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Table 1: Percentage ofPeople Aged 65 and Over Receiving Intensive Home Care

Source: Home Care StatisticalReturn H1.

Investment by Communities Scotland,and its predecessor organisation, in Housing Association stock in the (a) Argylland Bute Council area; (b) West Dunbartonshire Council area, and (c) Dumbarton parliamentaryconstituency in each year since 1999 is set out in the following table:

The figures in the table aretaken from the Childcare Strategy GAE (Grant Aided Expenditure) line and is provisionto spend. It should be noted that these figures are not budgets or spending targetsbut part of the more complex local government funding formula used to allocate oneblock grant figure to each council. It is up to each council to decide how bestto allocate their resources based on their local needs and priorities.

In addition to Childcare Strategyfunding, West Dunbartonshire has been allocated Working for Families Funding (WfFF)of £600,000 each year since 2004-05. WfFF can be used for a number of projects,including creating and subsidising child care.

Note: The figures for 2005-06are estimates.

www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-06/sor0601-02.htm#Col26288.

These allocations are based onthe total social work Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) lines for each year. It shouldbe noted that these GAEs are not budgets or spending targets but part of the morecomplex local government funding formula used to calculate one block grant figurefor each council. It is then up to each council to decide how best to allocate theirresources based on their local needs and priorities.

Specific Grant for Social WorkTraining of £5.5 million per annum is currently allocated to local authorities.This is ring fenced funding to improve the quality of social work service provisionby increasing the availability of training for relevant staff.

SpecificGrant Funding Awarded to Argyll and ButeCouncil

A lower than expected numberof money advisers have become approved. In order to increase take up by debtorsit will be necessary to first increase the number of approved advisers.

With that in mind, the Executivereviewed the Debt Arrangement Scheme between December 2005 and February 2006. Asa result of that review the Executive announced on 24 May 2005 that the Scheme wouldbe amended to allow for a payment programme to include debt relief.

This reform is expected to leadto an increase in the number of approved money advisers, and thereby enable moredebtors to be included in the scheme.

At that meeting there was a generaldiscussion about the intended reform of bank arrestment, looking in particular atthe cost to the banks of dealing with arrestments where there is no account, andthe way in which the banks deal with the administration of arrestments of jointbank accounts.