Chamber and committees

Action Teams for Jobs is a Department for Education and Employment initiative which targets the most disadvantaged areas to help workless people get a job and keep it. The Glasgow Action Team for Jobs believes from their work with clients that this perception is changing.

The Scottish New Deal Advisory Task Force and the Glasgow Employer Coalition are also taking initiatives which address this issue.

The introduction of family friendly policies is expected to improve morale and show that NHS Scotland cares about its staff. It sends the message that NHS Scotland is serious about recruiting new staff and retaining its staff by offering them the ability to work the hours they want to combine work with family commitments.

Our National Health: A Plan for Action, a Plan for Change makes clear that all NHS employers will be required to meet or exceed best practice guidance on family-friendly policies as part of the new Staff Governance Standard. To help employers, guidance on family-friendly policies will issue in the New Year, and will address issues such as flexible working; childcare; breastfeeding and career breaks. The guidance will apply to all staff in NHS Scotland.

The Minister acknowledged the burdens and pressures on local government. But none of these burdens are hidden.

The grant allocations arise out of the spending plans announced on 20 September, and represent a 10.5% increase in real terms over the three-year period.

The increases in grant support announced recently significantly exceed the predicted rate of inflation. It is for local authorities to manage their finances to take account of inflation and other factors just as other public bodies, and the Scottish Executive itself, has to do.

Dredging of the River Clyde is not a matter for the Executive and no discussions have taken place with Clydeport Plc - formerly the Clyde Port Authority. The company has powers to dredge part of the River Clyde for the purposes of navigation whilst maintenance of rivers for other purposes is a matter for the riparian owners.

Additionally, under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 local authorities have a duty to maintain watercourses if this would substantially reduce the likelihood of flooding of non-agricultural land in their areas.

We will consider any new statutory duties and responsibilities, and whether they impose any additional financial burden on local government, as they arise.

Comparisons of the population update and block and formula methods of grant distribution for 2002-03 and 2003-04 suggested that Glasgow City Council would gain around £3.9 million more over the three-year period 2001-04 from the block and formula method than the population update method. The incorporation of a "floor", or guaranteed minimum grant increase, gives the council an additional £16 million over the block and formula method. It is the difference between these two figures that constituted the additional £12 million that was referred to in the statement of 7 December 2000.

The total grant figures announced take account of a wide range of factors impacting on local government costs, including the predicted rate of inflation. There is an element included to fund additional expenditure on education, including the recommendations of the McCrone Committee, but this will be reviewed once the final McCrone package is agreed.