Chamber and committees

Statistics on the take-up of income-related benefits are published annually by the Department for Social Security. The recently published report Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters set out our five key milestones for elderly people, including one relating to income poverty. Take-up rates of benefits depend on many factors, and are not necessarily a good guide to poverty.

I expect that around 50% of the budget for the Warm Deal this year will be spent on local authority housing.

There are no present plans to review the grant maximum.

In November, I announced that the budget for the Warm Deal will be increased to £13 million in 2000-01 and £14.5 million in 2001-02.

There are no present plans for a review of this kind.

Social Phobia is included in the main psychiatric diagnostic manuals, the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). Social Phobia is a mental illness that in its severest forms could result in almost complete social isolation.Health Boards and NHS Trusts are expected to develop services for the treatment of psychological disorders based on the assessment of needs. The services provided should typically integrate the contributions and resources of all relevant professionals (specialist clinics, GPs, mental health nurses, social workers etc) at all levels of expertise.No specific treatment guidelines have been issued by the Scottish Executive.

We have no plans to bring the Warm Deal to an end.

There is no recognised and quantifiable grouping or selection of cold-related illnesses. Many illnesses, including illnesses such as coronary heart disease, may be exacerbated by cold conditions, but it is impossible to say in what proportion of these cold had an impact on the final outcome. There are therefore no figures collected centrally which would provide a simple count of those who may die of cold related illness, or on which basis any estimates of risk of illness or death, or subsequent cost to the NHS could reliably be calculated.

Whatever the issues surrounding such calculation, it is clear that cold can exacerbate poor health and that many people on low incomes can have difficulty in heating their homes adequately. In order to address this issue, a new grant scheme, called the Warm Deal, was introduced in Scotland on 1 July this year. The purpose of the scheme is to provide a package of home insulation measures up to a value of £500 for low income families. The Warm Deal can lead to savings on current fuel bills of up to £170. People can reinvest this amount to provide the extra warmth they need when they need it.The UK government has also taken a number of other measures to address these issues.

I refer Mr Gibson to the answer to his question S1W-3003.

I refer Mr Gibson to the answer to his question S1W-3003.