I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-694 on 15 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Eight thousandaffordable housing units are expected to be approved under the ScottishGovernment’s Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2007-08. Decisions on housing investment beyond2008 will depend on the outcome of the spending review later this year. Inaddition, some social housing provision will be funded through other means,such as prudential borrowing.

The ScottishGovernment does not hold information on the plans of private house buildersover the specified period.

We remain committedto our manifesto pledge to phase out prescription charges. We are currently consideringwhich health conditions will fall within the definition of “chronic condition” andwill consult on that list in due course.

The number of patientswho were discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease ineach year form 1996 to 2006, broken down by NHS board, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 42948).

We are currentlytaking stock of the wide range of actions needed to ensure that there aresufficient affordable homes. The government will consider all options forsecuring an effective supply of new housing, both for rent and for sale.

The number of patientsdischarged from Scottish general acute hospitals, broken down by NHS board, witha diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease who were treated as day patients from 1996to 2006, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number42949).

It is possible thatadditional patients were treated as day patients within community-based services.No information is held about these patients.

Information on thenumber of patients discharged from general acute hospitals and offered residentialabstinence-based treatment or follow-on day treatmentis not held centrally.

We are acutelyaware of the importance of meeting Scotland’s widerange of housing needs. We are looking carefully at potential action to helpfirst time buyers. One of our key aims is improving measures to help moreindividuals and families who are currently excluded from the housing market byunaffordable prices. We are considering a range of measures to do this,including grants and a Scottish Housing Support Fund for shared equityprovision.

Health boards have in place,or are in the process of appointing, Directors of Pharmacy whose function is toco-ordinate the provision of pharmaceutical services within their health boardand ensure integration of pharmacy services within health policy and planningof services.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-692 on 14 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

A range of appropriate fora alreadyexist to discuss Life Science interests including the Life Science Alliance, the Scottish Health Technologies Group and the Scottish Medicines Consortium. The establishmentof the Life Sciences Alliance brought together key stakeholders from academia, industry,NHSScotland, finance and charitable organisations to help influence the alignmentof science, education, transport and enterprise policies insofar as they relateto the life sciences in Scotland. The remit of the Scottish Health Technologies Groupis to advise on any further studies required to help plan the implementation ofspecific technologies in the NHSScotland and the Scottish Medicines Consortium givesrecommendations on all new drugs as soon as practical after their launch.