Chamber and committees

All local authorities in Scotland collected and returned to Audit Scotland respite care data for 2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2007-08. In 2005-06 Fife Council did not return data.

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. Until we have completed the validation work, it is not possible to say if there has been a misinterpretation of the guidance by authorities or how many and which authorities may have double-counted respite weeks due to a misinterpretation. The publication containing the final data for 2008-09 will include an explanation of the figures.

The Scottish Government is currently considering how best to implement these recommendations which we accept in full. The report underlines what is absolutely clear to all of us: everyone must have fair and equal access to healthcare, whatever their personal circumstances.

The same as you? group, tasked with taking forward the government''s learning disability strategy and which I co-chair, has agreed to focus on promoting health improvement and tackle health inequalities for people with learning disabilities and will be involved in implementation.

I have asked chief executives of all NHS boards, including the special boards, to submit action plans to address significant concerns. To assist with this programme, we have made available £7 million to take forward the change programme.

A learning network of all the NHS boards will meet on a regular basis to develop policies and share best practice. The first full meeting of this network is scheduled for February.

Inspiring Scotland is a venture philanthropy organisation which aims to bring public, private and charitable funds to deliver on key social issues. It brings together both funding for services and capacity building for organisations in which it invests. The 14:19 Fund focuses on young people aged 14 to 19 who struggle to enter education, employment or training. The most recent 14:19 Fund Investor Report that provides detail on the first nine months'' activity (January to September 2009) shows that 2,427 young people were actively involved in services, of whom 475 had achieved positive destinations, with 23% going into employment. The Investor Report can be accessed at www.inspiringscotland.org.uk and is available through the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, (Bib. number 47378).

In the financial year 2008-09 the Scottish Government contributed £1.44 million to the 14:19 Fund. In 2009-10 it has committed £4 million to the 14:19 Fund.

In the financial year 2008-09, £2.191 million was received for the 14:19 Fund from sources other than Scottish Government. In the reporting period of the latest
14:19 Fund Investor Report, organisations within the 14:19 Fund obtained additional funding for their work levered by the Inspiring Scotland investment of an estimated £3.3 million.

Inspiring Scotland is a venture philanthropy organisation which aims to bring public, private and charitable funds to deliver on key social issues. It brings together both funding for services and capacity building for organisations in which it invests. The 14:19 Fund focuses on young people aged 14 to 19 who struggle to enter education, employment or training. The most recent 14:19 Fund Investor Report that provides detail on the first nine months'' activity (January to September 2009) shows that 2,427 young people were actively involved in services, of whom 475 had achieved positive destinations, with 23% going into employment. The Investor Report can be accessed at www.inspiringscotland.org.uk and is available through the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47378).

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27917 on 29 October 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.

Councils and Community Planning Partnerships were asked to submit annual reports covering progress made towards first phase single outcome agreements in 2008-09 by end September. All 32 reports have been received and are available on the Local Government Improvement Service website:

http://www.improvementservice.org.uk/library/577-single-outcome-agreements/666-phase-1-single-outcome-agreements-2008-2011/693-single-outcome-agreement-2008-09-reports/view-category/.

The Scottish Government is producing an overview commentary, which assembles some of the key messages from these annual reports. It will be published shortly.

The Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act 2007 came into effect on 15 October 2007. The date of offence is not available in the Court Proceedings data, so the table below presents the data available to 31 March 2008, based upon date of sentence, i.e. only proceedings that were completed before 1 April 2008 are included. Data for financial year 2008-09 will be published in March 2010. None of those convicted under this act were repeat offenders, under either this act or section 46 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

Persons with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts under the Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act 2007, Sections 1(1) and 1(3), 2007-08¹

Police Force/Offence1	2007-08
Lothian and Borders
Soliciting	1
Loitering	1
Strathclyde
Soliciting	6
Loitering	10

Notes:

1. Where main offence.

2. By date of sentence.