Chamber and committees

Services already provided by community safety partnerships, such as mediation, can be very effective in dealing with a range of neighbour disputes, including those about high hedges.

However, the Scottish Government is giving active consideration to how best it could support the provision of a suitable means of last resort for resolving cases in which all other measures have been exhausted.

As part of the review we will be considering the use, effectiveness and range of existing measures available to local agencies to tackle unacceptable behaviour, including services relevant to high hedge disputes, such as mediation. We intend to publish the findings of the review by the end of 2008.

Additionally, the Scottish Government is exploring options, including legislative ones, for supporting a means of last resort for resolving disputes about high hedges. This will be done in parallel to the national antisocial behaviour review. In doing so, we will bear in mind consultation on the issue by the previous administration, the provisions in place in England and Wales, and Scott Barrie's bill, which fell at dissolution of the last session of the Parliament.

The Independent Funding Review on Free Personal and Nursing Care, chaired by Lord Sutherland, is currently investigating both the level and distribution of resources to local authorities for free personal and nursing care. The review will not only look back at the previous allocations, but forward to how we deliver effective and sustainable long-term care for Scotland''s ageing population.

We will consider the findings and recommendations of the review when it reports.

Evidence-based systems for detection of alcohol misuse are AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and CAGE (attempts to Cut back on drinking, being Annoyed at criticisms about drinking, feeling Guilty about drinking, and using alcohol as an Eye-opener).

Available guidelines for the management of alcohol misuse are the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 74 on the management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence in primary care (including Accident and Emergency); Health Technology Assessment Report 3 on prevention and relapse in alcohol dependence, and the letter to NHS Board Chief Executives CEL 14 (2008): Health Promoting Health Service “ action in acute care settings.

It is for NHS boards to determine the levels of service provision for young physically disabled adults based on local needs. The majority of the recommendations from the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland review were for the NHS board. Implementing and monitoring the recommendations of the review is the responsibility of the board's Physical Disabilities Planning Group. Two of the recommendations are being progressed at national level through the wheelchair and seating services project team; and the development of neurological standards.

Photodynamic therapy is available at the Dundee centre to Scottish patients on the basis of clinical need. It is the responsibility of the referring NHS board to fund the cost of treatment.

From 31 July 2008, all dental technicians must be registered with the General Dental Council in order to practise as such. In terms of legislation made in 2006 they have already had two years to register on the basis of GDC approved experience and/or qualifications. From 31 July 2008 they will only be able to register on the basis of approved qualifications.

The GDC has carried out a widespread publicity campaign to ensure that dental technicians register on time and are able to continue to practise after 31 July 2008. The council has issued regular press releases and articles to the trade press, and representatives have attended relevant dental professional exhibitions and events as well as numerous speaking opportunities. Information has also been posted on the GDC website and in its newsletter, which has been distributed with the two main dental technician publications during the two year transition period. The GDC has also been liaising with the relevant professional organisations, who have been targeting their members and have written directly to all registered dentists asking them to contact their dental technicians and ask them if they are registered. The GDC will continue this publicity campaign and plans to write directly to dental laboratories within the next few weeks.

The primary aim of statutory regulation of the healthcare professions is to improve public safety. Regulation by the General Dental Council (GDC) was introduced for professions complementary to dentistry by the Dental Act 1984 (Amendment) Order 2005 following extensive UK-wide consultation. Further legislation in 2006 specified dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists as professions complementary to dentistry and also made provisions relating to their registration with the GDC.

The Scottish Government has no power to stop dentists sending their work overseas, rather than to laboratories in Scotland or the rest of the UK, now or after July 2008, as to do so would be to act incompatibly with community law. It is for dentists themselves to ensure that they deliver a safe service and we would encourage them to send work to dental technicians registered with the General Dental Council to ensure patient safety.

We agree that the personal expenses allowance needs to be maintained at an adequate level.

A Department of Health Stakeholder Group “ including Age Concern and Help the Aged - has been reviewing the care home charging rules in England. The Group is expected to report this year and it is likely to include reference to the amount of the personal expenses allowance. Scottish Government officials have attended meetings of the Stakeholder Group as observers.

Given that this work is already in hand we are awaiting the outcome to help us decide how best to take this matter forward in Scotland. Any further work on this issue in Scotland will of course be taken forward in consultation with the relevant organisations, including voluntary organisations and local authorities.