Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Executive sets out the framework within which a local authority that wishes toimplement a road user charging scheme must operate. It is for local authoritiesto decide whether or not they wish to implement such a scheme.

A local authority will haveto ensure that a range of public transport improvements are in place beforecharging is introduced, with further improvements to follow.

The specification of therailway is a matter for the Waverley Railway Partnership to propose in theirbusiness case.

Volume 2 of the Children (Scotland)Act 1995 Regulations and Guidance sets out the preparation that should beundertaken by local authorities with a child prior to any foster placement. Theguidance makes clear that the child’s views must be taken into account whenconsidering a foster care placement and that methods to prepare children forplacement should be suited to their age or development.

Volume 2 of the Children (Scotland)Act 1995 Regulations and Guidance already provides guidance on these matters. Itmakes clear that reasonable proximity to the child’s birth family, or at leastconvenient public transport services, are desirable in placement where contactwith the child’s family is part of the care plan. The foster carers should beable to accommodate contact at the frequency the child needs, make birth familymembers welcome and help them feel relaxed with their child. Where a fosterhome is not within easy travelling distance, the social worker may need toorganise transport so that contact is not reduced by factors outside the birthfamily’s control.

The Fostering Network runs aYoung People’s Project which brings young people in foster care together toshare their experiences.

The Fostering Network undertakesan annual Foster Care Fortnight campaign to raise awareness of the role of fostercare and its importance to vulnerable children and young people.

The number of children looked after in foster care on 31 March 2002 is in the following table.

Local Authority Area	Children Looked After in Foster Care
Aberdeen City	130*
Aberdeenshire	115
Angus	85
Argyll and Bute	30
Clackmannanshire	35
Dumfries and Galloway	125
Dundee City	120
East Ayrshire	65
East Dunbartonshire	15
East Lothian	75
East Renfrewshire	10
Edinburgh - City of	320
Eilean Siar	5
Falkirk	85
Fife	185
Glasgow City	715
Highland	105
Inverclyde	25
Midlothian	45
Moray	55*
North Ayrshire	55
North Lanarkshire	140
Orkney Islands	10
Perth and Kinross	65
Renfrewshire	85
Scottish Borders	80
Shetland Islands	15
South Ayrshire	50
South Lanarkshire	75
Stirling	55
West Dunbartonshire	70
West Lothian	120
Scotland	3,170

Note:

Cells marked with anasterisk are where estimates have been made, figures rounded to the nearest fiveto preserve confidentiality.

In most cases investment in theScotRail routes was made many decades ago. It is not possible to determine how suchinvestments would perform under current appraisal techniques. All new proposalsfor rail investment in Scotland are appraised under the Scottish Transport AppraisalGuidance.

The outline agreement betweenofficials of the Scottish Court Service and the Scottish Borders Council relatingto the use of the council building at Rosetta Road, Peebles, for court hearingsdoes not include the provision of a public office for the Sheriff Clerk Depute.However, in tandem with the discussions on the use of the building for hearings,officials of both organisations are involved in detailed discussion on a partnershipagreement which would see much of the public office services of the sheriffcourt being delivered through the district court office at Rosetta Road.

Information on waiting timesfor a hearing test or other audiology test is not available. Data onout-patient waiting times are collected centrally at specialty level only.

Audiology services are in thespecialty of ear, nose and throat, hearing and other tests will normally be conductedat a first out-patient appointment at a consultant-led clinic in this specialty,following referral by a general medical practitioner.