Chamber and committees

Information on peoplewho declare themselves as disabled using the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)definition, people who declare themselves as work limiting disabled and people whodeclare themselves as both DDA and work limiting disabled is available from theAnnual Population Survey

Table 1 shows thepercentage of people in each of these three categories who are in full-time andpart-time employment.

As these estimatesare taken from a sample survey they are subject to a degree of error.

Table 1 Full-Timeand Part-Time Employment of those with Physical Disabilities

	Both DDA and Work Limiting Disabled	DDA Disabled Only	Work Limiting Disabled Only	Total Disabled
Full Time	23.1%	65.1%	51.4%	38.0%
Part Time	10.7%	19.9%	15.6%	13.8%
Total Employment	33.8%	85.1%	67.2%	51.8%

Source: Annual PopulationSurvey: January to December 2006.

Notes:

1. Working age isdefined as males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59.

2. Definitions arebased on self-classification.

3. Those declaringmental disabilities have been excluded from this analysis.

The Scottish Governmentsupports a range of environmental initiatives in Glasgow, including those to addresscontaminated land, waste management and recycling, urban woodland management, communityengagement and sustainable development projects. Furthermore, in the eight yearsto 2010, Scottish Water’s total planned investment in Glasgow will amount to almost £300 million.

Local authoritieshave a crucial role in advancing the Scottish Government’s Greener objective throughenvironmental initiatives in their areas, and the Spending Review settlement willfurther enhance their capacity to do so.

My officials havealready made contact with the new child poverty unit and will continue to work closelywith them to ensure that the analysis, measures and proposals they put forward properlyreflect the needs and circumstances of Scottish children, and the policies and prioritiesof the Scottish Government. We will seek to ensure that, between the UK and Scottish Governments, policies and programmes havethe maximum impact possible on child poverty in Scotland, in order that child poverty can be eradicated by 2020.

As noted in the answer to question S3W-4725 on 22 October 2007, in response toa public petition brought forward by Jim Milne on behalf of Dundee Anti-PovertyForum, we have agreed to undertake a review of clothing grant provision across Scotland.

It is anticipatedthat the review will collect information on (a) eligibility criteria and (b)level of clothing grants for school uniforms across local authority areas. Weshall consider what further action is required following the outcome of thereview.

All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, thesearch facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Information onthe average level of clothing grant per child, broken down by local authoritysince 1999, is not held centrally.

Information onthe number of schoolchildren who have been in receipt of a clothing grant forschool uniforms in each year since 1999 is not held centrally.

In response to aPublic Petition brought forward by Jim Milne on behalf of Dundee Anti-PovertyForum, we have agreed to undertake a review of clothing grant provision across Scotland.

It is anticipatedthat the review will collect information on the assessment criteria used byeach local authority to determine eligibility for clothing grants for schooluniforms and that this information will be collated and published as part of the review report.

I have agreed Mr TomShaw’s request for approval to submit his report of the Historical Abuse SystemicReview: Residential Care for Children and Young People in Scotland 1950-1995 by 15 November 2007. It will be published shortly thereafter.

I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-2241 on 6 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can befound at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:

At the point of stocktransfer, Scottish ministers entered into a legal agreement with Glasgow HousingAssociation to provide £113 million between 2004 and 2009 to build new rented homes.GHA draws down the grant in line with its new build programme. The £113 millionis ring-fenced in the sense that, under the terms of this agreement, it can onlybe used to deliver GHA’s new build programme. The terms and conditions of any arrangementto provide grant beyond March 2009 will be for Scottish ministers to consider.