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Earlier this year the Scottish Executive commissioned a research study to assess the impact of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in its first eighteen months of operation in Scotland. The study involves in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, service providers, asylum seekers and local community organisations. It also includes elements to identify and assess good practice and to monitor media content and coverage of asylum seeker issues. Fieldwork will conclude in summer 2002 and the report will be published in autumn 2002.

The Scottish Executive has no plans to alter the housing capital receipts set-aside rules at present. It is important that we continue to reduce the debt burden on local authority tenants.

The Guidance on Contacts with Members of the Scottish Parliament is directed at Civil Servants.I am not aware of any such request to officials but would be happy to look into the matter if Ms Hyslop's concerns remain.

Arrangements are already in place with Treasury whereby assistance with debt is available as part of a whole stock transfer package. The Executive is not in a position to be able to relieve local authority housing departments of debt outwith stock transfer, since this would require the public sector to meet the costs of both debt redemption and investment in council stock.

I believe that the answer complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code.

The roles of policy analysts vary. All will be team leaders and most will be responsible for a discreet policy area. Their duties are likely to include developing, implementing or evaluating policy, preparing briefing and speeches for ministers, giving evidence to Parliamentary Committees, and representing the Executive at meetings and in exchanges with a wide range of organisations. Some policy analysts may also be called upon to manage substantial projects or to be responsible for significant numbers of staff and large-scale financial resources.Successful applicants from the Policy Analyst recruitment exercise could be assigned to work in any part of the Scottish Executive. Decisions on the posts to which successful applicants are to be assigned will take account of the skills and experience of the applicants and the vacancies available at the time they are able to take up appointment. The Executive's vacancy position changes over time as a result of internal movement.

This information is not available for the Lothian NHS Board area for the periods in question. The manpower planning system used in other parts of Scotland to provide this detail has only recently been installed in this area.What we do know is that in recent weeks, in the Lothian NHS Board area, the number of uncovered shifts amounts to less than 1% of all rostered shifts.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26486 on 20 June 2002.

In accordance with standard practice, the national guidance on car parking charges was published in Management Executive Letter (MEL) (2000) 13, dated 17 March 2000, copies of which are available to the public through The Stationery Office. Should the guidance be revised following the current review, it will be published in a Health Department Letter (HDL) and made available in the same way.

NHS Lothian has received its fair share of funding. In 2002-03 NHS Lothian will receive record investment of over £754 million, a 6.8% increase on 2001-02. Distribution of this allocation is a matter of local negotiation.As mentioned in the answer given to question S1W-27063, the Scottish Executive Health Department is constantly monitoring and reviewing West Lothian Healthcare Trust's financial position against the agreed recovery plan. The trust's financial position remains in line with the recovery plan. The Scottish Executive Health Department, NHS Lothian and the trust continue to work together to deliver the recovery plan.