Chamber and committees

I refer the member to thequestion S3W-1701 answered on 23 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility forwhich can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to thequestion S3W-1699 answered on 23 July 2007. Cabinet Secretaries and theirMinisters will take the decisions on public bodies within theirresponsibilities, in line with the principles and approaches developed over thesummer.

All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility forwhich can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

As the Cabinet Secretary forFinance and Sustainable Growth announced on 24 May 2007, we intend to take action to achieve a simpler, smallergovernment in Scotland, de-cluttering and simplifying thepublic service landscape. Clarity about the role of agencies and non-departmentalpublic bodies will be a crucial element of this approach.

To achieveconsistency in our decisions on specific public bodies, we will develop a setof principles and approaches over the summer, on which we will provideParliament with further details later this year.

It is important that we takedecisions on the future of both organisations through a robust and properprocess, to ensure that those decisions are clear and transparent, provideclarity for staff and stakeholders, and also contribute to simplifying andenhancing the delivery of public services in Scotland. We will take time toconsider the issues properly, consulting both organisations, trade unions andother key stakeholders, including ensuring that the relevant ParliamentaryCommittee has an input into the process before the final decisions are taken.

The prioritiesfor sport in Reaching Higher sets out the importance of strong organisations inorder to deliver improved performance and increased participation. We value thecontribution sportscotland can make to the implementation of the strategy andthese remain the outcomes we are seeking for sport. Any decision on a neworganisation distributing lottery funding for sport and a differentorganisation investing in the priorities of the strategy would recognise andconsider the implications within the wider context of the review of publicbodies announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on24 May 2007.

I refer the member to thequestion S3W-684 answered on 18 June 2007. No decisions have been taken asyet. The question of sports lottery fund distribution will be considered aspart of the review of sportscotland, which will take place within the contextof the wider review of public bodies announced by the Cabinet Secretary ForFinance And Sustainable Growth on 24 May 2007.

All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Arrangements for thedistribution of the lottery sports fund in Scotland would be consideredalongside consideration of the future of sportscotland.

Primary legislation relatingto the National Lottery is of course reserved to Westminster. However, there isextensive Executive devolution within the terms of the Concordat agreed betweenthe Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Scottish Executive. Thesedevolved powers include the provision for Scottish Ministers to change lotterydistributors and their percentage shares within the overall Scottish arts andsport percentages as set out in the National Lottery etc Act 1993 (amended).

Funding for disability sportis provided by sportscotland to the sport’s governing body Scottish Disability Sport.Funding is based on the sport’s development plan and is determined by the boardof sportscotland.

Decisions on the 2007 SpendingReview will be announced later in the year.

Decisions on affordable housing investment during the period2008-11 will depend on the outcome of the spending review process later this year.

There has been a good responsefrom private landlords to the requirement to apply for registration. Local authoritieshave a range of measures available to them to identify those who have not yet appliedand ensure that they do so. It is also encouraging to note that some interests,such as local newspapers and mortgage lenders, are supporting the scheme by requiringproof of a valid application for registration from those seeking to let property.