Chamber and committees

Almost all local authorities have Restorative Justiceschemes, with around 3,000 places available across Scotland. We intend to doublethat number by 2006. I recently announced additional funding of £3 millionto local authorities to help them achieve this.

The Scottish Executive values the important contribution of Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS) andits affiliated agencies in reducing alcohol-related harm in Scotland. Inrecognition of that contribution we have been making increasing levels of corefunding available to AFS to support its activities. In the current financialyear, 2003-04, £228,000 has been made available under section 16b of the NHS (Scotland)Act 1978 and this will be increased further to £243,000 in 2004-05. Thisrepresents an uplift of some 47% over the last four years.

In addition, funding of £30,000in 2003-04 and in 2004-05 is being made available to AFS under section 9 of theSocial Work (Scotland) Act 1978 towards the costs of a counsellor trainingscheme for the network of local councils on alcohol.

The Executive has also recentlycommissioned an independent review to examine AFS’s performance in providingvalue for money in relation the funding we make available to them. The report’sfindings will be used to assist us and AFS to develop an even stronger role forthe organisation in relation to national alcohol problems policy.

The National Guidelines onExpressive Arts 5-14 give guidance on the provision of the curriculum for artand design. The guidelines on the structure and balance of the curriculumadvise education authorities and schools that a minimum of 15% of a pupil’stime should be devoted to the expressive arts during the primary school yearsand over the first two years at secondary school. As the school curriculum in Scotland isnon-statutory, it is for education authorities and schools to decide how toimplement this advice, taking into account the needs and circumstances of theirpupils.

The Executive maintains aregular dialogue with Scottish Water on a wide range of issues affecting itsoperations, and these are not confined to any particular areas of the country,or to specific issues.

In relation to Glasgow, the Executive is maintaining close contact with Scottish Water over city wideconstraints, the Glasgow Strategic Drainage Plan, and developments at Garthamlock,Queenslie, Robroyston, Toryglen, Barlanark and Blackhill.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:

The Executive beganaccepting applications for its £2 million fund to develop post offices indeprived urban areas from March 2003. Post offices (located in Scotland andclassified by Post Office Ltd as urban Post Office branches (i.e. located insettlements with a population of 10,000 or more) and in the 20% most deprivedpost code sectors based on the 1998, 2003 and 2004 indices of deprivation) canapply for grant of up to £50,000.00 to improve the viability of their businessby improving the layout of the premises or helping to provide new or extendedretail activities; or improving security so as to deter violent and othercrime. Further information on the fund, along with details of the applicationprocess, can be obtained from Communities Scotland.

I have made clear mycommitment to improving all aspects of parents’ involvement in their children’seducation and will consider in that context whether there is a need forspecific guidelines for schools on the involvement of separated parents.

The Scottish Executive published Equipped for Inclusion – Report of the Strategy Forum:Equipment and Adaptations in 2003. This report made recommendations on waysin which the provision of these services, which includes those items used byblind people, could be improved. A ministerial response to the report will beproduced in due course.

Following expressions ofconcern regarding the proposal by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association toclose the School of Vision and Rehabilitation Studies in Glasgow, an agreementbetween the Executive and the association to keep the school open for one furthercourse was announced by Mr McCabe at the launch of An Action Plan –Community Care Services for People with a Sensory Impairment, published bythe Executive on 12 January 2004. This agreement will allow for fullconsideration of all the relevant issues in respect of the training ofrehabilitation workers in the longer term. All relevant stakeholders will beincluded in these longer term discussions.

The Executive welcomes AuditScotland’s report and accepts all its recommendations. We look to every agencyto plan how to improve and deliver on their statutory duties with the extraresources we have allocated. I will be meeting with council leaders and chief executivesin December to discuss how the report’s recommendations are taken forward.

Scottish Executive officialshave met with representatives of the Sea Vision UK campaign and been briefed onits plans to promote the maritime sector in Scotland. The Executive wasalso represented at the first meeting of Scottish partner organisations in July.The Executive supports the objective of Sea Vision UK to raiseawareness of the maritime sector and to generate interest in the careeropportunities available.