Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21310 on 9 March 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.

Revisions to Scottish building regulations in May 2007 included a range of measures to improve accessibility and ease of use and ensure that all new dwellings are better suited to meet the differing and changing needs of their occupants. In this respect, Scottish building regulations are the most demanding in the UK.

These standards require that all new housing is more accessible, suitable for a wider range of occupants and should offer usability without need for significant alteration. Where alteration or adaptation is required, new homes should be simpler and less costly to alter. This should allow a person to stay in their home longer as their needs change, increasing the potential for independent living and, potentially, reducing the need for care provision. Where care at home is needed, the more accessible homes provided by current building regulations will assist in the delivery of care services.

The Beauly Denny Local Public Inquiry considered a wide range of issues. The inquiry report was submitted to the Scottish Government on 18 February 2009. Ministers are now considering the report and will take a decision as soon as possible.

Revisions introduced in May 2007 included a range of measures to improve accessibility and ease of use and ensure that all new dwellings are better suited to meet the differing and changing needs of their occupants. In this respect, Scottish building regulations are the most demanding in the UK.

Current standards require that all new housing is more accessible, suitable for a wider range of occupants and should offer usability without need for significant alteration. Where alteration or adaptation is required, new homes should be simpler and less costly to alter. This should allow a person to stay in their home longer as their needs change, increasing the potential for independent living and, potentially, reducing the need for care provision. Where care at home is needed, the more accessible homes provided by current building regulations will assist in the delivery of care services.

The National Care Standards apply to services regulated by the Care Commission. In carrying out its regulatory functions the Care Commission is required to take the Standards into account. Care services must be registered with the Care Commission. They are subject to regular inspections and must demonstrate to the commission that they are meeting the requirements set out in the National Care Standards.

The Care Commission has a wide range of enforcement powers available to it should a care service fail to meet the requirements set out in legislation and the National Care Standards. These include issuing an improvement notice detailing the required improvement and ultimately cancelling a service''s registration.

If the Member would like to know more about how the Care Commission carries out its regulatory role he can contact the chief executive of the commission at the following address:

Ms Jacquie Roberts

Chief Executive

Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care

Compass House

11 Riverside Drive

Dundee

DD14NY

E: [email protected]

T: 01382 217100.

The content of reports laid before the Scottish Parliament are a matter for the bodies laying those reports and any issues arising there from should be taken up with the authors. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman periodically gives evidence to parliamentary committees, particularly the Local Government and Communities Committee which hears evidence on her annual report each year. This provides opportunities for members to raise issues with the ombudsman in a parliamentary setting.

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0129-01.htm

 

This is entirely a matter for Perth and Kinross Council who have powers under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 to take measures for the maintenance or improvement of flood prevention schemes.

This is entirely a matter for Angus Council who have powers under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 to take measures for the maintenance or improvement of flood prevention schemes.

There is not a statutory class size maximum throughout schools. The capacity of a school is based on a number of factors including the size of the classrooms, the number of teachers and the design of the school. These factors are taken into account by local authorities when providing information on the capacity of schools for the school estates survey.

The latest available information on the capacity of publicly funded mainstream schools (primary and secondary) comes from the school estates survey which was published in September 2008.

The average capacity as at September 2007, of publicly funded mainstream schools in each local authority that were open in April 2008, is given in the following tables.

Local Authority	Average Capacity
Aberdeen City	478
Aberdeenshire	245
Angus	325
Argyll and Bute	210
Clackmannanshire	397
Dumfries and Galloway	204
Dundee City	554
East Ayrshire	437
East Dunbartonshire	479
East Lothian	376
East Renfrewshire	608
Edinburgh City of	490
Eilean Siar	142
Falkirk	458
Fife	385
Glasgow City	512
Highland	230
Inverclyde	479
Midlothian	421
Moray	300
North Ayrshire	449
North Lanarkshire	432
Orkney Islands	175
Perth and Kinross	239
Renfrewshire	499
Scottish Borders	261
Shetland Islands	123
South Ayrshire	390
South Lanarkshire	353
Stirling	243
West Dunbartonshire	527
West Lothian	398

 

Information on the capacity of special schools was not collected. Guidance for authorities on determining school capacities was issued by the Scottish Executive in Circular 3/2004 and can be found on the Scottish Government website using the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/01/20528/50013.