Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15727 on 9 September 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

As part of the First Minister''s announcement on 19 August, the Scottish Government published Responding to the Changing Economic Climate: Further Action on Housing. This set out the targeted measures that the Scottish Government is putting in place to help alleviate some of the most serious aspects of the credit crunch on the supply of affordable homes, on first time buyers and existing homeowners, and on the capacity of the house building industry. It included information about the Scottish Government''s plans to bring forward up to £100 million of affordable housing investment and explained that this would be spent in the financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10, rather than in 2010-11 as planned originally. It also explained that some £60 million of this investment would be committed from government programmes and that the government would discuss with COSLA the temporary contribution of a further £40 million from local government programmes.

It will be at the discretion of individual local authorities how they develop and allocate these additional weeks, based on local needs and priorities.

COSLA will monitor progress twice a year and will ensure delivery of the total Scotland-wide figures.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15640 on 3 September 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

Thirty-three organisations received funding through the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration funding stream.  They are all listed at:

http://www.scotlandagainstracism.com/onescotland/366.html.

It will be up to individual local authorities to develop and allocate these additional respite weeks, based on local needs and priorities. These additional weeks may be provided at home or in other care settings.

To support local planning of this vital service, we will shortly be publishing short breaks guidance to support local planning of personalised, preventative short breaks which meet the needs of both the carer and cared for person.

All householders who were eligible for the central heating programme before the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing''s announcement of 22 May 2008 remain eligible under the regulations.

The Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum is currently considering the long term future of the programme and is expected to report back in early autumn. Once the forum has provided its recommendations the necessary decisions on the programme''s future will be taken.

Voluntary organisations working in Scotland were invited to apply for funding through the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration funding stream. It is widely accepted as good practice for voluntary organisations to register themselves as companies limited by guarantee at Companies House, however this does not change the voluntary status of such organisations. All organisations being supported through the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration funding stream are non-profit making. The organisations which received funding are all listed at:

http://www.scotlandagainstracism.com/onescotland/366.html.

Grant conditions, including financial monitoring, are attached to all funding provided by the Scottish Government.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15063 on 3 September 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.