Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-25998.

The Executive is supporting NHSScotland through investment and reform to ensure that the service is able to deliver services of the quality the public expects. NHSScotland is making use of spare capacity in private hospitals in order to reduce waiting. The National Waiting Times Unit is currently working with NHSScotland to ensure better and more efficient use of existing capacity in NHSScotland and the limited spare capacity in the private sector.

The Scottish Executive currently provides financial support for advice and information either to support national organisations to improve the infrastructure for advice, or targeted locally at primary provision. Local authorities and other public bodies take on a major role in supporting local advice provision, in accordance with local need or the particular remit and responsibility of the public body.

We currently provide support for different forms of advice and information either to support national organisations to improve the infrastructure for advice, or targeted locally at primary provision. For example, we recently allocated £3 million per annum in additional resources to local authorities to secure the expansion of local money advice services, including provision by the voluntary sector.

Voluntary organisations meet their central overhead costs through a range of funding mechanisms, including grant funding, and income from donations and trading, rents and investments. The Scottish Executive itself provides core funding for a range of organisations including the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)_ and Volunteer Development Scotland.Following on from its review of direct funding, the Executive is committed to conducting a strategic review of funding for the voluntary sector that will look at how public funding meets the needs of the sector. This review will consider whether it is possible for all funders of the sector to work together to ensure that they are operating in a way that meets their own needs and those of the sector. The review is due to commence in the summer, and discussions on how best to take work forward are taking place with SCVO and COSLA.

A wide range of security measures is already in place throughout the Executive. These are kept under review and additional measures put in place as appropriate. It would be inappropriate to detail the measures deployed. Responsibility for security in other public bodies rests with the relevant management boards.

The plan for action on alcohol problems, which was published on 18 January, sets out additional funding of £1.5 million for a national alcohol problems communications strategy and increased funding to Alcohol Actions Teams of £1 million. We will consider, over time, the need for additional resources for all types of action on alcohol problems including support and treatment services.

(a) The method used to distribute revenue grant to local authorities is set out in Grant Aided Expenditure (the Green Book) 2001-02, which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 12261).An explanation of the formula used to determine the single capital allocation is given in the detailed response to question S1W-5685 on 30 June 2000. A copy is also available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 7751).Housing capital is not distributed by formula. Since 1997-98 the allocations have remained broadly unchanged, which has provided a measure of stability for councils(b) Funding for NHS boards is distributed on the basis of the Arbuthnott formula. Details of the formula are contained in Fair Shares for All which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 11762).(c) The allocation of resources to local enterprise companies is undertaken by Scottish Enterprise.(d) The allocation of development funding to Community Scotland's Area Teams uses a methodology based on a series of social exclusion indicators and guidance obtained from Scottish ministers on their investment priorities.There is no one formula applied to funding of social inclusion partnerships (SIPs), which are both area based and thematic in nature. The methodology lying behind the funding of area based SIPs for 2002-03 aims to move towards smoothing per capita spend rates across SIPs. Thematic SIPs, on the other hand were subject to an across the board funding increase of 2.5%.The Scottish Executive in conjunction with local partners (typically from local authorities, enterprise companies, higher and further education sectors, environmental agencies, the voluntary sector and, increasingly the private sector) - through a series of committees - recommend to Ministers allocations of funding to meet partnership and European Programme objectives.The allocation to area tourist boards is undertaken by VisitScotland.The allocations to higher educational institutions is undertaken by Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC).The allocations to further educational colleges is undertaken by Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC).Funding for local bodies is also available through a number of smaller programmes, but details of these could only be assembled at disproportionate cost.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25291 on 14 May 2002.

The Skye Bridge is already owned by the Scottish ministers.