Seòmar agus comataidhean

I am pleased to announce publication today of this independent report which was prepared for the Scottish Executive by Philip Banks, an independent consultant.The remit of the review was to provide information on and evaluate local authority support for school boards; to identify the needs of school boards and headteachers in terms of finance and administration, initial and continuing training, availability of information, resources and role development; to evaluate the current contribution of key agencies to meeting school boards needs, and to identify key issues for future policy consideration.The report, in its own words "does not propose a set of firm recommendations to address a list of neatly definable problems". Instead it "suggests a process that may be set in motion to find practical proposals to ensure the future health of parental representation in Scottish Schools" and emphasises how important it is that this review process should be both inclusive and consultative. I very much endorse these conclusions. Getting the balance and approach right for current and future generations of parents is not something that can be achieved on the basis of a limited investigation.Some of the report's findings relate to good practice. I have, therefore, already asked the Scottish School Board Association and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland to consider developing guidance which could be issued to local authorities and school boards to improve good practice and ensure that boards are working in the most effective way.Other findings, relating to the report's more fundamental "key issues for future policy consideration" will need to be reviewed in the inclusive and consultative way the report suggests. Many of these issues relate to aspects of one of the main themes running through the responses to the National Debate on Education, namely how to improve communication between schools and parents and to involve parents more in their children's education. We shall indicate how these matters are to be taken forward when we publish our response to the national debate in the new year.A copy of the report will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. It will also be available on the Scottish Executive website.

There are no current plans to do so. However, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland is in contact with the Association of Chief Police Officers in England and Wales and will be provided with updates on the Sussex project, particularly the planning, methods of public appeal, the progress of the system and the running and management of the programme. I shall wish to discuss developments with ACPOS when there has been adequate opportunity to consider the programme's progress.

None directly. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland is, however, being kept informed of developments associated with the project.

There are no current plans to do so. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) is in contact with the Association of Chief Police Officers in England and Wales and will be provided with updates on the Sussex project, particularly the planning, methods of public appeal, the progress of the system and the running and management of the programme. I shall wish to discuss developments with ACPOS when there has been adequate opportunity to consider the programme's progress.

There are no current plans to do so. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) is in contact with the Association of Chief Police Officers in England and Wales and will be provided with updates on the Sussex project, particularly the planning, methods of public appeal, the progress of the system and the running and management of the programme. I shall wish to discuss developments with ACPOS when there has been adequate opportunity to consider the programme's progress.

Independent consultants carried out the analysis of the responses to this consultation paper and I have today placed the analysis report in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The report will also be available on the Scottish Executive website. Sixty-eight organisations and individuals, representing a wide variety of interests responded to the consultation. The proposals put forward in the paper were, as a whole, extremely well received and supported by those who responded. After considering the analysis, it is intended to bring forward legislation to implement wide-ranging reform of the enforcement system as a whole. I shall, however, be looking at the responses to one point of the consultation as a matter of urgency. This is the part that asks for views on how a statutory national debt arrangement scheme should be taken forward. The framework of the scheme, including power to make regulations, is contained in the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Bill currently before the Parliament. Now that an analysis of the responses is available, the Executive will be looking to bring forward regulations to implement the scheme as quickly as possible taking due account of the consultation results.

The Executive's formal response, Implementing the recommendations of the MMR Expert Group, has been published today. Copies have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The report is also available on the Scottish Executive website.

Copies of report into a review of the work, policies and structures of the administration are being laid in the Parliament today. The review was the first for SCRA under the five-yearly examinations of non-domestic public bodies (NDPBs). The report concluded that despite the recognised resource pressures from SCRA's inception and an increase in referrals, SCRA has established a core organisation which is sound in structure and process. The report identified various areas for improvement and these are detailed in the recommendations which affect both SCRA and the Scottish Executive. The Scottish Executive accepts all the recommendations which have the potential to improve outcomes from the hearings system. The Scottish Budget announced increases in resources to the hearings system to enable these recommendations to be taken forward.

Since 1999, a number of initiatives have been introduced to encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to remain in education. These include the Education Maintenance Allowance pilot programme, the Young Student Retention Fund for Further Education Students and the Young Students Bursary Fund for Higher Education Students. The overall proportion of young people staying on at school beyond fourth year or going on to further or higher education has increased since 1999.

I can announce that a report on the outcomes of the first consultation paper, focussing on the past performance of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC), is now available. This is being sent to all respondents, is available on the Scottish Executive website (www.scotland.gov.uk/who/elld/hereview.asp) and copies placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 23187). The written responses received by the Executive are also available on the Scottish Executive website.The general outcome of the review is positive with the SHEFC being perceived to have performed well and to have sound internal processes and procedures. The report also highlights where further improvements in the operation of SHEFC can be made.This marks the completion of the Quinquennial Review of SHEFC and of stage one of the Higher Education Review process looking at the past performance of SHEFC. We are currently concluding the second stage of consultation based on the document Shaping Our Future which was issued at the end of April 2002.