Chamber and committees

Sure Start Scotland seeks to give a positive start to the lives of very young children by providing broad-based support to children and families from deprived areas. The first phase of the evaluation of Sure Start Scotland focused on mapping the provision of services. We will disseminate the findings shortly.

The Executive announced a scheme to exempt certain premises from water and sewerage charges on 15 January 2002. In the period leading up to that announcement, the Executive discussed charitable reliefs with the water authorities on a number of separate occasions.

The review of the Scottish Executive's direct funding of the voluntary sector invited consultation respondents to suggest topics for a wider strategic review. The responses received supported the issues identified in the consultation paper, namely:any gaps in coverage of Scottish Executive support for the voluntary sector, for example at the intermediate level; indirect funding, especially how it is prioritised, allocated and accounted for;the development of systems to provide/promote loans, trading, earned income and asset transfer as a supplement to providing grant aid; issues arising out of relationships between Scottish, UK and international voluntary organisations and the Executive; and the assistance the sector might need in developing manageable "exit strategies" for when funding is coming to an end. No further issues were identified.

The Social Economy Review has been conducted by Mr Stephen Maxwell, on secondment to the Executive for this purpose from the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations. Mr Maxwell is currently finalising his report which will be published once his work is complete. Once we have seen and studied the final version of the report and its conclusions, my colleagues and I, in consultation with interested parties, will wish to determine what actions are required to encourage the further development of the social economy in Scotland.

The current review of funding for the voluntary sector is looking at the Executive's own grant-making procedures, with a view to developing a co-ordinated Executive funding strategy for the voluntary sector. The next stage will be a wider, strategic funding review. As well as looking at the wider issues identified in the direct funding consultation paper, it will look at how the Executive's indirect funding meets the needs of the sector and whether it is possible for all the indirect funders to work together to ensure that they are operating in a way that meets their own needs and those of the sector.We expect the wider review to commence in the summer.

The Scottish Executive has consulted with COSLA, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and a number of charitable trusts in considering the content of the next phase of the voluntary sector funding review.

We hope to lay a draft Designation Order for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and the associated Elections Order, before the Scottish Parliament, in the very near future. As required by section 6(6) of the National Parks (Scotland) Act the Designation Order will be accompanied by a statement summarising the Executive's consultation, responses received and changes to the order, if any.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21955.

No such assessment has been made, but I have asked the Fuel Poverty Working Group to examine the matter as part of the consideration of the Fuel Poverty Statement that Scottish ministers are required to make under section 88 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Ofgem on a wide range of issues, including the regulation of electricity supply prices.