- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 8 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the level of consultation which will take place in relation to appointing the Director or Chief Executive of the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Answer
There has already been considerable consultation with the police and other relevant organisations about the establishment of the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency.The arrangements for appointing the Director are among a range of issues currently under consideration.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 5 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the amount of public funding for learning disability services in Scotland in each of the past five years divided between the health service, local authorities and the voluntary sector.
Answer
The following table shows the amount of public funding for learning disability services in Scotland in each of the past five years, where data are available, for health service and local authorities. Figures for the voluntary sector are not collected by the Scottish Executive. The figures show the increasing emphasis on caring for people in the community rather than in hospital.
| | Health Service£m | Local Authorities£m | Total£m |
1998-99 | 111.11 | n/a3 | n/a |
1997-98 | 117.0 | 141.54 | 258.5 |
1996-97 | 116.3 | 129.1 | 245.3 |
1995-96 | 119.4 | 116.2 | 235.7 |
1994-95 | n/a2 | 93.2 | n/a |
1993-94 | n/a2 | 57.8 | n/a |
Sources: Health Service: Performance Monitoring Returns (SOHD EID)
Local Authorities: Local Government Finance Returns (LFR 3 Social Work)
Notes:
- The Health Service figure for 1998-99 is provisional and may be subject to revision.
- Health Service Community figures were not broken down for learning disabilities prior to 1995-96.
- LFR data for 1998-99 are not yet available.
LFR data for 1997-98 are provisional and may be subject to revisions.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 26 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had with the Home Office to discuss the implications for Scotland of proposed changes to the Race Relations Act 1976.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom government on a wide range of issues including the proposed changes to the Race Relations Act 1976.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 26 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail for each of the last five years the level of funding available under section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.
Answer
Funding has been provided as follows:
1995-96: £7,214,576
1996-97: £7,599,394
1997-98: £8,594,881
1998-99: £7,950,973
1999-2000: £8,545,442
In addition, in 1996-97 payments totalling £3.5m were made from a Transitional Fund set up to provide assistance to local voluntary organisations as one-off financial support to take account of the effects of local government reorganisation in Scotland.In 1998-99 £0.8m was paid in addition to voluntary organisations to compensate for late decisions on ESF Objective 3 Grants.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 26 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are currently in hospital awaiting local authority provided community care packages in each health board area.
Answer
A pilot exercise to assess the reasons for delayed discharges from NHS care has not yet produced the comprehensive detail required to provide the information requested. Work involving the key agencies is continuing to develop information systems that will provide the necessary detail.
On the basis of information currently available for 13 of the 15 health board areas, in the 35,524* average available staffed beds in Scotland, there are 2,015 patients whose discharge has been delayed, for a variety of possible reasons, by more than the two days referred to in the pilot definition. (* Source ISD Scotland, 1998-99 provisional figures-excluding joint user and contractual beds)
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 20 October 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail local authority expenditure on community care services in each of the last five years.
Answer
The information is laid out in the table below.
Gross Expenditure(1)(2)(3) on Community Care by Local Authorities (£'000s)| Client Group(4) | 1993-94(5) | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98(6) |
| Adults with mental health problems | 15,280 | 25,920 | 33,151 | 40,988 | 39,522 |
| Adults with learning difficulties | 85,199 | 93,182 | 116,239 | 129,103 | 141,543 |
| Physically disabled adults | 51,218 | 55,169 | 60,502 | 62,237 | 45,890 |
| Older people(5) | 308,316 | 208,531 | 230,364 | 226,166 | 319,336 |
| Substance misuse | 5,407 | 10,659 | 11,797 | 10,829 | 9,658 |
| HIV/AIDS | 1,154 | 1,822 | 2,161 | 1,269 | 1,906 |
| Services for all community care client groups | n/a | 209,344 | 253,870 | 313,237 | 273,852 |
| Total Expenditure | 466,575 | 604,627 | 708,082 | 783,829 | 831,707 |
Source: Data supplied by local authorities on statistical form Local Financial Return (LFR3 Social Work).
1. The gross expenditure includes an estimated apportionment for revenue contributions to capital and support services costs.
2. Loan charges are excluded.
3. All inter account and inter authority transfers are deducted from expenditure.
4. The Social Work client groups have been updated in line with the new CIPFA guidelines on accounting for social services.
5. The introduction of a new category "services for all community care client groups" in 1994-95 may have caused discontinuity in the time series. Care should be taken when comparing figures before and after this period. For example, a significant amount of the expenditure classified as for 'older people' in 1993/94, will have been recorded as 'Services for all community care client groups' in 1994-95 onwards.6. 1997-98 data are provisional and may be subject to revision.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to "The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: An Action Plan for Scotland" (Recommendation 18), what timescale has been set for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland to produce Major Crime Investigation Review Policy Documents.
Answer
I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-720.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 27 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to "The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: An Action Plan for Scotland" (Recommendation 57), what timescale has been set for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland to publish guidance for forces on what constitutes inappropriate behaviour or language, including racist words or acts.
Answer
I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-720.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Andrew Hardie on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-552 by Lord Hardie on 11 August, what timescale has been set for the examination of the interpretation and translation services within the criminal justice system.
Answer
The commitment to examine the provision of interpreting and translating services in the criminal justice system featured in The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry - An Action Plan for Scotland. It will be for the Deputy First Minister's Steering Group on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry to decide an appropriate programme of work and to set achievable target dates. His Group will also take into account responses to the consultation on the action plan.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 13 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-00488 by Angus Mackay on 22 July 1999, what is the full timescale for the consultation process regarding proposals for taking forward the Drugs Enforcement Agency concept, and what are all the organisations who will participate within it.
Answer
Consultation involving the key enforcement agencies is continuing. When a programme for setting up the Drug Enforcement Agency has been agreed, an announcement will be made. It is intended to make this before the end of the year. The agencies involved in the discussions are the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, the Scottish Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intelligence Service, the Scottish Criminal Record Office and the Crown Office.
