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Data on numbers of young people with learning disabilities in further education is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20528 on 21 November 2005 which gives a breakdown of funding allocated for additional support needs. 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/webapp/wa.search.

In addition, funding allocated through GAE for provision for special educational needs in 2004-05 was £256 million. Funding allocated specifically for the education of young people with learning disabilities is not held centrally. It is for local authorities to allocate funding based on the needs of the young people in their area.

Careers Scotland provides a range of employability services, including key worker support, which help young people to access and sustain employment. The enterprise networks deliver Get Ready for Work, a programme for 16/17 year olds who, with additional support, would be able to move into further education training or employment. The UK Government also provides support through a range of programmes, including New Deal for Disabled People where job brokers can offer in-work support for up to the first six months.

Careers Scotland, in partnership with further education (FE) college guidance and support services, provides a range of employability services including key worker support for those young people who need additional help. This helps prepare young people, including those with learning disabilities, to move from further education into employment.

FE colleges offer programmes and courses designed to develop the skills required to help disabled students progress into vocational training or employment.

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 introduces a new framework to ensure that all children and young people with additional support needs, including those with learning disabilities, benefit from education. The act also places new duties on education authorities and appropriate agencies to ensure early planning and preparation and effective exchange of information. This supports children and young people with additional support needs to make a smooth and successful transition to post-school life.

Our widening access policy is helping to break down barriers to participation in further education faced by all groups including students with learning disabilities. Further education colleges receive additional funding in respect of students who either require to attend a special programme or who require additional support to undertake a mainstream course.

The forthcoming Children’s Report, from The same as you? implementation group, aims to raise awareness that it is the responsibility of every organisation and individual involved in service provision to give children and young people the opportunity to access mainstream services.

As part of the school estate strategy we have initiated the largest school building programme of modern times which will deliver 300 new or substantially refurbished schools by 2009 along with widespread improvements in many other schools. We are supporting school building through public private partnership projects with a capital value of some £2.5 billion, the schools fund capital grant of some £100 million per year and the general capital resources available to local authorities under the prudential framework. This investment is transforming the learning and teaching environment for many young people and teachers, with well designed, well built schools that have modern facilities that inspire young people, teachers and communities, and meet their aspirations and evolving needs.

A comprehensive programme of action is in place to encourage physical activity in and around the school day. Following the recommendations of the World Health Organization, Scotland is one of the few countries to have put in place a national physical activity strategy including national activity targets for children.

In the school curriculum, we are taking forward a programme of work aimed at providing more time for, more teachers of and more choice in physical education. This was followed up recently with a commitment to provide Local Authorities with an additional £18 million in 2006 and £44 million in 2007 to support the recruitment of additional teachers, including PE teachers. In taking forward A Curriculum for Excellence we are looking at ways in which to ensure that the curriculum is flexible enough to allow schools to provide sufficient time for high quality PE.

As regards physical activity in the wider school environment, since 2003 we have invested £24 million in the Active Schools Programme and currently have more than 600 Active School Co-ordinators in post. We are committed also to ensuring that every school in Scotland is a Health Promoting School by the end of 2007, developing a whole school approach to promoting the physical, social, spiritual, mental and emotional well-being of all pupils and staff. In addition, the Scottish Executive Transport Group has invested £110 million to support safe, walking and cycling to school, including the creation of 20 miles-per-hour zones around schools. School Travel Co-ordinators in local authorities oversee and enable progress making clear links to the importance of physical activity for health.

The Scottish Executive does not provide funding or support directly to football supporters’ trusts. Funding was made available by the Executive to support the establishment of Supporters Direct in Scotland in 2002 to work with responsible groups of supporters looking to set up a supporters’ trust at their football club. Funding was initially provided at the level of £75,000 each year for the two years to 31 March 2004. Funding was continued at the increased level of £90,000 each year to 31 March 2006 to enable Supporters Direct in Scotland to continue and develop its work of supporting new and existing trusts. I am currently considering a business case from Supporters Direct in Scotland for continued financial support from 1 April 2006 and hope to be in a position to make an announcement shortly.

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 requires education authorities to publish information about a range of specified matters such as their policy in relation to provision for additional support needs. This could include provision available to assist in the post-school transition process. They must also provide details of any other persons the authority think appropriate who could provide advice and further information and support in relation to provision for additional support needs.

Enquire, the national advice service for additional support for learning, is funded by the Scottish Executive to provide information and advice to parents and young people on a range of matters relating to additional support needs. These include: a new online factsheet for young people on getting ready to leave school; the Have your say video which includes advice and suggestions from young people about the process of making choices for the future; links on the young person’s website at www.enquire.org.uk to Skill Scotland and Careers Scotland. In addition, the Parents’ Guide to Additional Support for Learning contains a section on leaving school and information and advice is also available from the helpline.

Careers Scotland provide key worker and other employability services to give tailored support to those young people who face the most complex barriers to entering and sustaining training, post-school education and employment. Careers Scotland advertise their services through a wide range of media.

I refer the member to the question S2W-22686 answered on 2 February 2006. 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/webapp/wa.search.