Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28945.

As farm dumps have hitherto been practically unregulated, there is limited information about them on which to base estimates of environmental risks or of the cost of regulation. The Scottish Executive published a consultation paper Safer Landfill on 29 August. This includes a draft Regulatory Impact Assessment on which it seeks comments: it is expected that consultation responses will provide more information on costs.The consultation paper has been sent to a range of representatives of the agricultural sector, including NFU Scotland, the Scottish Landowners Federation, the Crofters Commission, the Scottish Agricultural College and the Independent Farming Group. In preparing the paper we have been in close and regular contact with representatives of NFU Scotland. The paper states our intention to work with NFU Scotland and SEPA to consider ways in which the regulatory burden can be minimised. We are presently considering the membership and remit of a group to undertake this work.The consultation paper, Safer Landfill, is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 23948).

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28945.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28945.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28473.

A review of the range and capacity of community care services for older people in Scotland over the next five, 10 and 15 years is currently under way. This will include a strategic review of care home provision, to identify the most effective way of developing and managing the market to meet the future needs of elderly people throughout Scotland. We are keen to see the correct range of services in place, to take account of future demographic changes and ensure that older people receive appropriate levels of care and are not delayed unnecessarily in hospital. We will carry out this work in partnership with health and local authority colleagues and in consultation with independent sector care home providers and intend this work to form the basis for longer term national and local planning of future developments.

The National Review Group recommended that the sectors involved in the preparation of the Report on Care Home Costs for Older People in Scotland should continue to have regular meetings.In response to this recommendation, we will invite all the parties concerned to a meeting to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.

The costs of providing care for older people in local authority run care homes is a matter for individual councils. In their report in November 2001 the National Review Group on Care Home Costs stated that independent care homes were being publicly underfunded. To address this issue the Executive has recently committed over £50 million of extra expenditure provision for the sector in the period to 31 March 2003.

The National Review Group Report on Care Home Costs for Older People in Scotland considered various ways of anticipating increases in care home costs. The group concluded that an increase in real terms should be applied to care home fees over the next three years, to take account of various pressures including wage increases. We will, in consultation with local authorities and the independent sector, determine the most appropriate means of uplifting care home fees shortly.

To help meet this aim registration of the workforce will be phased in over a number of years. The qualifications criteria for registration in phase one, that includes heads of residential care homes and heads of adult day care services, is out to consultation at the moment. Views are sought on a number of questions around the qualifications criteria and everyone has the opportunity to shape the final decision. Phase 2 will incorporate all other staff in residential care settings and a major task now for the Scottish Social Services Council is to set a timescale for its implementation. As part of regulating the workforce there are to be codes of practice and conduct for employees and their employers. These will set out the standards expected of each. For example these will cover expectations of employers in relation to supporting their staff. £3.5 million additional funding has been provided to local authorities to support investment in training and opportunities for career development. We will be asking local authorities to inform us of the training opportunities they make available to the independent sector staff.