Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Executive recognisesthat images of smokers featured in films, TV and magazines may influence young peopleto smoke. In developing our longer term national smoking prevention strategy, therefore,we will work with the UK Government and other devolved governments to explore waysto reduce positive and increase negative images of smoking in the media. It doesnot seem unreasonable for issues relating to film classification to form part ofthese considerations.

The Litter Act 1958 was repealedby the Litter Act 1983. Prosecutions for littering offences are generally underthe Environmental Protection Act 1990. The available information for persons proceededagainst for littering offences under the 1990 act is given in the table.

Persons Proceeded against inScottish Courts for Littering Offences Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990,2003-04 to 2005-06.

Year	Number
2003-04	28
2004-05	43
2005-06	32

Note: 1. Where main offence.

The Scottish Executive does nothave an estimated date for this. Homelessness legislation introduced standards which temporary accommodation for householdswith children and pregnant women must meet and prohibits routine use of B&Bsand other unsuitable accommodation for these households.

The Scottish Executive hasbeen working with Irvine Bay Urban Regeneration Company (URC) and localpartners, including North Ayrshire Council, Communities Scotland and ScottishEnterprise Ayrshire, to assist in the development of comprehensive regenerationproposals for the Irvine Bay area of North Ayrshire, which covers the town of Ardrossan. IrvineBay URC will be submitting a finalised business plan to the Executive in June2007 for consideration. Decisions on any future investment by the Executivewill be taken in that context.

The information requested isnot held centrally at this time. Changes to the homelessness statistics data collectionsystem, introduced from April 2007, allow councils to identify applicants from themost recent EU accession states. The first annual statistics on such applicants,for the year 2007-08, will be published during 2008.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises all UK health departments on issues relating to vaccination and immunisation, based on currently available scientific evidence. Last year, the committee considered whether carers should be offered immunisation against influenza routinely each year. However, it concluded that there was insufficient medical evidence to incorporate this group into those currently targeted as at risk against the complications of influenza in this year's policy. Ultimately, however, the final decision as to who should be offered immunisation is a matter for the patient's medical practitioner who should take into account the risk of influenza infection exacerbating the underlying disease as well as the risk of serious illness from influenza.

The UK Government, through the Department for Work and Pensions, is responsible for social security benefits and campaigns to maximise uptake of benefits. Under our Carers Strategy, the Scottish Executive is committed to improving the information available to carers both at national and local level. Later this month we will be launching publicity material to raise carer awareness and to ensure carers can access sources of information and support, including information on financial assistance. At local level, council social work departments and the NHS will be involved in implementing Carer Information Strategies. These strategies will be introduced over the coming months under the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 and will seek to ensure that carers are made aware of the wide range of support available to them.

The resources allocated by the Executive to local authorities to support carers will have risen from £5 million in 1999-2000 to £21 million in 2003-04. This level of investment will be sustained over the next three years and increased in line with pay and inflation. In addition to this, local government finance settlements for the next three years include substantial extra sums for social care. We are working closely with local authorities, the NHS and carer representatives to develop policy guidance for health and social care practitioners around the new rights for carers contained in the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, as well as comprehensive new best practice guidance in supporting carers. Both sets of guidance will address the importance of delivering effective outcomes for carers through assessment.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34221 on 5 March 2003. 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/search_wa

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34224 today. 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/search_wa.