Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-9792 on 16 August 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.

Section 22 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 requires local authorities to provide and publicise a range and level of services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area. Section 27(3) requires local authorities to provide appropriate care outside school hours and during holidays for children in need within their area who are in attendance at a school. There is no stipulation in either section 22 or section 27 as to the timing for such services, nor to specifically exclude educational services. It is for local authorities to determine how to manage their services to ensure that theymeet their statutory requirements.

Legislation does not prevent education authorities from deciding the extent and timing of any support they may provide to individual children.

The information requested is not held by the Scottish Executive. A list of registered community amateur sports clubs(CASCs) throughout the UK can, however, be found on the Inland Revenue website. The following link http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/casc/registered-clubs.pdf provides access to the relevant page of the Inland Revenue website.

In August 2002, following an announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer about a new tax relief package to support CASCs, sportscotland wrote to sports clubs across Scotland to make them aware of this package of tax reliefs. And on 4 May 2004, the Scottish Sports Association in conjunction with sportscotland wrote to the Scottish Association of Local Sports Councils, Sports Governing Bodies and Local Sports Councils providing information on the voluntary agreement the Scottish Executive has reached with local authorities regarding the provision of rate relief for registered CASCs. The recipients were asked to disseminate this letter, which also contained updated information about the tax benefits to be gained from CASC status and how to obtain CASC status to all member clubs and councils.

It is for the members of local Drugs and Alcohol Action Teams to design and deliver services for people in their areas with drug and alcohol problems, and the Executive does not commission or fund individual services.

Decisions on the most appropriate treatments for individuals are taken by local clinicians, taking account of the needs and circumstances of each patient. We therefore have no plans to promote the services provided at Castle Craig.

A Code of Guidance on Homelessness, produced by the Scottish Executive, is available to assist local authority practitioners in the exercise of their duties under the homelessness legislation. An updated edition of the Code was produced in May 2004 and users are currently being asked to comment on its use in practice before it is published in loose-leaf format. It is available through the Scottish Executive’s website and may be down loaded for off-line use. Local authorities have been asked to bring it to the attention of all staff who need to access it and each local authority will make their own arrangements as appropriate.

Responses are presently being issued to all those parties who have submitted postcards.

The SPCB does not intend toestablish a network of dignity at work contacts and investigating officers forMSPs' staff. In relation to employment of such staff, it is the relevant MSPwho is the employer. The responsibilities and potential liabilities arisingfrom legislation, including equal opportunities legislation, therefore restwith individual MSPs.

The SPCB does, however,continue to offer best practice advice to MSPs on their obligations asemployers and service providers. MSPs are free to seek further advice on anyequality related matter from either the Personnel Office or the Equalities Manager as appropriate.

Since restriction of liberty orders have been available to all courts in Scotland, a total of 547 offenders have been returned to court for breaching the terms of their order - 98 in 2002, 296 in 2003 and 153 in 2004.

Serious incidents of breach of a restriction of liberty order which demonstrate wilful and measurable non-compliance of the order are reported to the court within 24 hours of their occurrence. Other more minor violations are reported to the courts cumulatively so that the courts can consider their impact in relation to overall compliance with the order.

All breaches are fully investigated, recorded and reported to the court.

1,617 offenders have been electronically monitored since 1 May 2002 and of those, there have been a total of 237 incidences where the central computer system has identified a malfunction, or potential malfunction, of part of the electronic monitoring equipment, 48 in 2002, 111 in 2003 and 78 in 2004.

The central computer system detects all incidences of malfunction, however minor. This includes such incidences as low battery life. In every case where the central computer system detects a malfunction, the contractor replaces the faulty or damaged equipment to ensure continued monitoring of the offender’s compliance with their order. All faulty and damaged equipment is returned to the manufacturer.