Ministers are fullyaware of, and recognise, all of the benefits of everyday healthy activities, includingwalking and cycling and will build them into their daily schedules whenever practical.

The role of pharmacists in publichealth is being developed through the new community pharmacy contract. This willcomprise of initiatives to improve the health of the public in Scotland includingsubstance misusers.

The Scottish Government is notaware of any barriers that hinder pharmacists from prescribing. The government hasprovided funding for courses to train pharmacists as both supplementary and independentprescribers and also funding for community pharmacy supplementary prescribing clinics.

The Government is currently inthe process of introducing a new NHS Pre-registration Pharmacist Scheme. It is beingdeveloped and will be administered by NHS Education for Scotland. Thescheme will be introduced fully from the beginning of the 2008-09 academic yearand provide funding for a similar number of places as currently required in Scotland – between160 and 170. The scheme will provide for both hospital and community placementsand, unlike at present, all places will be fully funded from Government resources.

The purpose of the scheme isto ensure that every pre-registration pharmacist funded by NHS Scotland receivesthe same high-quality training opportunity, support and experience regardless of the practice setting, and are familiar with the practice requirements of the newcommunity pharmacy contract.

Completed and proposed improvementsto the A9 including the following schemes valued at an estimated £50 million.

A9 Improvements in Current Programme

Scheme	Details
Loch Insh	1.5km of WS2+1* overtaking opportunities
Ralia Lodge to Nuide Farm	2km of WS2 +1* overtaking opportunities
Dalnaspidal (South)	Road Reconstruction
Loch Moy	1.3km of WS2+1* overtaking opportunities
Inveralmond	Signalisation of roundabout and improvements to approaches
Helmsdale Ph. 2	Alignment Improvement
Kincraig	Road Reconstruction
Ballinluig Junction	Grade separated junction.
Bankfoot Junction	1 km of climbing lane
Crubenmore Dualling	2.7km extension of existing section of dual carriageway.
Kincraig to Dalrady	3 km of WS2+1* overtaking scheme.
Kindallachan	Junction Improvement
Slochd	WS2 +1* overtaking Opportunities
Carrbridge	WS2 + 1* overtaking Opportunities

Note: *Two lanes of trafficwith one overtaking lane running in one direction and a third lane in theopposite direction, separated by a one metre red strip.

Transport Scotland hasworked in close partnership with HITRANS and NESTRANS on a jointly fundedmulti-modal study to examine the needs of the transport corridor between Aberdeen andInverness. The evidence gathered by this study on transport mattersaffecting towns such as Elgin, Nairn and other communities along the A96 will feedinto the Strategic Transport Projects Review which is due to report in 2008.

A total of £42 million hasbeen made available to local authorities for the period 2007-08 to supporttheir flood prevention and coast protection programmes. Confirmed floodprevention schemes that meet the Executive’s technical, environmental andeconomic criteria are eligible for grant support at 80% of eligible costs.

It is for Moray Council tobring forward suitable schemes to take up the resource provision made availableby the Executive. Moray Council has received almost £2 million in grant for thecompleted scheme at Lhanbryde and the council is currently promoting twofurther schemes at Forres (Burn of Mosset) and Rothes. The council is also indiscussion with the Executive about proposals for schemes at Elgin and Forres(Findhorn).

Community pharmacy contractorsare required to produce a practice leaflet giving customer advice on the NHS servicesoffered.

Thenew community pharmacy contract is designed to make better use of the professionalskills of community pharmacy in providing direct patient care. This consists offour core services, two of which are already in operation: the Minor Ailment Service(MAS) and Public Health Service (PHS). The two remaining elements of the contractwill be phased in during 2008: the Acute Medication Service (AMS) and Chronic MedicationService (CMS).

The two core services in placehave been publicised by means of leaflets and posters for display in community pharmacies,GP practices and libraries. Patient information leaflets are planned for the tworemaining core services as they are introduced.

Support is provided to the existingSchools for Pharmacy to meet the needs of pharmacists in Scotland throughfunding by NHS Education for Scotland for the provision of postgraduate courses in pharmacyand extended prescribing rights.

The Scottish Centre for HealthyWorking Lives plans a range of work to address the health, wellbeing and safetyof the Scottish workforce, including the introduction and promotion of the new HealthyWorking Lives award, particularly to small and medium enterprises, and implementationof key actions from the Scottish Action Plan on Health and Safety.

The Scottish Centre for HealthyWorking Lives has published its current business plan which can be found on itswebsite (www.healthscotland.org.uk\hwl\).