Chamber and committees

Victim Information and Advice (VIA) is part of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. The Director of VIA reports directly to the Crown Agent. As is the case of other divisions of the department VIA’s performance is monitored by the senior management of the department.

For the period April 2003 to March 2004, Victim Information and Advice offered a service to 18,447 victims, witnesses and bereaved next of kin, by comparison with 10,356 the previous year.

In recognition of the duties which the prosecution service owes to victims and witnesses, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has established a dedicated victim service – Victim Information and Advice (VIA) which will be rolled out across the whole of Scotland by the end of 2005. One of the aims of VIA is to keep victims and bereaved next of kin informed about the progress of the case that affects them. VIA officers provide information pro-actively in cases which fall within its referral categories.

If the case is to be adjourned due to the ill health of the accused, it may not always be possible to provide specific information about the nature of the illness affecting the accused, but victims will be alerted to any proposed adjournment and provided with information about when the case will next call at court.

Approximately 3,000 patients are currently receiving oxygen therapy via oxygen concentrators provided by the hospital service. The threshold of eight hours a day was introduced in April this year. The previous threshold was 15 hours a day or more and it is currently too soon to ascertain the impact on concentrator users.

Portable oxygen equipment has been available on GP prescription since 1 April 2004. Oxygen conserver devices are not available on GP prescription. Althoughportable oxygen has always been available through the hospital services incases of clinical need, I am advised that oxygen conservers have not beensupplied as part of that service.

There are no formal registration arrangements for people requiring oxygen therapy. However it is estimated that there are approximately 3,000 patients receiving therapy via concentrators supplied by the hospital service, and approximately 5,000 patients receiving therapy in cylinder form.

Work is in hand to conduct a study that will consider the clinical and financial benefits that could possibly result from making oxygen conservation devices available on NHS prescription. The outcomes of the study will be considered in the review of Domiciliary Oxygen Therapy Service which is to take place towards the end of 2005.

We are considering the Scottish House Condition Survey 2002 topic report on fuel poverty. Future spending plans will be announced later in the year.

Yes. The Fuel Poverty Report based on the Scottish House Condition Survey 2002 demonstrates the impact that the Executive’s policies have already had on reducing fuel poverty and will be used as an evidence base to inform future policies.

Officials hold regular meetingswith the joint DCMS/DTI Digital Television Project Team, and ministers are keptaware of developments.

In her statement of 19 May tothe House of Commons (Col 53WS), Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Mediaand Sport, confirmed the UK Government’s belief that switchover between 2006 and2010 remains attainable, but that more concerted action by broadcasters, retailersand manufacturers, supported by Government and Ofcom, is required if the full benefitsof digital television are to be made available to the whole population within thedesired period.