Health Committee, 12 Sep 2006

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Official Report 214KB pdf

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European Issues

We move to item 4. Members might recall that earlier this year we asked the minister to provide the committee with an update on the European Union work with which the Scottish Executive is currently engaged. Copies of the minister's response have been circulated with the papers.

Members might wish to note references to the Health Department's direct involvement in European Union initiatives and to areas where legislation might be required in Scotland to implement specific EU directives. For example, in relation to directive 2005/36/EC, on the recognition of professional qualifications, reference is made to possible consultation early in 2007. Reference is also made to the European policy on physical activity in Scottish school children—PASS—which is a Scotland-specific programme funded by NHS Health Scotland to investigate health-related outcomes associated with early activity patterns. Also, with regard to the European Council decision 2119/98/EC, which relates to surveillance and control of communicable diseases, the Health Department notes that legislation is proposed to update public health legislation in this area.

Are there any comments from members? Helen Eadie, I think that this was originally your idea, was it not?

I am deeply grateful to you, convener, and to the officials in our clerking team and the Scottish Executive for all the work that has been done on this paper. It highlights a number of key areas in which the Scottish Executive is heavily involved. It is good to see the direct link between the EU and ourselves when we see certain policies being translated into action. I was especially pleased to read that Scotland appears to have made unique progress in the e-health action plan. We might want to let the minister know that we value the fact that that is happening in our name in Scotland.

If you do not mind, convener, I will write to the committee clerk to ask whether I might have some more information on some of the issues.

There is a possibility that we could ask for further briefing on certain issues.

I would like to have some further information on the issues around alcohol, which is an important issue for Scotland. I was particularly interested in the section on drugs. The fact that the bowel cancer screening programme will start in March 2007 is good, too.

Could we also ask for more information on the implementation of the working time directive?

The area relating to the recognition of qualifications and the potential for subsequent United Kingdom and Scottish regulation mentions that a number of new professions might be subject to regulation. Could we have some idea of what those might be?

Do we agree to note the response from the Scottish Executive and ask for more extensive briefing on the issues that Helen Eadie, Jean Turner and Euan Robson have raised?

Members indicated agreement.

That ends the public part of our meeting.

Meeting continued in private until 16:01.