Chamber and committees

The Chief Executive of Communities Scotland is the accountable officer for Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) funding provided by Communities Scotland, and is answerable to the Minister for Social Justice. SIP boards are responsible for making funding allocation decisions, and for ensuring that these decisions are made in the public interest. Financial guidance on this has been provided by the Executive to SIPs, and the terms and conditions of grant funding issued to local authorities as the grant recipients include guidance on conflict of interest. This includes the requirement to hold a register of interests, which must be made available for inspection by Communities Scotland on request.

The terms and conditions of Social Inclusion Partnership grant funding place a requirement on the local authority, as grant recipient, to maintain a register of interests which must be made available for inspection by Communities Scotland on request.

Arrangements are in place across Scotland to enable the Health Department to monitor NHS performance and quality of service, and to support independent verification of service quality. On the basis of these arrangements, I am satisfied that in general terms Lanarkshire Primary Care Trust ensures that high quality primary care services continue to be made available to the people of Lanarkshire.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The Visitor Identity Systems have been introduced to prevent prisoners escaping and to prevent prohibited visitors from entering prison. Legal advisers have been consulted on the system and, in the light of legal advice received the Scottish Prison Service, is satisfied that it can be justified in terms of the European Convention on Human Rights as a necessary and proportionate measure designed to prevent disorder or crime.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The Visitor Identity Systems have been introduced to prevent prisoners escaping and to prevent prohibited visitors from entering prison. In terms of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989 and the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993 the Scottish ministers have a duty to ensure that prisoners are only released in accordance with the provisions of these acts. In terms of rule 78 of the Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 1994 (as amended) the Governor is responsible for the supervision of the whole prison and the control of prisoners confined therein. The Visitor Identity System is being carried out in pursuance of these duties.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Neither the scanned image of a finger nor the digital image of a visitor's face is forwarded to the police national database. This information is retained within the prisons only to speed up access at subsequent visits by the same person.

No, not all. The pay and conditions of service for education advisers is currently under review by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) Psychologists and Advisers working group. They expect to make recommendations to the full SNCT on 28 February 2002.

The issue of student debt has been the subject of correspondence with ministers and officials on a number of occasions since the introduction of student loans in 1990.

Lanarkshire Primary Care Trust was one of several NHS Trusts which revealed restrictions to outpatient lists in a very small number of highly-specialist areas. Where a GP considers that referral to the Clinical and Counselling Psychology Service in Lanarkshire is the most appropriate for that individual, that patient should be added to the waiting list. It is unacceptable to refuse to accept a referral and to close waiting lists.

A wide range of factors, including financial ones, will affect an individual's academic performance. We do not have any current plans to commission, research on the impact of student poverty on academic performance. As the member will be aware there are a new set of financial support arrangements being introduced.