Naloxone, primarily used as an antidote in opioid overdose rather than an alternative maintenance therapy, is currently only available to appropriate practitioners and paramedics. The Executive will follow the recommendations from the current consultation by the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on extending the use of Naloxone to include ambulance technicians.

Corporate Action Plans form the annual accountability framework between the Scottish Executive and Drug Action Teams (DATs). In these, DATs are currently expected to account fully for all drug treatment and rehabilitation funding allocations, including underspend.

Additional funding, announced in October 2004, will be allocated according to proposals submitted from each DAT on the basis of projected improvements in numbers into treatment, waiting times and the range of services available locally. From 2005-06, Performance Contracts between DATs and the Scottish Executive will detail the impact that additional resources will be expected to have on these three key priorities.

This information is not held centrally. Average waiting times are not regarded as a particularly effective measure of the availability and efficiency of drugs services.

The national framework collects information on the length of wait that clients experience from referral to assessment, and from an agreed care plan to one or more of four different types of intervention (i.e. preparatory and motivational intervention, prescribed drug treatment, community rehabilitation, and residential detoxification). The length of wait is collated in blocks of time i.e. the number of people who wait for less than one week, less than two weeks, and so forth.

The first set of provisional reports from the information available is shown on the Drug Misuse Information Scotland website at http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/wtpilot/waiting.htm.

The Executive issued guidance on implementing home zones to local authorities in 2002. The guidance lists several aims for home zone schemes, including to improve provision for pedestrians and cyclists. It also states that although home zones are not anti-car, they do try to shift the balance in favour of other road users, particularly people on foot or cycle. The guidance contains practical advice, including designing for pedestrians and cyclists.

A new planning advice note on residential streets is in preparation and will be published in spring 2005. It will encourage home zones as good practice and include them as a case study.

The Executive hosted a conference in February 2004 to promote home zones to people involved in designing, building and improving housing developments.

On 4 November 2004, I announced that funding to local authorities for the introduction of 20mph schemes around schools, related safety projects and the development of home zones would continue to 2008. I also announced the continuation of dedicated Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets funding to local authorities, which local authorities may also use for Home Zone projects.

This is matter for the individual employer on a case-by-case basis. The PIN Guideline Management of Employee Conduct sets out a framework for management of employee conduct and provides a model policy and information on conducting an investigation and on conducting a disciplinary hearing. This can be seen at:

http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/spf/PIN%20Consultation%20Docs/EmployeeConduct.PDF

Any required resulting action would be for the employer to take and would depend on the severity

of the situation, the ultimate sanction could be dismissal.

The PIN Guideline Management of Employee Conduct sets out a framework for management of employee conduct and provides model policy and information on conducting an investigation and conducting a disciplinary hearing. This can be seen at:

http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/spf/PIN%20Consultation%20Docs/EmployeeConduct.PDF.

The local policy should highlight that matters should be dealt with quickly and within defined time limits. The local NHSScotland employer policy should set out the time limits

The PIN Guideline Management of Employee Conduct provides information on conducting an investigation but does not indicate any timescale. It does however advise that the investigation should be carried out promptly to establish the relevant facts and states that the employee should be advised as to the likely timescale for concluding the investigation. The guideline can be seen at:

http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/spf/PIN%20Consultation%20Docs/EmployeeConduct.PDF.

The local policy should highlight that matters should be dealt with quickly and within defined time limits. The local NHSScotland employer policy should set out the time limits.

The PIN Guideline Management of Employee Conduct sets out a framework for management of employee conduct and provides model policy and information on conducting an investigation and conducting a disciplinary hearing. This can be seen at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/spf/PIN%20Consultation%20Docs/EmployeeConduct.PDF.

The local policy should highlight that matters should be dealt with quickly and within defined time limits. The local NHSScotland employer policy should set out the time limits.

At the Transport debate on 8 December 2004, the Scottish Parliament expressed concerns regarding the tendering process for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. Ministers agreed to discuss these concerns with the European Commission.I raised this issue with the European Transport Commissioner when I met him in Brussels on 9 December 2004. Further discussions will now take place between the Executive and the Commission and I shall report the outcome to Parliament as soon as possible.

Decisions on treatment interventionsand options for addressing other needs are for individual patients and their medicaland social care professionals.

The evidence shows that the keyto addressing the multiple problems experienced by many drug misusers is to planand deliver services in an integrated way. The Executive’s Effective InterventionsUnit has produced evidence based guidance on integrated care for drug users. DrugAction Teams, in collaboration with partner agencies, are developing models of integratedcare relevant and appropriate to their local needs and circumstances.