Chamber and committees

The Reshaping Care for Older People Change Fund will continue to be distributed through NHS boards as part of their 2012-13 allocation using a formula based on the NHS National Resource Allocation Committee distributions for Community Care Programme (NRAC) and the Local Authority Grant Aided Expenditure distributions for older people’s services (GAE).

Scottish Government Change Fund guidance for 2011-12, issued on 23 December 2010, made clear that Change Plans needed to be prepared, agreed and signed off by NHS boards, local authorities and the third and independent sectors.

Guidance for 2012-13, planned to issue later this year, will restate this requirement and will emphasise that partnerships must continue to incorporate the Third and Independent sectors as equal partners in developing strategic plans for older people.

Scottish Government guidance on the Reshaping Care Change Fund for 2012-13, to be issued later in 2011, will require Partnerships to say what constitutes support to carers locally so they can clearly demonstrate that at least 20% of their Change Fund is dedicated to supporting carers to continue to care for older people.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03568 on 8 November 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The publication of the Draft Budget 2012-13 marked the start of the public consultation on the Scottish Government’s budget plans and comments are welcomed by 21 December 2011.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03604 on 8 November 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03476 on 27 October 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03568 on 8 November 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The establishment of the Change Funds is a starting point in the wider alignment of public service budgets on a preventative spend basis. Decision making about the change funds will be taken locally in line with the guidance that will be developed by the relevant joint Groups. Local government is fully committed to the preventative approach and to making an appropriate financial contribution to the change funds. The expenditure in total across the Spending Review period is broken down as £310 million for the Change Fund for older people’s services; £272 million for the Early Years and Early Intervention Fund and £7.5 million for the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund.

The figures published in the Draft Budget on 21 September 2011 for the local government finance settlement include the income from the public health supplement, which will be used to support preventative spend.