Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21447 on 21 January 2002. The Executive will publish its response to the commission's report next month. The position on the legislative timetable remains unchanged. 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.

The Best Value Task Force was set up to provide guidance for local authorities in the operation of their new statutory duties under the Local Government in Scotland Bill. For this reason, at this time, it consists mainly of local authority representatives, but also representatives of the Scottish Trades Union Congress and the Scottish Consumer Council.The Scottish Executive has been careful to consult directly representatives of the voluntary sector about the provisions of the bill and will continue to consider their interests in relation to the work of the task force and other associated matters.

The Executive takes very seriously the needs of disabled tourists in Scotland and noted carefully Capability Scotland's recent report.VisitScotland takes into full account the needs of visitors with disabilities, and operates an inspection scheme to assess accommodation with disabled provision using the UK-wide National Accessible Standards. Establishments which meet the assessment criteria are recognised by being awarded an access symbol. Information on all such establishments in Scotland is available from VisitScotland

In my Housing Policy Announcement to Parliament on 7 November, I stated my intention to include local authority housing capital finance within the new Prudential Regime.

The statement means that Scottish ministers will pay for each disclosure issued by Disclosure Scotland to a volunteer in the voluntary sector working with children or other vulnerable people, as long as the application has been routed through the Central Registered Body Scotland.The fee for a disclosure is £13.60.

In the majority of situations, the Central Registered Body Scotland does not make a charge to organisations in relation to attending introductory seminars on the administration of criminal records checks, nor for advice in processing applications.However, in those circumstances where expenditure is incurred in travel, or where sessions have been held at the specific request of groups to meet their particular location, needs and requirements, expenses have been sought. The fees for these events are based on the nature of the training, location, numbers and whether external specialists require to be brought in to deal with specific matters.

I believe that this question relates to a relatively new library system that is being used in two Scottish local authorities and other schools elsewhere in the UK.The system uses fingerprint recognition technology to identify pupils without taking or storing their fingerprints. Its use is a matter for individual schools and local authorities, but parents and pupils should be consulted on its use. Parents and pupils have the right to opt out of the system.

I have met with representatives of YouthLink Scotland, the Scottish Youth Work Partnership, Youth Scotland and CEMS on 15 April 2002, and with representatives of Girl Guiding Scotland, the Scout Association, Scotland, the Boys' Brigade, Scotland and the Girls' Brigade Scotland on 26 August 2002 when these issues, amongst others, were raised.

The Children and Young People's Grant Scheme aims to assist voluntary and other organisations in developing services and promoting the welfare of children and young people in Scotland.It did not, strictly speaking replace previous schemes but it was anticipated, and has proved to be the case, that organisations working with children and young people who had received support through section 10 of the Further Education (Approved Associations) (Scotland) Grant Regulations 1989 would continue to be supported under the new scheme.The Children and Young People's Grant Scheme makes available three types of funding: core funding, project funding or training.In the year 2001-02 (the first year of the Children and Young People's Grant Scheme) we were able to provide Training Grant of just over £62,000, or 2.3% of the total allocated. The amounts awarded to each organisation are given in the answer to question S1W-31116 today. 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.

The grants allocated under the Children and Young People Group Grant Scheme in 2001-02 and 2002-03 are laid out in the following tables. Core Grant

Organisation	2001-02	2002-03
Abernethy Trust	6,365	6,365
Adoption UK	10,000	10,000
BAAF	51,086	51,086
Boy's and Girl's Clubs of Scotland	14,853	14,853
Boys Brigade	38,727	38,727
BTCV	28,909	28,909
Caledonian Award	6365	6,365
Campaigners	6,896	6,896
Capability Scotland	45,000	45,000
Chess Scotland	9,124	9,124
Childline	70,000	70,000
Children First	83,732	83,732
Children in Scotland	190,000	190,000
Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council	10,000	10,000
Community Service Volunteers	66,873	66,837
Contact a Family Scotland	45,000	45,000
Cruse Bereavement (Scotland)	28,940	28,940
Duke of Edinburgh Award	20,688	20,688
Fairbridge in Scotland	45,619	45,619
Family Care	38,881	38,881
Fast Forward	51,984	51,984
Fostering Network	51,331	51,331
Girls Brigade	12,200	12,200
Guide Association	16,974	16,974
Homestart	95,000	95,000
International Voluntary Service	7,957	7,957
Iona Community	6,365	6,365
National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries	24,720	24,720
National Playbus Association Scotland	30,900	30,900
Ocean Youth Trust	22,279	22,279
One Parent Families Scotland	51,500	51,500
Parent Network Scotland	20,600	20,600
Parentline	72,500	72,500
PHaB Scotland	24,931	24,931
Play Scotland	30,236	30,236
Scottish Association of Young Farmers	59,145	59,145
Scottish Centres	60,770	60,770
Scottish Child Law Centre	59,808	59,808
Scottish Childminding Association	52,094	52,094
Scottish Council For Single Homeless	15,659	15,659
Scottish Crusaders	6,896	6,896
Scottish National Council of YMCAs	58,350	58,350
Scottish Out of School Care Network	154,500	154,500
Scottish Pre School Pay Association	180,000	180,000
Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum	15,450	15,450
Scottish Youth Parliament	80,000	80,000
Scout Association	31,827	31,827
Secure Accommodation Forum	3,090	3,090
Sense Scotland	43,800	43,800
SSC (A Club for the Youth of Scotland)	5,665	5,665
Venture Scotland	10,609	10,609
Who Cares? Scotland	62,640	62,640
Woodcraft Folk	10,609	10,609
Young Scot	25,000	25,000
Youth Scotland	79568	79568
YouthLink Scotland	105,300	105,300
YWCA of Great Britain	48,801	48,801
Total	2,506,071	2,506,071

Project Grants

Organisation	2001-02	2002-03
Big Brothers and Sisters	25,000
Positive Parenting		12,374
Running Other Choices (Aberlour)	33,714	32,100
Fostering Network	40,000	40,000
Scottish Child Minding Association (Care Standards)	12,447	37,343
Scottish INA (Liaison Officer)	8,725	26,175
Scottish Out of School Care Network (LEC)	9,880	9,880
Scottish Out of School Care Network (Playmap)	11,750	11,750
Who Cares? Scotland	60,000
Total	201,516	169,622

Training Grant

Organisation	2001-02
BTCV Scotland	£563.00
Campaigners	£1,590.00
CSV	£5,625.00
Duke of Edinburgh's Awards	£225.00
Girls' Brigade	£1,870.10
Guide Association	£10,000.00
Ocean Youth Trust	£1,952.00
Phab	£2,680.00
Scottish Association of Young Farmers	£2,255.00
Scout Association	£6,395.00
SSC (A Club for the Youth of Scotland)	£5,134.00
Venture Scotland	£3,507.50
Young Scot	£8,500.00
YouthClubs Scotland	£3,960.00
YouthLink	£2,920.00
YWCA	£4,859.00
Total	£62,035.60

Note:No Training Grants were awarded in 2002-03