Chamber and committees

It is important that carers know what support is available to them and that they can easily access that support through good signposting. Carers'' assessments are vital in identifying carers'' needs for support and in helping to access this support. The provision of information to support carers in their caring role is being taken forward through the Carer Information Strategies in all area health boards and by the Scottish Ambulance Service. To support this initiative we have invested £9 million over three years. Carers'' centres can help identify and support carers, including the harder-to-reach carers, and provide them with information on available services. There are also some local helplines for carers and the planned one-stop-shop Care Information Scotland, for users to access information about care for older people.

The Carers'' Strategy Steering Group, with representation from key interests, will be considering the issue of easy access to support through good signposting. The Carers'' Strategy for Scotland will be published in 2010.

It is a matter for each local authority, working in partnership with NHS health boards and the voluntary sector, to consider the need for carers'' advocacy services in local authority areas. Decisions should be made within the context of local carers'' strategies and plans. There can be different models for carers'' advocacy services including specialist advocacy, support through carers'' centres and advocacy by the carers'' friends and relatives.

The Carers'' Strategy Steering Group, with representation from key interests, is taking forward consideration of a wide range of issues, including the need for and value of advocacy services. The Carers'' Strategy for Scotland will be published in 2010.

Local authorities have responsibility for the planning, development and delivery of carers'' respite services in their areas. In doing so, they are able to take account of the Guidance on Short Breaks (Respite) issued jointly by the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) in November 2008.

The commitment in the Concordat to make progress towards an additional 10,000 respite weeks by 2011 is Scotland-wide and no quotas have been set for individual local authorities. Information for 2008-09 is currently being audited and will be published for each local authority on the Audit Scotland Performance Information website. Moreover, CoSLA has asked local authorities for local targets for respite weeks in 2009-10 and in 2010-11.

Self-directed support (direct payments) statistics are collected from local authorities and published annually by the Scottish Government. Some information is collected on the type of self-directed support (direct payment) package including carers'' respite. In 2008, there were 434 packages of respite compared with 389 in 2007.

The Short Breaks Task Group and Carers'' Strategy Steering Group are taking forward consideration of issues around short breaks/respite for inclusion in The Carers'' Strategy for Scotland to be published in 2010.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25515 on 27 March 2009. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25589 on 27 July 2009. 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.

There is money available to applicants through the Scottish Rural Development Programme to control a number of invasive non-native species including Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam, Rhododendron ponticum and grey squirrels. Further details of this funding can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Rural/SRDP/RuralPriorities.

Money has also been made available through the Scottish Natural Heritage Species Action Framework for clear targeted action against six invasive non-native species (American mink, grey squirrel (with regard to red squirrel conservation), North American signal crayfish, New Zealand pygmyweed, Rhododendron ponticum and its hybrids, and Sargassum muticum (wireweed)).

There is no information held centrally on how many jobs this funding directly supports.

The Scottish Government is providing one-off grant funding to support research into the feasibility of control methods for North American signal crayfish in large water bodies.

The Scottish Natural Heritage Species Action Framework sets out a framework for clear targeted action against six invasive non-native species (American mink, grey squirrel (with regard to red squirrel conservation), North American signal crayfish, New Zealand pygmyweed, Rhododendron ponticum and its hybrids, and Sargassum muticum (wireweed)).

The Invasive Non-Native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain provides a framework focusing on prevention, early detection, and mitigation measures (where appropriate). Prevention is given the highest priority as it is recognised this is the most effective, cheapest and least environmentally damaging intervention.

The Scottish Government sits on the GB Rapid Response Working Group which is drafting a protocol to establish a clear process for implementing rapid responses against invasive non-native species in Great Britain.

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0618-01.htm

Control of commercial peat extraction lies with local authorities who will hold current information on extent, site location, and after use.

In 2003, Scottish Natural Heritage commissioned a review of commercial peat extraction in Scotland which listed sites, areas, planning conditions and relation to nearby protected sites (special area of conservation or sites of special scientific interest which intersect or lie within one km). The report collated information from 28 local authorities (out of 36). It is an unpublished document and has not been updated. At that time, 72 peat extraction consent sites were recorded in Scotland (20 active, 16 expired, three pending, the remaining 33 awaiting confirmation). After-use for sites was varied and include wetland creation, forestry and agriculture.

Trade data on the volume of peat sold by Scottish producers is also collected annually by the Office for National Statistics and the latest data available for 2007 is given in the following table:

Mineral Extraction in Great Britain 2007: Peat Extractors'' Sales by End-Use and Area of Origin

Area of Origin	Horticultural Use	Other Use	Total
	(Thousand Cubic Metres)
South of Scotland	51	-	51
West Central Scotland	*	*	107
East Central Scotland	68	1	69
North East Scotland	-	1	1
Highlands	-	*	*
Orkney	1	-	1
Shetland	*	1	*
Scotland	221	10	231
Great Britain	875	10	885

Notes:

*Withheld to avoid disclosure.

-Nil or less than 500 tonnes.

Scottish Natural Heritage has only identified one such site, that being the Slamannan Plateau special protection area.

The Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc) regulations 1994 (as amended) make provision for the review of existing decisions and consents in relation to their potential to affect European sites.