Chamber and committees

Protecting our communities from drug-related anti-social and criminal behaviour is one of the four pillars of our drugs strategy, along with helping young people, treating those affected by drug misuse, and stifling the availability of drugs. Through Scotland Against Drugs' Challenge Fund and Community Fund, the Executive is supporting a wide range of diverse and innovative projects designed to address local drugs problems. Along with the Daily Record, we have recently launched the Scottish Communities Against Drugs initiative.Progress in delivering our strategy is set out in our Annual Report, which was published in November. Copies were sent to all MSPs, and the report is also available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

The effectiveness of Route Accident Reduction Plans is monitored by comparing the accident figures for the three years preceding the implementation of the plan with those for the three years following completion of the works.

The allocation for the trunk roads network, including investment in new construction, improvements and routine maintenance, is £774 million between 1999 and 2003. This does not include capital charges and other adjustments made as a result of the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting from April 2001. A more detailed breakdown is shown in the Executive's Annual Expenditure Reports, copies of which are held by the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Sure Start Scotland seeks to give a positive start to the lives of very young children by providing broad-based support to children and families from deprived areas. The first phase of the evaluation of Sure Start Scotland focused on mapping the provision of services. We will disseminate the findings shortly.

The Executive announced a scheme to exempt certain premises from water and sewerage charges on 15 January 2002. In the period leading up to that announcement, the Executive discussed charitable reliefs with the water authorities on a number of separate occasions.

The review of the Scottish Executive's direct funding of the voluntary sector invited consultation respondents to suggest topics for a wider strategic review. The responses received supported the issues identified in the consultation paper, namely:any gaps in coverage of Scottish Executive support for the voluntary sector, for example at the intermediate level; indirect funding, especially how it is prioritised, allocated and accounted for;the development of systems to provide/promote loans, trading, earned income and asset transfer as a supplement to providing grant aid; issues arising out of relationships between Scottish, UK and international voluntary organisations and the Executive; and the assistance the sector might need in developing manageable "exit strategies" for when funding is coming to an end. No further issues were identified.

The Social Economy Review has been conducted by Mr Stephen Maxwell, on secondment to the Executive for this purpose from the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations. Mr Maxwell is currently finalising his report which will be published once his work is complete. Once we have seen and studied the final version of the report and its conclusions, my colleagues and I, in consultation with interested parties, will wish to determine what actions are required to encourage the further development of the social economy in Scotland.

The current review of funding for the voluntary sector is looking at the Executive's own grant-making procedures, with a view to developing a co-ordinated Executive funding strategy for the voluntary sector. The next stage will be a wider, strategic funding review. As well as looking at the wider issues identified in the direct funding consultation paper, it will look at how the Executive's indirect funding meets the needs of the sector and whether it is possible for all the indirect funders to work together to ensure that they are operating in a way that meets their own needs and those of the sector.We expect the wider review to commence in the summer.

The Scottish Executive has consulted with COSLA, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and a number of charitable trusts in considering the content of the next phase of the voluntary sector funding review.

We hope to lay a draft Designation Order for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and the associated Elections Order, before the Scottish Parliament, in the very near future. As required by section 6(6) of the National Parks (Scotland) Act the Designation Order will be accompanied by a statement summarising the Executive's consultation, responses received and changes to the order, if any.