Chamber and committees

Grant Aided Expenditure allocations for Further Education: travel and bursaries are listed in the 1999-2000 Grant Aided Expenditure Green Book, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). GAE allowances are not spending targets or limits but contribute towards the assessment of councils' total relative expenditure needs. It is for councils to determine their spending priorities, including on discretionary responsibilities such as Further Education travel and bursary awards, from the total resources available to them.

The Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations, published by The Stationery Office, include roofing specifications that are deemed to satisfy the standards.

May I first of all express my sympathies to the casualties and the relatives of those who died in the recent accident. In this case, the factors contributing to the accident do not appear to be related to the condition or layout of the road and no road contributory factors have been identified. However, the Auchenrivock improvement will be included in our forthcoming review of future investment in outstanding route action plan schemes.

No career development services received ESF Objective 5b funding in 1999.

As I advised Dr Murray in my answer to S10-1175 and S1W-5979, spending on drug treatment services by health boards has been boosted by £6 million over a three year period to 2002, bringing the annual spend to £11.352 million. This represents a 20% rise on previous levels. The level of funding available to health boards for drug misuse services beyond the current financial year will be decided within the context of this years spending round.

Funding for services for drug and alcohol addiction is also provided via local authorities. They received increases of £51.3 million (4.9%) for 1999-2000 and £43.4 million for 2000-01, in each case over the previous year, for social work services. However, as I have previously indicated in response to earlier questions, funding to health boards for the provision of services for alcohol misuse, and to local authorities for either the treatment services of drug or alcohol addiction are not earmarked.

Spending on drug treatment by health boards is being boosted by £6 million over a three-year period, bringing annual spend to over £11 million. This represents a 20% rise on previous levels. This funding is distributed via individual health boards.

Funding for services for drug and alcohol misusers is also provided via local authorities. They received increases of £51.3 million (4.9%) for 1999-2000 and £43.4 million for 2000-01, in each case over the previous year, for social work services. Funding to health boards for the provision of services for alcohol misuse and to local authorities for either drug misuse or alcohol misuse treatment services are not earmarked.

Guidance on residential treatment for drug and alcohol abusers is contained in the following publications.

Alcohol Misuse: Prevention and Local Co-ordination to health boards and local authorities (NHS Circular No 1989 (GEN)28).

Alcohol Misuse: Support for Local Co-ordination and Innovative Projects to health boards and local authorities (NHS Circular No 1992 (GEN) 10).

The Needs of People with Alcohol and Drug Problems Within Community Care to local authorities (SWSG Circular 14/1993).

Planning and Provision of Drug Misuse Services to health boards and local authorities as (NHS MEL (1997)77 and SWSG Circular 32/1997).

A Guide to the Development of Services for Alcohol and Drug Misusers published by the Scottish Office Central Research Unit (1997).

Scientific research in Scotland is supported in a number of ways. The Executive is currently developing a science strategy for Scotland which will address how to achieve a coherent and co-ordinated approach among the various bodies which support scientific research in Scotland.

I am not aware of any specific research on the Scottish songbird populations but understand there is work being done at UK level by the British Trust for Ornithology and the RSPB. The UK Raptor Working Group concluded in its report published in February of this year that predation by raptors is not a contributory factor in the decline in some songbird populations.

The intention to establish these four demonstration projects, with the aim of enabling local successes to inform national change in key areas, was set out in the White Paper, Towards a Healthier Scotland. Following due consideration of a large number of proposals from groups across Scotland, appropriate lead organisations for each of the projects have now been identified. It is proposed that "Starting Well" should be delivered by Glasgow Healthy City Partnership, "Healthy Respect" should be delivered by Lothian Health, "The Heart of Scotland" should be delivered by Paisley Local Health Care Co-operative and "The Cancer Challenge" should be delivered jointly by Fife, Tayside and Grampian Health Boards. These organisations, in consultation with their partner organisations and the Executive, are currently undertaking preparatory work to enable the projects to come into operation over the next few months.