Chamber and committees

Under the Social Inclusion Strategy published in March 1999, the Scottish Social Inclusion Network established 5 Action Teams to examine key areas of social inclusion policy. One Team, the Evaluation Framework Action Team, presented its Progress Report to SSIN in June; this is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). The Chairs of the other 4 Teams (Excluded Young People, Inclusive Communities, Local Anti-Poverty Action and 'Making it Happen') presented their main findings to the Social Inclusion Network on 4 October, and their reports will be published shortly.

The expenditure on Social Inclusion Partnerships' support costs referred to in my previous answer (S1W-884) is governed by a financial memorandum which specifies that partnerships provide an annual expenditure programme prior to the start of the relevant financial year, detailing spending plans for the forthcoming financial year, and including profiles and target output measures for proposed expenditure; and provide an annual progress report within 3 months of the end of the relevant financial year, detailing progress made against target output measures.

The 2.5% of Social Inclusion Partnerships' revenue budgets which can be allocated to meet administration costs covers the costs of administering the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund grant and includes councils' staff costs, accommodation, printing, stationery, telephone charges, advertising and postage. Administration costs are claimed by councils who are responsible for administering the grant and a detailed breakdown for each SIP is not available. The amount of each revenue budget and the maximum claim for administration costs is set out in the table below.

Social Inclusion Partnership	Revenue budget for 1999-2000 (£)	Maximum administration costs claim (£)
North Edinburgh	2,256,000	56,400
Dundee 1	2,337,000	58,425
Glasgow East End	2,177,500	54,437
Glasgow North	3,254,000	81,350
Greater Easterhouse	2,800,000	70,000
Inverclyde Regeneration Partnership	2,538,000	63,450
Motherwell North	1,380,000	34,500
Paisley	2,881,000	72,025
North Ayr	1,133,000	28,325
West Dunbartonshire Partnership	1,693,000	42,325
Great Northern (Aberdeen)	809,000	20,225
Arbroath	140,000	3,500
The Strategic Programme (Edinburgh)	1,153,000	28,825
Dundee 2	792,000	19,800
Levern Valley Partnership	333,000	8,325
Falkirk Community Urban	550,000	13,750
Fife	751,000	18,775
North Ayrshire	676,000	16,900
North Lanarkshire	800,000	20,000
Stirling	533,000	13,325
Cambuslang	400,000	10,000
Drumchapel	1,125,000	28,125
Glasgow: Care-leavers	283,500	7,087
Glasgow: Routes out of Prostitution	140,625	3,515
Glasgow: Ethnic Minorities*
Gorbals*
Greater Govan	281,250	7,031
Greater Pollok	1,035,000	25,875
Milton*
Springburn*
Argyll and Bute	163,000	4,075
Alloa	538,000	13,450
Dundee - Give Youth a Chance	225,000	5,625
Dundee Young Carers	46,000	1,150
East Ayrshire Coalfields Area	487,000	12,175
Edinburgh - Excluded Young Adults	184,500	4,612
Fife Ethnic Minorities*
Girvan	236,000	5,900
Highland Well-Being Alliance	393,000	9,825
Moray Youthstart	322,000	8,050
Perth and Kinross Care-leavers*
Scottish Borders*
South Edinburgh*
South Coatbridge	250,000	6,250
Tranent Youth and Community	94,000	2,350
West Lothian	188,000	4,700
Blantyre/North Hamilton	300,000	7,500

Figures not available as capital/current split not yet agreed.

We are providing grant funding of £10,500 over 3 years (from 1997-98) towards a UK telephone helpline run by Action on Elder Abuse.

This is a matter for Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited.

All new members of staff are required to undergo security vetting. Potential Prisoner Custody Officers have to meet defined minimum academic standards and have a physical examination prior to employment. They must meet certain standards of physical fitness for the job. Where functions are to be carried out by specialists, members of staff must hold the appropriate specialist qualifications. All relevant employment legislation must be complied with. All training standards require to be approved by the Scottish Prison Service and some of the training is, in fact, carried out by the Scottish Prison Service.

There has been no breach of contract.

Kilmarnock Prison currently holds about 500 prisoners. Kilmarnock holds male prisoners on remand as well as the full range of adult male convicted prisoners whose sentences vary from a few weeks to indeterminate life sentences. This reflects the range of offences committed. Approximately half of the prisoners currently at Kilmarnock Prison were transferred there from other Scottish prisons. Others were admitted to the prison from the local courts.

I am advised by the Scottish Prison Service that neither exercise is, in their view, justified in current circumstances.

The contract is between the Scottish Prison Service and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited,not Premier Prison Services. The net present value of the contract over the full 25 years is about £130m and over the first 6 years is about £52m. (Both figures exclude VAT).