Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive has had no discussions with the Medicines Control Agency regarding any non-compliance in the NHS with the requirements of the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, etc.) Regulations 1994.

The Right Medicine: A Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care in Scotland commits the Scottish Executive to exploring systems to allow, whenever possible, the dispensing of patient packs in all situations across primary, secondary and tertiary care. This will assist compliance in the NHS with the requirements of the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, etc.) Regulations 1994.

The Scottish Executive consulted last year on Assessing Our Children's Educational Needs -The Way Forward?. As a result, outline proposals for change were published on 19 February 2002. Copies of the proposals are available in the Scottish Executive response to the consultation (Bib. number 19469). The Executive will be holding consultation meetings with service users and providers this year in order to develop further the proposals for improvements.

A report entitled Putting the Pieces in Place has been compiled in conjunction with NHS boards. I am placing copies in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 19606).The report summarises the impressive range of work that is under way and planned as a direct result of the Health Improvement Fund. It also indicates that NHS boards and local partners, including local authorities and community organisations, are building effective co-operative working relationships. We intend to review the experience to date, in consultation with national partners, as a means of identifying and disseminating best practice.

I am pleased to announce that the Strategy entitled The Right Medicine: A Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care in Scotland, is published today. It was produced after a period of consultation with patient representative groups, pharmacists and other healthcare professions and meets the commitment in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change to develop a strategy for pharmacy. Copies of the strategy have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 18835).

The Scottish Executive has implemented a number of initiatives to improve the provision of this important service. We have made £8 million available over three years to local authorities to help stabilise and sustain out-of-school care clubs, especially in disadvantaged areas. We are convening a Working Group, with cross-sector representation, to take forward issues affecting the delivery of out-of-school care. We agreed the designation of 25% postcode areas in Scotland (most deprived areas) where funding is available for up to three years for out-of-school projects approved by the New Opportunities Fund (the Fund). I am shortly to meet with the Fund's Scotland Board Member to explore ways of increasing the take up of funding in Scotland under its child care initiative.

The Pay Review Body for Doctors and Dentists (DDRB) has recommended a general pay increase of 3.6% for all doctors and dentists, with the exception of General Medical Practitioners, for whom the recommendation is 4.6%. The Pay Review Body for Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and the Professions Allied to Medicine (NPRB) has recommended a general pay increase of 3.6% for nurses, midwives, health visitors and the professions allied to medicine. In addition, the NPRB has recommended targeted increases for the lowest paid grade A and B nurses and equivalent PAMs - a minimum lump sum payment of £400 and extra progression for staff developing their skills through Scottish Vocational Qualifications.These increases are double the rate of inflation and ahead of pay settlements in the economy generally. They reward those who are at the heart of rebuilding our NHS and who deliver patient care day in, day out. The increases should also help with our plans for recruitment and retention generally - more nurses and more doctors for NHSScotland. I am therefore pleased to confirm that the Scottish Executive has accepted the recommendations of both the DDRB and NPRB for 2002-03 in full and that once again we will implement them without staging.The awards will be met from the resources available to health boards in 2002-03.

We are committed to recruiting more nurses to NHSScotland. Over the next five years 10,000 more nurses and midwives will qualify in Scotland, 1,500 more than previously planned.The Nursing and Midwifery Convention held on 19 November 2001 provided an important springboard for a renewed national effort to secure the nurses needed for NHSScotland - both now and in the future. The Executive has made available £1.5 million of immediate investment specifically dedicated to ideas generated by this convention.

NHSScotland is making steady progress in improving the quality and effectiveness of cleaning services. Audit Scotland will be revisiting this issue in due course and I look forward to the report. I expect hospitals to work with the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland to implement a new standard for domestic services which will ensure the clean environment that patients need.

The Scottish Executive has today introduced the Scottish Local Government (Elections) Bill in the Scottish Parliament. The Executive issued a draft of the Bill on 30 March and received over 80 responses to that consultation. I have today placed a copy of responses to the consultation, except those given in confidence, in the Parliament's Reference Centre.Of the 31 councils that responded, 22 were in favour of both a move to four-year terms for councils and coincident local government and Scottish Parliament elections.Many responses to the consultation commented adversely on the draft provisions to combine local government elections with an extraordinary parliamentary election held for the Scottish Parliament. Although it was expected that this power would only be used exceptionally - one possible example might be where an extraordinary election fell only a few weeks before the due date - the Executive recognises the objection of councils that, as originally drafted, the power could be used more widely. We have therefore decided to drop the general power from the Bill but retain an option where an extraordinary election runs close to a local government election. The council tax setting date of 11 March has been raised as a suitable date and seems a sensible break point.A number of councils asked whether it would be possible to trial new electoral procedures similar to those run in England and Wales for the May 2000 local government elections. Accordingly, we have amended the Bill to provide for similar pilots to be run at local government elections in Scotland.