Chamber and committees

Organisations providing goods, facilities and services to the public must take steps to ensure that disabled people can access the services offered. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, organisations must make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to access the goods, facilities and services offered.

In 2006, the Scottish Government published a Planning Advice Note (PAN) 78: Inclusive Design to promote awareness of the benefits and means of delivering a more inclusive, accessible built environment. This document outlines roles and responsibilities in this respect and identifies sources of information, including British Standards (BS) 8300, which can assist in this process.

The Scottish Government was also involved in the development of guidance on the provision of Changing Places toilets that now forms part of BS 8300: 2008, and remains involved in the ongoing development of this document and other sources of good practice guidance on accessibility of the built environment.

Provision of Changing Places toilets is identified as a further good practice issue within the 2007 Scottish Building Standards. Whilst there is no statutory obligation to provide such facilities under building regulations, such information is highlighted to developers and owners for consideration in the planning of facilities within buildings.

All public bodies are subject to the requirements of the public sector duties set out in equalities legislation. It is expected therefore that councils will have due regard to the promotion of equality and elimination of discrimination in developing their strategic plans, but it is for councils to decide how they meet the duties.

The Scottish Government was involved in the review of the UK good practice document, British Standard (BS) 8300: 2009, which addresses delivery of inclusive buildings, to provide design guidance on Changing Places toilets. Introducing this information within an established UK reference document assists both the awareness of the need for such facilities and the design of practical solutions.

Whilst not mandated, Changing Places toilets are promoted as a further good practice issue within the introduction to standard 3.12 (sanitary facilities) of the Scottish Building Standards non-domestic technical handbook.

A regulatory impact assessment will be published alongside any proposed legislation put before the Scottish Parliament. Representatives of the alcohol industry, including the whisky industry, will be consulted on the development of an impact assessment.

The Scottish Government does not disclose the source of legal advice and therefore how any such advice was paid for.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15628 on 9 September 2008. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

A regulatory impact assessment will be published alongside any proposed legislation put before the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government does not disclose the source of any legal advice.

The Scottish Government recognises the potential contribution that an information tool like the indicator of relative need (IoRN) can make in the planning and delivery of health and social care services in the community. This contribution may be at the level of the individual person assessed as requiring care or support for health and social care needs, and also at the organisational level through summary information for monitoring and for future planning. The version of the IoRN that is currently in use has been designed to support provision of services to older people. Further research and development will be required before its use can be extended to, for example, people with learning disabilities. Early consideration is being given to how best to engage with key stakeholders on whether such a development would be welcomed.

Direct payments from local authority budgets usually form the main component of an individual''s complete self-directed support package. Self-directed support encompasses direct payments as well as the other funding streams that an individual may be eligible for, such as disability living allowance or the independent living fund.