Seòmar agus comataidhean

The scheduling of valuation appeal hearings is a matter for each local independent Valuation Appeal Committee (VAC). However, it is a statutory requirement that all valuation appeals against the 2010 revaluation must be disposed of by the Committees before 30 December 2013.

The majority of outstanding appeals are anticipated to be resolved during 2011-12.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-001043 on 18 July 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-001043 on 18 July 2011. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

It is assumed that the member is referring to CS incapacitant spray which is issued to all police officers in Scotland who have been trained in its use. The information requested is not held centrally. Any enquiries should be addressed to Scottish Police Forces.

It is assumed that the member is referring to CS incapacitant spray, which is issued to all police officers in Scotland who have been trained in its use. Scottish Ministers do not have a role in issuing guidance. The deployment and use of such sprays, including the issuing of guidance, is an operational matter for Chief Constables. Officers must ensure that the use of CS spray is fair, proportionate and justifiable.

Scottish Government is making available in 2011-12, £20 million in grant to assist the construction of new council houses as part of the £50 million Innovation and Investment Fund.

However, the main funding source for councils incurring additional Housing Revenue Account debt from the construction of new council houses is prudential borrowing. This is repaid over time from rental income from the council’s housing stock.

Local authorities can also use other sources of funding to finance council house building projects, for example Council Tax revenue from second homes and
long-term empty properties, council reserves and capital receipts from Right to Buy sales and the sale of other assets. Councils can also fund capital expenditure directly from the HRA in any year using a revenue contribution to capital.

Scottish Government would also encourage councils to explore innovative sources of funds for new council housing.

The cost of the Scottish Distant Islands Allowance is included within the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee formula as part of the calculation of the cost of providing services on islands. The Scottish Government Distant Islands Allowance allocation to the island NHS boards in 2011-12 is shown below:

NHS Shetland: £0.44 million;

NHS Orkney: £0.30 million;

NHS Western Isles: £0.36 million.

The issue of island NHS boards incurring costs associated with staff attending training events on the mainland was raised in the consultation with NHS boards carried out as part of the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation‘s (TAGRA) report into the impact of the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee formula on remote and rural areas. Following discussion with the remote, rural, and island boards, this issue has not been included on the work plan of TAGRA’s remote and rural subgroup, but may be considered in the future.

The Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA) has undertaken a number of pieces of work looking at the needs of island NHS boards and remote and rural areas of Scotland more generally. This has included taking evidence from the NHS boards as to the special cost pressures that they face. Following this work, a new subgroup of TAGRA has been established to progress work on remote and rural issues. This has identified the costs of providing a minimum level of service in remote and rural areas, the costs of GP out-of-hours services, and costs relating to the Scottish Distant Islands Allowance, as priorities for future research.

Full details of the treatment of the needs of the island NHS boards within the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) formula is provided in the final report of NRAC: Delivering Fair Shares for Health in Scotland, available at:

http://www.tagra.scot.nhs.uk/research.html.

This website also hosts a set of answers to frequently asked questions about the formula.