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As local authorities have a general duty to deal with emergencies there is no automatic entitlement to special financial assistance. In exceptional circumstances, however, local authorities can apply under the Bellwin Scheme for additional revenue funding to assist with the immediate and unforeseen costs in dealing with the aftermath of emergency incidents.

Full details of the Bellwin Scheme can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

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There are a range of systems in place to support the safe return of children and young people who have gone missing. Professionals in the health and education sectors along with the police all have processes for identifying and responding to such instances. The sharing of information amongst professionals and across agencies is critical if these processes are to prove fully effective. Through the implementation of the getting it right for every child agenda, we are promoting improved culture, systems and practices to facilitate better inter-agency work across all dimensions. The HM Inspectorate of Education-led joint inspection of child protection services in Scotland specifically monitors how well service providers share information and intervene to protect children at risk, including children who have gone missing.

Specific recommendations on how best to improve the provision of appropriate services for young runaways are currently under development by the national working group on young runaways.

The Scottish Government is also consulting from 10 April 2008 on draft guidance for Safeguarding Children in Scotland who may have been Trafficked which includes principles for partnership working with the police in respect of missing children.

We are currently developing a new long-term strategic approach towards tackling alcohol misuse and, as part of this process, we are considering a number of options. We plan to publish our proposals for action on alcohol misuse for full public consultation before the summer.

The information requested is given on the Information Services Division Website at:

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I am today publishing the Scottish Government''s response to the Gould Report, and a consultation paper on decoupling the Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections. They are available on the Scottish Government''s website and .

The Gould Report demonstrates that the Scottish electoral system is fragmented and antiquated, with no clear lines of accountability for its management or to the people of Scotland. The Scottish Government believes that the Gould Report represents a unique opportunity to introduce the radical reforms necessary to address these underlying problems.

With this Parliament, the Scottish Government believes that the key step would be for clear and coherent responsibility for legislation and management of elections in Scotland to rest with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government believes this is the most practical way to improve the management of elections, and would provide democratic accountability to the people of Scotland in line with the principles of devolution.

As well as this fundamental recommendation, the Scottish Government plans to take forward the other recommendations of the Gould Report. Today we are publishing a consultation paper on decoupling the Parliamentary and local elections. Further consultations will follow on the role of the Chief Returning Officer and on the design of ballot papers and other issues. The Scottish Government is determined that all decisions will be taken in good time for the next elections, and the problems experienced last May will not be repeated.

I will publish a consultation document on this issue later today. Copies will be available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 44281) and can be viewed at the abolition of council tax consultation website .

This consultation will last for a period of four months in order to give all parties an extended opportunity to comment on this significant change to the taxation system of Scotland. I look forward to working constructively with the Parliament on our proposals to make local taxation fairer.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and myself will meet this afternoon with Energy Action Scotland and a number of other stakeholders to discuss their view of the current fuel poverty situation and the best way of ensuring stakeholder participation going forward.

Assessments regarding exceptional circumstances are determined by the clinical circumstances in each case and for this reason there is no prescribed deadline for completion of an assessment. Information regarding the time taken to consider individual cases is not collected centrally.

The SIGN Guideline remit is the diagnosis and pharmaceutical management of Parkinson''s disease. SIGN will therefore not be considering deep brain stimulation for inclusion. As a neurosurgical intervention, it falls outwith the remit for the guideline.

If there is sufficient evidence of sufficient quality to permit comment, the topic of treatments which simulate natural dopamine release may be included in the final guideline.

The exact number of people diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson''s disease in Scotland is not available centrally.

An estimate, based on the numbers consulting a member of their practice team for the conditions in practices participating in Practice Team Information (PTI) suggests there may be 4,800 people idiopathic Parkinson''s disease in Scotland. Estimates cannot be provided at NHS board level, as the PTI practice sample is not representative at board level.