§ The Earl of Mar and Kellieasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many local authorities in Scotland are making direct payments under Section 12 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to enable (a) individuals and (h) voluntary organisations on behalf of individuals to purchase community care services.
§ The Lord Advocate (Lord Mackay of Drumadoon):I refer the noble Earl to the Answer which my noble friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Slate at the Scottish Office (the Earl of Lindsay) gave to him on 25 January. During the year 1994–95, each regional and islands council except Central, Dumfries and Galloway and Tayside made emergency cash payments under Section 12 of 25WA the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to individuals to enable them to purchase, for example, heating and food and other services. Local authorities have powers under Section 10(3) of the 1968 Act to make payments to certain voluntary organisations which may he used to assist individual adults purchase community care services.