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BT have advised that approximately 20,000 orders were delayed. Many of these were due for pre-Christmas delivery and others were scheduled for delivery in 2006.

As a goodwill gesture, BT have offered a £50 voucher for use in their online shop for those customers whose orders were not shipped by BT for delivery between 12 and 31 December. BT have also offered a 25 per cent discount voucher, also for use in their online shop, to all other customers.

This however does not preclude individual public authorities from further pursuing specific cases with BT as they deem appropriate.

A review of the regulations and associated guidance to the Council Tax (Discount for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 was carried out shortly after the Regulations came into force. The review involved local authorities, Communities Scotland, Registered Social Landlords and Scottish Water. The review was carried out to ensure the regulations were operating effectively and to invite comment on whether any amendments were required.

Following the review, amendments were made to the guidance to allow additional income raised (by reductions in discount provided for by the Regulations) to be spent on a wider range of affordable housing programmes. Monies raised can now be spent on Rural Home Ownership Grants and to support the acquisition and upgrading of properties not on the market. The guidance was also amended to clarify some technical matters and circulated to stakeholders in December 2005. At the suggestion of local authorities, we plan to conduct a further review of the regulations later this year.

We are currently reviewing theoperational framework for community councils and in support of this issued a DiscussionPaper in November 2005, What can we do to help community councils fulfiltheir role. The closing date for responses was 28 February 2006. Once we haveevaluated the responses we will have a clearer idea of any obstacles preventingcommunity councils being a partner in the community engagement process and willwork in partnership with them, local authorities and others in breaking down thesebarriers. The aim is to have an action plan in place by spring 2007.

The Scottish Executive is encouraged that over 40 public authorities have participated in the framework which is helping achieve the overall aim of increasing home computer ownership in Scotland.

The three framework suppliers compete on price for preferred supplier status on a four-monthly basis. BT won the first e-auction and as such were the main supplier in the pre-Christmas period. BT have told us that it was due to the unexpected high demand, along with supplier and courier problems, that they were unable to meet some pre-Christmas deliveries.

The Executive through sportscotland provides financial and other support to athletes and governing bodies of sport as part of our commitment to achieving target 7 of Sport 21, which aims to have over 250 Scots as medallists on the world stage by 2007.

The Scottish Executive monitors the overall performance of the Home Computer Initiative Framework with each of the suppliers. Participating public authorities enter into individual contractual arrangements with their chosen supplier and performance of a contract is ordinarily a matter for the relevant public authority. However, following delays in pre-Christmas deliveries from BT, the Scottish Executive has been working with BT to address the problem. As a result, performance has significantly improved and we are continuing to work with BT to resolve outstanding issues.

Local authorities are expected to provide for the cost of improving their services from their budget each year. There is a wide range of work aimed at improving services carried out by local authorities.

The only Executive funding specified for improvement services, however, is the budget allocated to the Local Government Improvement Service. The Improvement Service was officially launched in April 2005 and its funding levels over the next three years have been set as:

£1,700,000 in 2005-06;

£1,655,000 in 2006-07, and

£1,256,000 in 2007-08.

The Improvement Service Grant Agreement requires the service to provide an updated Business Plan on an annual basis in order to receive funding.

It is open to the Improvement Service to commission consultants to undertake work to support their work with local authorities.

Local authorities are expected to provide for the cost of improving their services from their budget each year. There is a wide range of work aimed at improving services carried out by local authorities.

The only Executive funding specified for improvement services, however, is the budget allocated to the Local Government Improvement Service. The Improvement Service was officially launched in April 2005 and its funding levels over the next three years have been set as:

£1,700,000 in 2005-06;

£1,655,000 in 2006-07, and

£1,256,000 in 2007-08.

The Improvement Service Grant Agreement requires the service to provide an updated Business Plan on an annual basis in order to receive funding.

Sportscotland had undergone significant organisational restructuring in recent years to provide a more responsive service to client and partner groups. Sportscotland commissioned a report by KPMG with the specific objectives of identifying how it could deliver much stronger partnerships with its key partners with less bureaucracy. This led to sportscotland amalgamating their separate funding streams and consolidating their operations into their headquarters building at South Gyle.

As set out in the answer to question S2W-21248, under the Efficient Government initiative, sportscotland has been asked to deliver further efficiency savings of £200,000 by 2007-08.

The awards announced on 20 December were funded from sportscotland’s Building for Sport programme, which is a combination of Exchequer and Lottery funds. The awards made are set out in the following table. Recipients must be in a position to start the relevant project within one year of the offer of award date and complete the work within two years of the offer of award date. Further information on specific awards can be obtained from sportscotland direct.

Project	Location	Award (£)
Spartans Community Football Academy	Edinburgh	400,000
Greenfield Football Centre	Glasgow	200,000
Aulton Pavilion and Pitch Developments	Aberdeen	450,000
Bayhead Pitch Development Programme	Stornoway	115,920
Point Sport and Recreation Association	Nr Stornoway	139,000
Additional Changing Rooms and Referees Room	Livingston	153,455
Transition Extreme Sports Centre	Aberdeen	150,000
New Clubhouse Facilities	Edinburgh	125,000
East Lothian Yacht Club Equipment Project	North Berwick	33,500
Tennis Court Floodlighting	Nairn	11,000
Whinhill Junior Golf Practice Area	Greenock	29,400
Compendium Park	Glasgow	195,427
		£2,002,702

Note: Those projects in italics received Exchequer funds.