Chamber and committees

The following table shows the number of babies born before arrival to Scottish hospitals (not specifically in transit) for 1998-02.

Source SMR02, ISD Scotland.

Note: ^pprovisional.

Ministers made clear duringthe passage of the 2003 act that regulations determining reasonable cost were likelyto mean that developers would no longer receive an automatic subsidy fromScottish Water on more or less every house that they build. Instead they wouldnormally be expected to provide the infrastructure as part of the development.

Regulations under Part 2 of the act will be the subject of public consultation before they are brought intoforce.

In respect of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (Directions in the Interests of National Security) Order 2002, the Scottish Executive invited the UK Government to make provision for the central purpose of reinstating powers in respect of Scottish Water that had existed in respect of its predecessor authorities under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. In general the functions of these organisations had transferred to Scottish Water under the WaterIndustry (Scotland) Act 2002. However, as the reinstatement was beyond the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and could not be achieved under the act, it was made by the order under powers conferred for such purposes on UK ministers by the Scotland Act 1998.

As a general rule, the intention would be to notify the Scottish Parliament ofsuch orders as and when a significant impact on devolved areas of policy isexpected. In this case, information about the laying and commencement of the orderwas provided to the Scottish Parliament in answer to question S1W-26219 andcopies of the draft Order (SI 1264 (S4)) were lodged in the Scottish Parliament'sReference Centre (Bib. number 21338). Additionally, directions made by Scottishministers under that order were notified to the Scottish Parliament in December2002 and January 2003.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

*Includes £2.590 million homelessnessfund and £3.280 million Glasgow Hostels Fund.

**Includes £14.432 million homelessnessfund & £1.988 Glasgow Hostels Fund.

Outturns for 2002-03 areestimated figures.

Spending plans for communityownership (wider regeneration) in the period up to 2005-06 are contained in thecommunities chapter of the draft budget 2004-05. Allocations to councils andestimated expenditure will depend on councils’ proposals in developing housingstock transfers.

The 2003 act sets theframework for the expansion, and ultimate abolition, of the “priority need”definition within homelessness legislation, with the end target that all “unintentionallyhomeless” households will be entitled to permanent accommodation by 2012. Researchis being commissioned which will identify a methodology for assessing thecapacity of local authorities to respond to this change. The 2003 act requires ministersto publish, by 31 December 2005, a statement on the abolition of the priorityneed test. This ministerial statement will be informed by the outcomes of theresearch.

The partnership agreementincludes a commitment to the provision of an additional 18,000 new and improvedhomes for social rent and low-cost home ownership by 2006. We will in duecourse consider plans for subsequent years in the context of the spendingreview and in the light of all relevant evidence including that relating to anyeffect on housing need arising from the 2003 act.

Table 1: Cumulative FinancialDeficits Written Off During 2001-02

When the funds weredistributed, Susan Deacon stressed that this was a one off exercise which wouldnot be repeated. The funds were provided to give a clean slate to the new unifiedNHS boards and to provide a real opportunity to develop initiatives flowingfrom Our National Plan. It was stressed that NHS systems and in particularaccountable officers must ensure that future deficits were not accumulated.

Since 2001-02, 3 NHS boardareas have incurred revenue deficits at trust level; Argyll and Clyde,Grampian and Lanarkshire. As at 31 March 2003, the accumulated financialdeficits are as outlined in Table 2.

Table 2: Accumulated FinancialDeficits as at 31 March 2003

The Scottish Executive does not have any plans to write off the above balances. The HealthDepartment is working closely with boards in the development of their financialrecovery plans, which demonstrate how the board areas will return to recurringfinancial balance and repay any accumulated financial deficits.