of the grounds set out in schedule 5 to that act apply. If none of those grounds applies the tenancy will continue. If the landlord is unable to take action or make arrangements which satisfy the local authority or the sheriff that registration should be restored, then he or she could sell or transfer ownership of the property, with the sitting tenant, to a landlord who is able to register.

Most tenancies in the private sector are short assured tenancies, which provide for an initial period of let of at least six months, after which initial period the landlord is able to seek possession through the sheriff court.

Ground 2 of schedule 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 requires a sheriff to order possession of a house subject to an assured tenancy in the circumstances described if the lender seeks possession and either the tenant was given notice at or before the beginning of the tenancy that possession might be recovered on this ground or the sheriff is satisfied that it is reasonable to dispense with the requirement for a notice. The situation in relation to other tenancies will depend on the terms of the tenancy agreement.

A lender who obtained a property with vacant possession would not need to register unless it was the intention to re-let the property while it was in the lender’s possession.

I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The following table details thegrants allocated through the Scottish Executive’s housing investment programme for low-cost home ownership schemes in each of the lastfive years.

Scottish Executive - Housing Investment Programme – Low-Cost Home Ownership schemes (2000-01 to2004-05) (£ Million)

2000-01	22.9
2001-02	14.9
2002-03	13.4
2003-041	14.9
2004-052	17.6

Notes:

1 Outturn subject to confirmation.

2 Planned.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Scottish Executive’s housing investment programme is the main way used to encourage low cost home ownership development. It provides funding for such developments in disadvantaged communities to replace or improve poor quality housing and also in areas where demand exceeds supply or where market prices are beyond the reach of local or average incomes.

Biomass energy projects are eligible for support under our Scottish Community and Household Renewables Initiative. Electricity generated from biomass is also eligible for support under the Renewables Obligation Scotland.

A sub-group of the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) is currently developing an action plan to accelerate the development of biomass energy in Scotland. The group is expected to publish its report during the autumn.

Yes. The Scottish Executive values the contribution that retained, auxiliary and volunteer fire-fighters can make to the protection of their communities. In particular, we have provided generous funding to Highland and Islands Fire Brigade to assist with its upgrade programme.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

We intend to increase the number of places in the open prison estate as part of a wider reform programme designed to make better use of the prison estate as a whole and to help long term prisoners towards the end of their sentence reintegrate better into society.

I refer the member to the answer given to the question S2W-8152 answered on 12 May 2004. 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.