Disclosure Scotland would only be made aware of crimes which resulted in a fiscal fine in particular cases in which it was relevant to an application for an enhanced disclosure. The Scottish Criminal Record Office, which searches central records in response to applications to Disclosure Scotland, is now notified of cases which result in a fiscal fine under the Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems which has been implemented progressively across Scotland from 1999 onwards.

In the year 2003-04 a total of 42,361 fiscal fines were offered.

Fiscal fines have been offered in cases involving weapons, but from analysis of cases in the financial year 2002-03 it is clear that fiscal fines were only offered in a very small number of such cases. While procurators fiscal received reports containing 3,188 charges of assault where a weapon had been used, only 30 accused were offered a fiscal fine of which 12 were recorded as having been paid. These cases included cases where an object such as a plastic bottle, mobile phone, bag or umbrella was brandished or thrown at an individual, whether or not the object made any contact.

Sperm can continue to be imported from other EU countries after April 2005. These imports will be in accordance with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (Disclosure of Donor Information) Regulations 2004, which allow children conceived from sperm, egg and embryo donations to access more information about their genetic origins. The Regulations prescribe the information which the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority will providein response to a request from a person who has attained the age of 18 and who was,or may have been, born in consequence of treatment services provided under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

Since August 1991, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has been required by law to maintain a register which contains information obtained by the Authority that falls within three classes:

• Information which relates to the provision of treatment services for any identifiable individual;
• Information which relates to the keeping or use of the keeping or use of any identifiable individual or of an embryo taken from an identifiable woman, and
• Information which shows that an identifiable individual was, or may have been, born in consequence of treatment services.

Since the same date, all UK licensed clinics have been required by directions from the HFEA to provide the authority with information specified in forms produced by the authority, including a “donor information form” on which is recorded information about gamete donors such as their name, physical characteristics and other personal information, a “DI/Donor gamete treatment form” and a “treatment and embryo creation and use form”, both of which record the details of the person treated and the treatment provided, and a “pregnancyoutcome form” on which is recorded the outcome of the treatment and pregnancywhere known.

The Executive already provides grant assistance to CHILD – Infertility Network Scotland. CHILD aims to help those affected by fertility problems through the provision of information and counselling, liaising with health professionals to promote best practice, setting up support groups, and generally raising awareness of infertility and the problems facing those affected. Consideration is also being given to additional measures to raise awareness of the arrangements for egg, sperm and embryo donation.

This is a matter for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The information requested is not held centrally.

Current building regulations for new-build homes require some of the most demanding thermal insulation standards for new building work in the UK. After the introduction of the new building standards system in 2005, a further review of energy standards will be undertaken.

I wrote to the Convener of the Health Committee on 26 November 2004, enclosing a copy of Professor McEwen’s report and setting out the Executive’s response. The letter was copied to the member in her capacity as Convener of the Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain.

The report contains a number of recommendations which call for action or consideration by NHS boards. As a first step, the Executive is making the report available to NHS boards for their consideration of local issues.

The Executive also intends to invite key stakeholders, including the voluntary sector, patient groups and members of the Parliamentary Cross Party Group, to attend a consensus conference within the next few months to discuss the report. Officials are commencing preparatory work on this now. In considering how to encourage the spread of best practice, the Executive proposes to take the recommendations of the report into account as part of the National Framework for Service Change work on new approaches in Scotland to the management of long-term conditions. A presentation on this work will be included in the programme for the consensus conference.

The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. As part of NHS service provision there is no charge to patients for NHS podiatry services.