Chamber and committees

In line with our guidance, it is for local authorities to determine direct payment rates. I understand that the City of Edinburgh Council have not yet decided to apply new rates for direct payments.

The Scottish Government published on 15 December 2009 in an Official Statistics Publication provisional figures for respite weeks in 2008-09 by each local authority in Scotland. All figures are being further validated before publication of final figures, scheduled for February 2010. The publication containing the final data for 2008-09 will include an explanation of the figures. Subject to that explanation, the figures will be able to be compared to those for 2007-08 to identify changes in provision.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30613 on 20 January 2010. 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-30613 on 25 January 2010. 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-30613 on 20 January 2010. 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-30619 on 20 January 2010. 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-30613 on 20 January 2010. 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-30613 on 20 January 2010. 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 range of meetings involving Scottish ministers, officials and stakeholders have taken place in the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) since 1 December 2009. In the period requested, meetings of the various SGoRR committees or groups took place on the following dates:

Week Commencing	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
30 November 2009				¼
7 December 2009
14 December 2009				¼
21 December 2009			¼
28 December 2009
4 January 2010	¼	¼	¼	¼	¼	¼	¼

 

The remit of SGoRR when activated is to monitor on behalf of Scottish ministers potential or ongoing incidents at a Scotland-wide level, in order to set the Scottish Government''s strategic response priorities and ensure that the activity of government is best focussed to support responders and others in dealing with the event. Consideration of the consequences of any such major event, including for individual sectors and groups, is therefore a standing item for meetings and activity in SGoRR. This includes being a standing agenda item for meetings of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Scottish Government Resilience (CSC SGoR).

With regard to ministerial attendance at SGoRR, rarely is a Cabinet Secretary unable to attend meetings of CSC SGoR; where they are unable to attend they would normally send a substitute. Information on CSC SGoR membership and meetings can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/14944/CabSubCommonCC.

In addition to formal meetings, Scottish ministers have been briefed on the severe weather and its consequences every day from 22 December 2009 to 18 January 2010, including across the Christmas the New Year period.

The Scottish Government launched the Weather Wise website on 6 January 2010. In the period 6 to 15 January, the site received 9,182 visits from 8,438 unique visitors, with 13,976 page views.

Weather Wise can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/weatherwise.