Chamber and committees

Distribution planning is a responsibility of NHS boards working with the operators of nuclear facilities, the police, local authorities and others who would be involved in the response to any nuclear accident or incident. Methods employed would depend on the nature, scale and circumstances of the accident or incident. In some circumstances distribution to people in their homes might be appropriate; in others, distribution might be effected at reception centres or other points at which people within an affected area would be collected.

Yes. The Scottish Executive has taken steps to ensure that a supply of stable iodine tablets adequate to satisfy potential needs following a nuclear accident or incident is in place. Potential needs arise only when the release contains radioactive iodine. Determination of adequacy has included assessment of the possible scale and spread of radioactive iodine emanating from such an accident or incident.

Over the past 11 months there has been a thorough re-assessment of our preparedness to deal with nuclear incidents. Our preparedness for such incidents is tested during our participation in the programmes of exercises undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and by civil nuclear establishments. In addition the Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Public Information Regulations 2001(REPPIR) came into force last year. These regulations implement the EURATOM Basic Safety Standards Directive (96/29) and replace the Public Information for Radiation Emergencies Regulations (PIRER) 1992.

March 2002.

NHS staff organisations were invited to attend the recent Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Convention in Glasgow. Arrangements for further discussion of the issues including staff, patient and public involvement will be incorporated in the action plan following from the convention. This will be published later this year.

The membership of the HAI Surveillance Steering Group, as co-ordinated by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) is as follows:

Dr David Old	Dr Ahilya Noone
Chairman	Consultant Epidemiologist, SCIEH
Dr Ian Auchterlonie	Dr Rosie Hague
Consultant Paediatrician	Consultant in Infectious Diseases
Dr Frank Bone	Dr Anne Eastaway
Consultant Microbiologist	Consultant Microbiologist
Dr Dilip Nathwani	Professor David Rowley
Infection & Immodeficiency Unit	Prof. of Trauma & Orthopaedics
Dr Jim Millar	Dr J D Browning
Consultant in Public Health	(Medical Directors)
Mr Andrew McMahan	Dr Peter Wallace
Consultant in Colorectal Surgeon	Consultant Intensive Care & Anaesthesia
Mr Richard Carey	Mr Alex Cumming
Chief Executive, Highlands	Chief Executive, Grampian
Dr Andrew Riley	Dr Marion Bain / Mr Graeme Mitchell
Director of Public Health, Borders	ISD (Information & Statistics Division)
Mr John MacKenzie	Dr Rosalind Skinner
Scottish Association	Principal Medical Officer
Health Councils	Scottish Executive
Ms Jackie Stewart	Mrs Mary Henry
Infection Control Nurse	Consultant Nurse Epidemiologist
Dr Stephanie Dancer
Consultant Medical Microbiologist
SCIEH

The remit of the group is "to oversee and advise on the implementation of a national system of surveillance of HAI in Scotland and to monitor and report on progress."

The Home Office is responsible for the Immigration Detention Centre at Dungavel House, Strathavon under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales is responsible for inspection. However, the Immigration Service have consulted with the host authority, South Lanarkshire Council and Social Work Services Inspectorate regarding the provision of services. It is anticipated that The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care will be consulted about arrangements for inspection.

Social Inclusion Partnership Fund grant expenditure is audited at a number of levels. At project level the accounts are subject to an annual audit by a qualified accountant. Where the council is the nominated partner, the council's management is responsible for ensuring that its systems for handling grant and accounting for it are sound. These systems may be subject to scrutiny by the council's internal auditors. Non-local authority nominated partners are responsible for ensuring that their systems for handling grant and accounting for it are sound and for ensuring that their final grant claim is audited by professionally qualified external auditors. At the partnership level, partnerships' final claims are periodically certified by auditors appointed by Audit Scotland. The role of these external auditors is to ensure that expenditure is properly accounted for and used for the intended purposes. Communities Scotland is currently undertaking a review of financial procedures and practices in relation to the social inclusion partnership programme.

Pay and conditions of service for ambulance service staff are negotiated and agreed by staff side representatives and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27875.