Chamber and committees

The first full year in which data was collected on the performance of local authorities against each relevant performance indicator was 2000-01. The average times were as follows:average time for processing new claims - 48 daysaverage time for processing notifications for changes of circumstance - 22 dayspercentage of renewal claims processed in time (before the end of the benefit period) - 75%Data for 2001-02 is not yet available.Source: Audit Scotland Performance Indicators 2000-01 - Benefits, Finance and Corporate Issues.Note: Three of the 32 local authorities in Scotland failed to provide the data requested and, in some cases, the appointed auditors expressed doubt as to the reliability of the data collected. The figures given are an average of the performance of the local authorities which responded.

Consignia, post offices and postal services are reserved matters.Responsibility for business support services in Scotland rests largely with the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise networks. Local enterprise companies provide assistance to businesses within their own geographical areas in a number of ways, including providing advice and support on improving business competitiveness. First points of contact are the Small Business Gateway in the Scottish Enterprise area and the Business Information Source in the Highlands and Islands.

The following information is collected about evictions in each of the two main social rented tenures:

Tenure	Information Collected	Frequency of Collection	Data Collected Since:	Latest Available
Rented from Council	Total number of evictionsNumber of evictions on the grounds of anti-social behaviour	Quarterly	Both from the quarter April-June 2001	July-September 2001
Rented from Registered Social Landlords	Total number of evictionsNumber of evictions on the grounds of anti-social behaviourNumber of evictions for non-payment of rent	Annually	The first since year to March 1999The others will be collected from 2001-02	For total evictions:Year to 31 March 2001

Information on evictions of private sector tenants is not collected centrally and we have no plans do to so.The latest available information on evictions in the local authority sector was published in the Scottish Executive Quarterly Housing Trends Bulletin HSG/2002/1, which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (publication date 26 March 2002, Bib. number 20348). Information on evictions by Registered Social Landlords is held by Communities Scotland.In deciding on the regular statistical information to gather, maintain and publish centrally, the Executive consults regularly with suppliers and users of our statistics through established statistical liaison arrangements, and consultation on the annual Scottish Executive Statistics Plan.

The Victim Liaison Office based at the Procurator Fiscal's Office in Glasgow deals only with cases which occur in the Glasgow area and which fall within the categories dealt with by the Victim Liaison Office, as referred to in the answer to question S1W-24819 on 3 May 2002.

At least three year's accident figures are required in order to see how well a route accident reduction plan (RARP) is performing. An analysis of the accident figures for pre-1999 RARPs has been prepared to illustrate the reduction, or otherwise, of injury accidents along these lengths of road. The figures may be distorted by traffic growth, development in the vicinity, treatment of accident cluster sites and the carrying out of improvement schemes or major maintenance, but they do suggest that some RARPs have worked and some have not. They are attempting to deal with the most difficult type of accident to treat - the random occurrence of crashes along a length of road. The effectiveness of various types of treatment in different locations is being monitored, and should result in more effective investment in such schemes in the future.Trunk Road Route Accident Reduction Plans (1996-98)

Route	Scheme Name	CompletionDate	EstimatedCost	BeforeACCS	After ACCS
A87	Invergarry to Kyle of Lochalsh	31/10/1997	£268,330	61	41
A9	Dornoch to Scrabster	31/07/1997	£320,000	104	57
A84	Stirling to Crianlarich	30/05/1997	£150,000	83	100
A83	Tarbet to Kennacraig	01/03/1998	£575,000	98	124
A85	Lochearnhead to Crianlarich	17/12/1997	£155,000	32	34
A887	Invermoriston to Bun Loyne	28/02/1998	£61,226	6	6
A737	Beith to Dalry	31/10/1997	£65,000	34	26
A737	Howwood to Renfrewshire	15/03/1999	£24,500	29	20
A75	Gretna to Stranraer	28/02/1998	£597,000	192	209
A95	Keith to Granish*	30/01/2000	£100,000	86	64
A87	Kyle of Lochalsh to Uig*	30/04/1999	£160,000	60	69
A9	Georgemas Jct. to Thurso*	31/12/1999	£5,000	13	12
A78	Skelmorlie to Ardrossan	01/10/1998	£63,000	112	103
Total			£2,544,056	910	865

Note:*Factored to 36 months.

The Executive appreciates that some aspects of effectiveness are difficult to evaluate. However:(a) its staff survey indicates that the percentage of staff who agreed that the Scottish Executive "values its staff" increased from 38% to 49% from 2000 to 2001. There was also a 2% reduction, over the same period, in the number of individuals who felt that they had been discriminated against (from 10% to 8% of staff);(b) an active programme of equality proofing is currently being pursued, and(c) the Executive's Outreach Project has participated in 11 career fairs and given presentations at six universities and 10 schools since December 2000. It has also held a week-long development programme for minority ethnic students and has in place a diversity placement scheme for summer 2002 which will provide six-week, paid work opportunities for around 20 minority ethnic graduates and undergraduates.

The original announcement was predicated on the programme being operated by Wellpark Enterprise Centre, in collaboration with Scottish Enterprise. Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Wellpark Enterprise Centre would have been covered by an exception under section 34 of the act allowing the organisation to operate a scheme of this nature. Given the difficulties faced by Wellpark, the programme is now being operated directly by Scottish Enterprise. As a public body set up by enactment, Scottish Enterprise would not be able to deliver the programme exclusively targeted at women, as this would be unlawful under section 29 of the act.

We report to the Parliament's Finance Committee on a wide range of organisational issues, including progress against our diversity strategy, on an annual basis, or more frequently at its request.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25548.

The Scottish Executive Trade Union Side have and are continuing to play a full and active part in helping to implement the Diversity Strategy. Indeed, as the Executive's Partnership Agreement intended they are represented and engaged with management on a number of working groups charged with taking the strategy forward.