Chamber and committees

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

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.

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

This will be anoperational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

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.

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.

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.

I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-4234 on 11 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Scottish coalmining industry makes a significant contribution to energy supplies, currentlysupplying around 25% of UK coal production. Our policy opposing newnuclear power stations in Scotland, the installation of flue gasdesulpherisation equipment at Longannet power station, and the futuredevelopment of clean coal technologies, are all factors expected to increasethe size of the potential market for Scottish coal production. We maintainregular contact with the sector and participate in the UK Coal Forum.

As was clearly set out inthe Independent Scrutiny Panel (ISP) terms of reference, the panel will need totake account of local circumstances and the views of individuals andcommunities affected by effectively engaging with local people, in liaison withthe Scottish Health Council. It is for the panel to determine how they willcarry out this task in light of its terms of reference. The ISP has not beencharged with undertaking formal public consultation.

AsI pointed out in my statement to Parliament on this matter on 6 June 2007, it isimportant to recognise that the original review of services proposals weresubject to extensive formal public consultation. That consultation highlightedthe overwhelming strength of public opinion against the proposals to close the accidentand emergency department at Ayr Hospital. In reversing these proposals - which were endorsedby the former Executive - the Government has charged the ISP with carefullyconsidering NHS Ayrshire and Arran's plans for retaining accident and emergency servicesat Ayr Hospital together with the supporting evidence; and to providea commentary on these.

WhenI made my statement to Parliament on 6 June, I also recognised that we must becareful not to set back or slow down the board’s service plans any more than isabsolutely necessary to fulfil the commitment on accident and emergency services.That is why we have agreed with the board that their proposals - having beenscrutinised and evaluated by the ISP - should be with me for a final decisionby the turn of the year.

This timescale will achievethe necessary balance between effective public engagement and independentscrutiny, and the need to move forward swiftly to minimise uncertainty and theimpact on service development.