Seòmar agus comataidhean

This is a matter for the Glasgow Housing Association Ltd.

There are well over 400 projects being funded by Glasgow social inclusion partnerships, of which only three are under investigation, representing a very minor part of their overall work. These are the Wellhouse Centre in Easterhouse, the Barrowfield Family Flat in the East End, and the Oscars Project, also in the East End. Robust arrangements are in place for monitoring the performance of the Social Inclusion Partnership Programme. Under the Monitoring Framework, published in December 1999, partnerships are required to monitor their progress and report on this in their annual reports. Communities Scotland undertakes monitoring and appraisal of social inclusion partnerships and they are also subject to an evaluation programme.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-736 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.

The Cross-Party Working Group on Religious Hatred published its report containing 12 non-legislative recommendations for public consultation on 5 December 2002. The consultation ended on 14 March 2003 and the responses are currently being analysed. The working group's report supported adjustment to the current legal framework in relation to religious hatred. Provisions on offences aggravated by religious prejudice are included in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, which will come into effect on 27 June 2003.

The Scottish Executive is opposed to religious intolerance and prejudice in any form. One of the National Priorities in Education is "to work with parents to teach pupils respect for self and one another and their interdependence with other members of their neighbourhood and society and to teach them the duties and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society". The curriculum already provides a range of opportunities for sectarianism to be addressed through citizenship education. The Scottish Executive, in partnership with Celtic and Rangers football clubs, is developing an education resource which will help in challenging sectarian attitudes among young people.

The Executive was aware that registered social landlords do not benefit from the same VAT exemptions enjoyed by local authorities, apart from when they benefit from the agreed custom policy line covering investment programmes in stock transfers. The factoring service provided by the Glasgow Housing Association is not part of the investment programme.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The availability of psychological interventions in general needs to be increased. Work is in hand to increase the number of clinical psychologists, improve the training of other professionals who can contribute and develop best practice for the most effective delivery structures. A new 'pathfinder' workforce group for mental health will assist with developing capacity and skills on a multi-agency basis. The Scottish Needs Assessment Programme review of child and adolescent mental health services provides a timely foundation on which to base development of support for children with mental health problems. The Scottish Executive Health Department has asked the national advisory Child Health Support Group to work with the NHS and partner agencies to act on the findings and implement recommendations in that report.

Glasgow Housing Association Ltd paid £25 million to Glasgow City Council in respect of the Glasgow housing transfer.

The Community Regeneration Statement Better Communities in Scotland: Closing the Gap, which was published in June 2002, sets out the framework for regeneration and the migration of social inclusion partnerships to community planning partnerships.