- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding research into the health benefits to older people of volunteering taking into account (a) their own well-being and happiness, (b) the life of their communities and (c) reducing the demands on health and social services.
Answer
The National Framework for Service Change report
Building a Health Service Fit for the Future (Bib. number 36608) makes it clear that volunteers make a valuable contribution to health care, and that the health and psychological benefits to volunteers themselves are becoming ever more apparent.
It therefore recommends that each NHS board develops proposals to enhance volunteering. How that is delivered is for health boards and other community partners to agree through the use of Community Planning Partnerships and joint health improvement planning.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 19 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that national and local youth organisations and local authorities have the capacity and resources to provide training for volunteers and paid staff to take a more active role and enable them to provide real benefit to young people.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is considering the issue of training for youth workers and volunteers in the context of the national Youth Work Strategy on which we will be engaged in consultation early next year.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage the insurance industry not to impose conditions on youth and outdoor education activities and on voluntary work by older people which discourage people from taking part in these activities.
Answer
Government engagement in insurance matters impacting on youth and outdoor education activities and the voluntary sector at large is undertaken on a UK basis to mirror the way in which the insurance industry operates.
Volunteering England has been commissioned to look into risk management in the voluntary sector across the UK. It will examine issues such as good practice development and dissemination and is due to report to the Home Office in June 2006.
More generally, the Home Office acts as the champion of the voluntary sector on insurance matters. Together with the voluntary sector and the insurance industry, it is examining employers’ liability insurance, legal costs and full cost recovery. The three partners are also drawing together sources of practical advice and expertise with insurance issues and this will be disseminated to the voluntary sector. The Home Office is also facilitating on-going dialogue between the insurance industry and the voluntary sector on general insurance matters.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 14 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how it assesses the comparative value for money of grants to national youth organisations dealing with young people and volunteers.
Answer
There is a rigorous process of assessing and evaluating individual applications to the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund against the objectives and detailed criteria agreed by ministers. Value for money aspects are considered as part of this process and successful applications are selected only after detailed discussions among departments across the Executive. Progress against targets and outcomes are also monitored by the Executive.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 14 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to continue funding the Active Schools project at national level and ensure funding at local level.
Answer
Active Schools is an integral part of the Executive’s commitment to increasing levels of physical activity in our young people. Following the 2004 Scottish Budget funding of £12 million has been committed annually to supporting Active Schools. At a local level, sportscotland has entered into investment agreements with all 32 local authorities to ensure local delivery within a national framework.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 14 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of its and the Parliament’s commitment to engaging with the public and the current funding position of the Scottish Civic Forum which was set up to facilitate that engagement, the First Minister will respond personally to the concerns about its funding, raised with him by the Convener of the Scottish Civic Forum.
Answer
It is customary practice for the First Minister to ask the Minister or Deputy Minister with portfolio responsibility for a topic to reply to any letter about that topic. In this case, I responded fully to the convener’s letter setting out the Executive’s position.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 13 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that young people who do not suffer from behavioural difficulties or police, drug, or alcohol-related problems can benefit from positive youth work.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currently providing local authorities with a block grant of £8.1 billion for all their revenue services including community learning and development, a component part of which is youth work. The allocation of these funds, together with locally collected council tax income, is a matter for the local authorities taking into account local needs and priorities.
In the current year the Scottish Executive will award grant of £1,300,000 to 32 National Youth Organisations including the Scouts and Guides, the Boy’s Brigade and Girls Brigade, Ocean Youth Trust, Scottish Centres, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the YMCA.
Since 2004-05 the Scottish Executive has provided £5 million per annum to Community Safety Partnerships to support the provision of services, projects and activities universally available to all young people rather than focus on young people who have offended or are at risk of offending. We have recently agreed to extend this funding in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
This money reaches small, locally run projects which aim to make a real difference to the communities in which they are based through the provision of high quality services and facilities. For example, building or improving local community facilities, buying sports or leisure equipment and running clubs or activities at times which are convenient for young people.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 13 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the explanation is for its policy of providing funding for new projects but not providing ongoing funding for projects that have proven to be successful but require continued financial support.
Answer
Decisions on the period for which financial support is available are taken in accordance with the objectives of individual schemes and there can be no presumption of continuing funding once a scheme has run its course. Recipients of financial support should be aware of the length of time for which support is available and plan accordingly. If this question has been prompted by a particular case, I would be happy to look at the details and comment further.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 13 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what annual grants it or the Scottish Office have made to (a) the Scout Association, (b) the Guide Association, (c) Youth Scotland, (d) the Boys’ Brigade and (d) the Girls’ Brigade in (i) 2005, (ii) 2000, (iii) 1995, (iv) 1990, (v) 1985 and (vi) 1980.
Answer
The funding for years 2000 and 2005 is contained in the following table.
| Year | 2000 | 2005 |
| Scouts | £31,827 | £35,100 |
| Guide Association | £16,974 | £18,700 |
| Youth Scotland | £79,568 | £89,995 |
| Boys’ Brigade | £38,723 | £42,740 |
| Girls’ Brigade | £12,200 | £13,480 |
The information for the years 1995, 1990, 1985 and 1980 is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 12 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many discretionary fatal accident inquiries have been held in each year since 1995 following a charge of careless driving.
Answer
Information is only available for periods post-April 2002. No discretionary fatal accident inquiries have been held since that date following a charge of careless driving.
