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The Scottish Executive is aware of the findings of Professors Knapp and Jarbrink. It has not estimated the lifetime costs of people with autistic spectrum disorders, with or without associated learning disabilities.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The contract was awarded in November 1997. The prison was opened in March 1999.

The Scottish Executive do not believe that there is any discrepancy between the Care Development Group Report, the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 schedule 1 and the subsequent guidance CCD/4/2002 issued to councils on the implementation of the policy.The Care Development Group recommended that there should be sufficient flexibility in the definition and in turn application of personal care to ensure an individual's care needs can be properly met. "Assistance with the preparation of food" was therefore included in the definition to encompass those with severe physical and/or mental frailty who may need support for certain tasks. The Executive will continue to monitor the practical effect of the policy across all local authorities and keep the guidance under review.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:All major new legislation is reviewed to identify resource implications for the Scottish Court Service. The impact of increasing the financial thresholds in small claims and summary causes and the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill would not be expected to affect materially the level of business of the courthouse at Peebles.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to respond. His response is as follows:The feasibility study, which was commissioned after the discovery of dry rot, was prepared with regard to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and contains proposals to comply with the requirements of the legislation. No further report has been commissioned.

The ministerial targets set for the Scottish Court Service include targets relating to quality of service. Quality of service in the sheriff courts is measured by the percentage of sheriff courts achieving administrative standards agreed with the Sheriff Principal and by the percentage of court houses meeting the Coming to Court standards. The results are reported in the Scottish Court Service Annual Report and Accounts.

Where a person is accused on petition, all pre-trial procedures are held in private including the consideration of applications for bail. This is because bail applications are considered at hearings which also cover confidential matters.Where a person convicted on indictment applies for interim liberation pending the determination of his appeal, his application is considered in private by the court on the basis of a written submission. I understand that the Crown have a system in place for alerting victims and next of kin when a person convicted of a serious crime is granted interim liberation pending appeal.We are currently considering the full range of issues around interim liberation on bail, in consultation with the Lord Justice General.

Funding allocated to local authorities for bail information and supervision schemes increased from £313,322 in 1999-2000, to £426,553 in 2000-01, £945,536 in 2001-02 and to £971,859 in 2002-03.The expenditure for bail schemes in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 was £337,591 and £526,637 respectively. Local authorities are presently in the process of submitting their audited accounts for 2001-02 and so the figures on expenditure for 2001-02 and 2002-03 are not currently available.

In determining the level of business conducted in any sheriff court consideration is given to the wide range of criminal and civil business which may be conducted in the court. This covers procedural hearings as well as those required for determining the case. Regard is also had to the level of administrative work carried out by the court in respect of matters which may not require an appearance before the sheriff in court.

The consultation paper on the delivery of court services in the Peebles area is currently being finalised and should be issued by the end of September. It will be circulated to a wide range of bodies and individuals who have expressed an interest in this topic, including the judiciary, local magistrates, court users such as local solicitors as well as statutory authorities such as Borders Council, Lothian and Borders Police and the Procurator Fiscal Service. Copies of the consultation paper will also be sent to local members of the Scottish and UK Parliament. In addition copies will be made available at the Sheriff Clerk's office in Peebles and Selkirk for the public.The duration of the consultation period will be a minimum of 12 weeks from date of issue. The paper will contain statistical information on the wide range of business transacted at the court in addition to information on court sitting times.