Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Executive has not commissioned any studies in connection with the River Clyde. Studies of the kind referred to in the question are matters for the riparian owners and other landowners, developers, local authorities and local bodies, not the Executive.We have, however, commissioned research into climate change impacts that may be relevant to interests on the River Clyde, the reports of which are available on the Executive's website:www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange. The Executive is aware that the City of Glasgow Council is undertaking studies on flood risk associated with the River Clyde and officials are keeping in touch with developments. Regarding studies on the use of the river, various studies are being undertaken by the River Clyde Working Group (RCWG). This group was established in November 2001 after the Minister for Enterprise, Transport & Lifelong Learning, convened a meeting of all public and private sector partners with an interest in regeneration of the Clyde. The RCWG studies cover the section of the Clyde between Glasgow Green and Erskine Bridge and are:a strategic benchmarking, market assessment and economic impact study;a collation of the existing technical and engineering studies;an assessment of the potential for water based transport, andan assessment of prospects for attracting European funding.

Monitoring of the effectiveness of dredging and cleaning operations in the River Clyde is a matter for Clydeport, as harbour authority, under the relevant statutory provisions.

The CHEAF project, based in Milton, Glasgow was closed because it was unable to find suitable premises. CHEAF aimed to provide training, counselling and diversionary activities for 12 to 25-year-olds.

The Executive has no plans to introduce legislation requiring suntanning parlours to be licensed. Any allegation of criminal activity is a matter for the police, who will rigorously investigate any information or complaints made to them.

Local authorities do not receive from the Executive an earmarked allocation for dealing with drug misuse. In February 2001, however, the Executive sent out information to drug action teams (DATs) and other local agencies detailing how the £100 million package of new expenditure on tackling drug misuse would be distributed over the three years from 2001-02. Incorporated in the information pack was a breakdown, by DAT area, of the distribution of the new resources over the three year period, including details of allocations to local authorities. The complete package is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre and on the Drug Misuse in Scotland website www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org.In the current financial year, the Executive earmarked an additional £6.8 million within local authorities' Grant Aided Expenditure line for the rehabilitation of drug misusers. We also made available to local authorities in 2001-02 additional resources of £4 million for drug projects under the Changing Children's Services Fund and £2.5 million for diversion from prosecution/community disposal schemes. DATs are being asked to account for the spend of these additional resources and other direct spend on tackling drug misuse as part of their annual corporate planning arrangements. Information on expenditure is not yet available for 2001-02.

By virtue of the provisions of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976, such establishments are required to be licensed by local licensing boards for the provision of alcohol. A local authority Public Entertainment Licence, under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, must also be obtained where the entertainment continues after the conclusion of the normal evening permitted hours for selling alcohol (11 pm). The Executive has not received representations that the current licensing arrangements for these kinds of club, which allow for objections to be lodged, are unsatisfactory.

Local authorities are required to assess the care needs of those who misuse drugs in partnership with other local care providers and local drug action teams. Services are funded from general Grant Aided Expenditure. Much of this work is undertaken within generic services and we do not hold the information centrally that allows us to quantify spend in this area over the past three years.

The Scottish Executive has no responsibility for monitoring the adequacy of provision of facilities for disabled spectators at sports grounds. I also refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23051 today.

The statutory framework is set mainly by the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990 and Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, but these do not confer specific powers on ministers, relating to the provision of toilet facilities for disabled people at sports stadiums.Part III of the 1995 act was introduced to improve access for disabled people to goods, services and facilities. From October 2004, service providers to the public will have to make reasonable adjustments to the physical features of their premises, to overcome physical barriers to access, if access is impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people. The Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, the fourth edition of which was published by the then Scottish Office and the then Department of National Heritage in 1997, contains a chapter on spectator accommodation for people with disabilities. That chapter refers to the 1995 Act and relevant Building Regulations and the requirement on managers to comply with them. The Disability Rights Commission is the body through which people's complaints of non-compliance with the 1995 act can be addressed.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23051.