This recommendation is about action to be taken by the local agencies.

The Scottish Executive has issued no guidance on average caseloads for social workers working in the community. Employers take account of complexity, local circumstances such as geography and the experience of individual social workers in determining caseloads.

Panel members are normally recruited up to the age of 60 and will not usually be re-appointed beyond the 15 May following their 65 birthday. However, if recommended by a Children's Panel Advisory Committee (CPAC), appointments may be made up to the age of 62 for new applicants. Reappointment of serving panel members beyond their 65 birthday may also be approved subject to a recommendation by a CPAC. Reasons might include recruitment or retention difficulties affecting the balance of skills and experience, age or gender of the panel. This change was notified to CPACs on 18 August 2000. The circular is currently being updated to reflect this and other changes.

Information on the number of guardianships granted under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 in the three years 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02, and the number applied for and granted under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 from April 2002 to date, by local authority area, is provided in the following tables. Information on the number of guardianships applied for under the 1984 act is not available centrally.Number¹ of Guardianships Granted Under the Mental Health (Scotland ) Act 1984

Authority	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
Aberdeen City	7	16	16
Aberdeenshire	*	6	6
Angus	*	*	*
Argyll and Bute	*	*	*
Clackmannanshire	0	*	*
Dumfries and Galloway	*	*	*
Dundee City	6	*	9
East Ayrshire	*	*	*
East Dunbartonshire	*	*	*
East Lothian	*	*	*
East Renfrewshire	*	*	*
Edinburgh, City of	12	17	21
Eilean Siar	0	0	*
Falkirk	*	*	*
Fife	9	17	19
Glasgow City	22	27	32
Highland	21	18	13
Inverclyde	0	*	*
Midlothian	*	*	0
Moray	0	*	*
North Ayrshire	0	*	8
North Lanarkshire	*	9	9
Orkney	0	0	0
Perth and Kinross	*	*	*
Renfrewshire	*	*	*
Scottish Borders	*	*	*
Shetland	0	0	0
South Ayrshire	*	6	*
South Lanarkshire	*	*	*
Stirling	*	*	*
West Dunbartonshire	*	*	*
West Lothian	*	6	10
Total	126	160	190

Notes:1. Information supplied by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.*Number is less than five.With effect from 1 April 2002 guardianship under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 was replaced by guardianship under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. The following table provides information on the number of guardianships sought and granted since 1 April 2002 under the 2000 act.Number¹ of Guardianships Applied for and Granted Under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000

	Guardianship Applied For			Guardianship Granted
	Welfare	Financial	Joint	Welfare	Financial	Joint
Aberdeen City	15	1	0	8	0	0
Aberdeenshire	6	0	5	2	0	0
Angus	3	0	0	2	0	0
Argyll and Bute	10	0	2	8	0	1
Clackmannanshire	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dumfries and Galloway	5	4	1	2	3	0
Dundee City	0	0	0	0	0	0
East Ayrshire	5	1	1	1	0	1
East Dunbartonshire	0	0	0	0	0	0
East Lothian	4	0	0	4	0	0
East Renfrewshire	0	0	0	0	0	0
Edinburgh, City of	7	4	2	6	0	1
Eilean Siar	1	1	0	1	0	0
Falkirk	2	1	0	2	1	0
Fife	6	0	1	6	0	1
Glasgow City	14	2	1	10	0	1
Highland	13	2	0	8	0	0
Inverclyde	1	1	2	1	1	2
Midlothian	2	0	0	2	0	0
Moray	4	0	0	4	0	0
North Ayrshire	2	1	0	1	0	0
North Lanarkshire	5	3	0	4	2	0
Orkney	0	1	0	0	0	0
Perth and Kinross	9	0	0	5	0	0
Renfrewshire	0	0	3	0	0	1
Scottish Borders	3	0	1	1	0	0
Shetland	0	0	1	0	0	0
South Ayrshire	1	0	3	1	0	0
South Lanarkshire	5	3	3	3	3	1
Stirling	2	0	0	2	0	0
West Dunbartonshire	4	0	0	1	0	0
West Lothian	6	1	0	4	0	0
Total	135	25	26	89	10	9

Note:1. Information supplied by the Office of the Public Guardian.

This information is not held centrally.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The readily available information is as follows:

Year	Number
1999	48
2000	62
2001	75
Jan-Sept 2002	40

The Scottish Executive has issued various codes of practice under section 13 of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. There is one for local authorities exercising functions under the act and one for guardians and persons authorised under intervention orders. Local authorities may also have prepared guidance themselves for their care staff.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:A wide range of information is collected each time a young person is held in a penal establishment. The information includes personal information such as gender and date of birth; the circumstances of the detention (whether on remand under an unruly certificate, as convicted awaiting sentence or as a sentenced prisoner); the length of time spent in custody, and the main crime/offence for which they were detained. Statistics on gender, age and time spent in custody of all young people remanded in custody under an unruly certificate are published each year in Tables 16-18 of the Prison Statistics bulletin.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The SPS are making arrangements to publish the contract. This will be done in due course. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29472 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.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is contained in the following table.

Financial Year	Budget(£ million)	Under (Over) Spends(£ million)
1999-2000	N/A*	N/A*
2000-01	8.1	0.3
2001-02	8.5	(0.2)
2002-03	8.8	1

Notes:*Budget details are no longer retained.1. Projected spend is currently in line with budgets allocated.