Seòmar agus comataidhean

The procedures for introducingbyelaws (including statutory periods for different stages of the process) are setout in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, and in Sections 202 to 204 of the LocalGovernment (Scotland) Act 1973. The National Park Authority are proceedingwith the current policy consultation for byelaws covering activity on Loch Lomond,with a view to presenting draft byelaws for my consideration in the course ofthis calendar year. The current expectation is that revised byelaws would beintroduced early in 2006.

I have indicated to theConvener of the Park Authority that ministers will make additional fundsavailable to the extent that there are additional and previously unforeseenenforcement costs falling on the authority which cannot be contained within theapproved budget for 2005-06.

Land at the Vale of Leven Hospital has been identified as appropriate for development not only for a 60 bed care of the elderly facility but also as the site of a new Primary Care Resource Centre. While NHS Argyll and Clyde are agreeable in principle to the sale of both sites there are aspects of the financial treatment of the sale proceeds of the resource centre site which are causing concern and which in turn impact upon and could delay the sale of the care of the elderly facility.

There is no intentional delay in the process. NHS Argyll and Clyde are currently reviewing the disposal route for the care of the elderly facility to ensure that the viability of this project is not prejudiced by valuation considerations and the financial treatment of the capital receipt. All parties to the transaction are currently engaged in discussions to determine the most appropriate means of disposing of the sites without prejudicing either of the projects. The care of the elderly site project is at a very early stage ofdevelopment and although no formal public consultation has been undertaken the local community Care and Carers Forum have been kept fully involved in the proposal.

Officials from my department have recently been in touch with officials from Argyll and Clyde and they will continue to assist all parties to ensure that no undue delay is incurred.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14118, on 28 February 2005. 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/webapp/wa.search.

The current tolling order for Erskine Bridge will expire on 1 July 2006. Anyproposal to extend the tolling period, under powers in section 4(3) of the ErskineBridge Tolls Act 1968, would be effected by Statutory Instrument, subject to affirmative resolution in the Parliament.

Under the Executive’s Carers Strategy £10 million a year was made available across Scotland from April 2000 onwards, specifically to expand local services supporting unpaid carers. This investment was further enhanced in April 2001 when authorities were given additional resources for respite care, a key service for carers and the people they care for. This provided an additional £5 million in 2001-02, £6 million in 2002-03 and £11 million in 2003-04. These resources are being maintained in real terms over the period 2004-08, thereby securing this unprecedented growth in service provision for carers.

The resources are distributed to local authorities as part of the normal Grant Aided Expenditure distribution arrangements. The table adds together the resources made available through these arrangements to Argyll and Bute Council and West Dunbartonshire Council under the Strategy and to deliver additional respite. They are only a small component of the total resources that authorities have access to for the provision of social care; authorities’ expenditure over a wide range of services is also helping to benefit carers.

Local Authority	2000-01 (£000)	2001-02 (£000)	2002-03 (£000)	2003-04 (£000)	2004-05 (£000)
Argyll and Bute	204	307	324	425	430
West Dunbartonshire	183	278	296	392	423

 

A short life Working Group on direct payments for older people was set up in May 2004 to consider and overcome barriers to take up and to assist with updating the Direct Payments Guidance. The group membership is wide ranging including representatives of service users, local support organisations and local authorities.

The draft guidance will shortly go out for public consultation for implementation in July 2005. It will highlight best practice to further develop local user-led support organisations. From 2006 onwards, additional Government Allocated Expenditure (GAE) will be targeted at promoting local user-led support organisations.

Beyond March 2005, further subgroups will be set up to focus on the needs of particular care groups such as those with mental health problems. User representatives will be invited on all subsequent groups of this type.

The Scottish Executive is committed to developing direct payments as a way of giving service users choice and control over the care services they receive. From April 2005, direct payments will be available to the first non disabled client group, those people aged 65 and over who are assessed as needing care services. It is also anticipated that concentrated effort will be made to increase uptake among current eligible groups such as disabled children, mental health service and learning disabled users from April 2005 onwards.

I refer the member to S2W-14085, answered on 28 February 2005, 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.

The Scottish Executive Direct Payments Policy and Practice Guidance document published in June 2003 gives advice on the provision of direct payments. It is anticipated that this will be updated and re-issued by summer 2005.

No additional funds have been made available to local authorities for the period up until 2006 as direct payments are made in lieu of services which a local authority would normally provide itself. From 2006-7, £1.8 million, and for 2007 onwards £2 million will be made available to local authorities to increase uptake through targeted support such as additional training.

Details of the local government finance settlement to 2007‑08 are available from the following link, where the additional provision has gone into the GAE line in tables 2 and 3 for Services for People with disabilities http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/publications/bulletin/hd150.pdf.