Chamber and committees

The number of known and estimated heroin users since 1950 is not held centrally.

However, estimates of the prevalence of problematic opiate (includes heroin and other opiates) and/or benzodiazepine misuse in Scotland have been carried out for 2000, 2003 and 2006. Table 1 shows the estimated numbers across Scotland and the 95% confidence interval for each estimate.

Table 1: Estimated Numbers of Problem Drug Users (Opiates and/or Benzodiazepine Misuse): Scotland 2000, 2003 and 2006

	2000	2003	2006
Scotland point estimate (95 % confidence range)	55,800 (43,664 “ 78,443)	51,582 (51,456 “ 56,379)	55,328 (54,451 “ 57,234)

Source: Estimating the National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug Misuse in Scotland Centre for Drug Misuse Research, University of Glasgow Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health.

http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/local/Prevalence_2009.pdf.

Information on drug-related deaths can be found in Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2008 published by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) in August 2009: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/drug-related-deaths/drug-related-deaths-in-scotland-in-2008.pdf.

The GROS website also provides information on drug-related deaths publications from 1997: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/drug-related-deaths/index.html.

Funding of regional parks is a matter for the appropriate local authorities.

Until 2008-09 SNH provided discretionary grant funding towards core and other costs for the regional parks. The sums provided to each park for each year since 1999, were as follows:

Regional Park	1999-2000 (£ Million)	2000-01 (£ Million)	2001-02 (£ Million)	2002-03 (£ Million)	2003-04 (£ Million)
Pentland Hills	0.121	0.124	0.115	0.112	0.098
Clyde-Muirshiels	0.218	0.218	0.236	0.239	0.263
Lomond Hills (Fife)	0.077	0.058	0.068	0.065	0.080

 

Regional Park	2004-05 (£ Million)	2005-06 (£ Million)	2006-07 (£ Million)	2007-08 (£ Million)	2008-09 (£ Million)
Pentland Hills	0.121	0.110	0.112	0.109	0.107
Clyde-Muirshiels	0.256	0.262	0.262	0.267	0.262
Lomond Hills (Fife)	0.092	0.086	0.089	0.088	0.069

 

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has no records of paying grants to the Loch Lomond Regional Park, which ceased to operate as regional park following the designation of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park in 2002.

As part of the Concordat agreed by Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local authorities, Scottish ministers agreed to transfer to the local government finance settlement for 2009-10 and 2010-11, the resources which SNH would have paid to local authorities for their natural heritage projects on the basis that this would enable local authorities to determine local priorities in the use of these funds. This transfer took account of the funds which SNH had previously paid to regional parks. SNH will, however, continue to respond to requests for advice from the regional parks and from the local authority partners who constituted the regional parks.

Under current legislation, access to disclosure checks is governed by whether or not a position (in this case host parent) is a child care position as defined in the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 (POCSA). As there is no statutory definition of host parents in POCSA, this depends on the specific arrangements made. It is the responsibility of the relevant organisation to apply the law to the particular circumstances of their activity.

The child care positions specified in POCSA which would most commonly apply to host parenting would be those whose normal duties involve caring for, supervising or being in sole charge of children. Children being hosted by other parents who are not friends of the family are likely to be cared for/supervised/under the sole charge of the host parents for the times of the visit. Generally, normal duties can be considered as something the individual might be expected to do as part of their post on an ongoing basis, for example appearing in a job description or, in the case of host parents, set out in the arrangements made between the parents and the organisers. 

At the present time, there is a variation in approach by organisations across Scotland on the checking of host parents, which is justified to the extent that it is a result of different circumstances of each case. Although the overwhelming majority of host parents pose no threat, there have been cases where the disclosure process has identified previous sexual offences committed by prospective hosts who have, as a result, been removed from the hosting process.

Existing arrangements for enhanced disclosure for those in child care positions will be replaced by new arrangements under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, which will come into force later in 2010. Like POCSA, the 2007 Act does not make explicit provision for host parents. The Scottish Government is now consulting on whether or not to make explicit provision covering host parents. This is part of the consultation on modifications to the scope of regulated work with children, published as part of a suite of draft secondary legislation for consultation on 10 November 2009 and running until 2 February 2010. The consultation seeks views from stakeholders as to whether to: proceed with such provision; make different provision or make no provision at all.

The Scottish Government wants hosting arrangements to be quick and efficient to organise, avoiding any inappropriate deterrent to potential host parents from disclosure requirements. However, there is also a need to ensure the protection of children in situations where they are potentially quite vulnerable. The Scottish Government wants to ensure the legislation strikes the right balance between proportionate and still robust protection.

The Scottish Government has provided guidance to local authorities and schools on the protection of children and young people whilst at school. The Safe and Well handbook (2005) provides detailed advice and information to inform local authority and school policies on a range of issues which may affect children and young people. This includes advice on the role of child protection co-ordinators, national policy and legislation and specific issues and concerns which may arise, including arrangements for residential visits and school trips. We are currently updating the Safe and Well guidance. It is planned that revised guidance will be published on the Learning and Teaching Scotland website in spring 2010.

In respect of parents hosting other people''s children in the context of a school exchange programme, I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28823 on 19 November 2009. There are no requirements for checking of parents sending their children on a school exchange programme. 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.

Scottish Government planning guidance does not specifically require an assessment of the likely impact of housing development on public services, but does require planning authorities to provide settlement strategies as part of the development plan. Settlement strategies should consider the provision of housing, infrastructure and community facilities and can be used in development management decisions.

Scottish Government planning guidance does not require an assessment in such specific terms, but does require planning authorities to provide settlement strategies as part of the development plan. Settlement strategies should consider the provision of housing, infrastructure and community facilities and can be used in development management decisions.

Scottish Government planning guidance does not contain such an indication, this being an issue for planning authorities to determine for their respective areas.

The standards referred to in paragraph 17 relate to the standards and obligations to be met by both the community service schemes and potential external placement providers in relation to compliance with relevant working conditions. This includes areas such as health and safety and equal opportunities. These are set out in paragraphs 18 to 25 of the National Objectives and Standards for Community Service, and are maintained in the Guidance on Community Service, which has replaced the National Objectives and Standards since 1 June 2009.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28418 on 5 November 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.