Chamber and committees

The main costs willconsist of the remuneration to panel members and their secretariat support. Panelmembers’ expenses will be reimbursed, and remuneration will be offered at a rateof £400 a day, which is consistent with the current rate for members of the MentalHealth Tribunal and other similar bodies. This panel is expected to devote 15 workingdays per person to undertaking its task in relation to the revised accident andemergency service proposals from NHS Ayrshire and Arran, at a total estimated cost (including expenses) of £26,000.

This panel’s full-time secretariat consists of asecretariat manager, panel facilitator and secretariat officer. The secretariatalso provides full-time support to the panel that is considering the NHS serviceproposals for the Clyde area, chaired by Professor Angus Mackay. Bothpanels commenced their work in September 2007 with Professor Mackay’s panel scheduledto publish its report in late November. The panel chaired by Dr Andrew Walker thatis considering the revised accident and emergency service proposals from NHS Ayrshireand Arran and NHS Lanarkshire is expected to produceits final report in early January 2008. The total estimated staffing cost for thesecretariat for the period September 2007 to January 2008 is £45,313.

These are preliminary,estimated costs - I will publish the full, final costs in the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre when the work of the two Independent Scrutiny Panels is complete.The cost of both panels is being met within existing Health Directorates budgets.

We consulted widelyon the reforms which will be made to the enterprise networks, including with nationaltrade union representatives. No specific discussions took place with trade unionsin the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley area.

The ScottishHealth Council does not have a role in the option appraisal process. However,the Council is providing a secretariat service to the Independent ScrutinyPanel, set up to look at the new proposals for review of services broughtforward by NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

One of the Scottish Health Council’s functions is to support the development of goodpractice in patient focus and public involvement and this would include generaladvice to NHS boards on involving the public in options development andappraisal.

Precisearrangements for membership of the regional business advisory boards will besubject to further consideration by Ministers. The principal objective will beto secure meaningful business involvement in the boards, however, appropriatewider representation will also be sought.

We consulted witha broad cross section of the Scottish business community during the process todevelop the enterprise networks reform proposals. No particular constituencieswere targeted, however, we did consult with the Chamber of Commerce whosemembership has wide geographic coverage.

This will be anoperational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

This will be amatter for local authorities and the Chambers of Commerce between which theyare already many examples of effective working relationships.

Access to theBusiness Gateway is increasingly through the website reflecting customerchoice. The provision of local advisory services will be a matter for the contractorappointed to run the Business Gateway service in Ayrshire. The contractor willhowever provide a part-time presence in Cumnock and is more generally requiredto ensure that customers across the full geography are provided withappropriate access to business events and advisory services.

This will be amatter for the contractors, Alba Smart Thinking, recently appointed to run theBusiness Gateway service in Ayrshire.

Precisearrangements for membership of the regional business advisory boards will besubject to further consideration by Ministers. The principal objective will beto secure meaningful business involvement in the boards, however, appropriatewider representation will also be sought.