Chamber and committees

I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that the independent expert group (the Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals, EVM) was set up to examine the available evidence and advise on controls for ensuring the safety of vitamin and mineral supplements sold under food law. The EVM published a draft report for consultation on 29 August 2002 and expects to agree its final report by May 2003.

Only certain patients with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis are likely to benefit from beta interferon treatment and patients' eligibility for this treatment depends on the clinical judgement of the specialist concerned. Health Department Letter (HDL) (2002) 6, which introduced the risk-sharing scheme for the supply of disease modifying treatments for multiple sclerosis on the NHS, explains the arrangements NHS boards are required to make to implement the scheme locally. This includes the arrangements necessary to enable eligible patients in their area to receive beta interferon treatment. The Executive expects the NHS boards to implement the scheme.Data collected under the risk-sharing scheme is maintained by the scheme co-ordinator Sheffield University's School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR). We have requested access to the data collected by ScHARR, on an anonymised basis, which will identify to us the rate of implementation in Scotland.Our discussion with ScHARR has not identified that there are any difficulties particular to Scotland. The Director of ScHARR has visited the Scottish specialist centres and he has indicated that progress in Scotland was satisfactory in all areas.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30193 on 16 October 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

There is no evidence of any potential harm to mothers who breast-feed babies after consuming fluoridated water.

The regulation and safety of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA).The MCA/Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) Yellow Card Scheme collates reports of suspected adverse reactions to medicines. The Yellow Card Scheme provides for voluntary reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions by general practitioners, hospital doctors, dentists, coroners, pharmacists and nurses. The MCA receives approximately 18,000 reports of suspected adverse reactions to medicines each year via the scheme. As the scheme is voluntary, not all adverse reactions are reported. The MCA also collates reports of suspected adverse reactions to vitamins and minerals.The following table provides a breakdown of the number of reports of suspected reactions received through the Yellow Card Scheme in association with vitamin and minerals over the last 10 complete years.

Year	Number of Reports
1993	86
1994	108
1995	147
1996	106
1997	106
1998	129
1999	159
2000	129
2001	90
2002	47

It is important to remember that a report of a suspected reaction does not necessarily mean that the vitamin or mineral caused it.Vitamin and mineral products are often supplied without prescription, and are often taken without advice from doctors or pharmacists. It is generally recognised that the reporting rate for medicines supplied over the counter (OTC) is lower than that of suspected adverse reactions associated with prescription medicines. To encourage reporting of suspected adverse reactions with OTC medicines, the Yellow Card Scheme was recently extended to include nurses as reporters, and will be extended to include patient reporting via NHS Direct in the near future.

The information requested is not held centrally.Not all influenza vaccines used in the UK contain thiomersal (also referred to as thimerosal) in the final product. With the exception of hypersensitivity reactions, there is no evidence that exposure to levels of thiomersal contained in influenza vaccine causes harm to adults or children. Similarly, with regard to vaccination of pregnant women, there is no evidence that the thiomersal content of influenza vaccine causes harm to the developing foetus. The regulation and safety of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA). The MCA has advised that, as with any effective medicine or vaccine, influenza vaccine is not without side effects in some recipients. The risks and side effects associated with immunisation with influenza vaccine are stated in the product information for the vaccine. The recommendation of the Department of Health, outlined in its publication, Immunisation Against Infectious Disease (1996), is that the vaccine should not be given during pregnancy unless there is a specific indication. In general, it is the responsibility of the prescribing physician to weigh the possible risks of vaccination against the possible risks of clinical infection with influenza virus during pregnancy, and to discuss these risks and benefits with patients as necessary.

Waiting time information for drug treatment is not held consistently by NHS boards. Information obtained from Drug Action Team (DAT) Corporate Action Plans on the maximum waiting times for individual care and treatment agencies in each DAT area in 2001-02 is available on the national drugs website at http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/dat/cap.htm.Information on waiting times for 2002-03 will be collected from DATs as part of this year's reporting arrangements. The Executive is currently working with key people from DATs, lead agencies and providers on practical interventions to address waiting times and on issues related to the monitoring of waiting times.

Anyone acquiring Udal land after the commencement date of the Land Register in Orkney and Shetland on 1 April 2003 will only be able to obtain a real right in the land by registration in the Land Register. However, existing proprietors' rights will not be affected: land registration affects only the rights of persons acquiring title after the commencement date. The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland will deal with applications for first registration in the Land Register of the very few udal titles for which no written deeds exist by considering such other forms of evidence which may be open to him. This is further explained in the answer to question S1W-33683 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19713. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa. Properties in Orkney and Shetland which have written title deeds recorded in the Register of Sasines will be treated in the same way as property owned in mainland Scotland for registration purposes. No special evidence should be required.The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland has recently had discussions with solicitors in Orkney and Shetland and has been given to understand that there are very few properties in the islands for which title deeds have not been previously recorded in the Register of Sasines. In these few cases where Udal property is still held on the basis of succession and possession, without prior written title deeds, the keeper is prepared to consider sympathetically whatever evidence the applicants for registration are able to provide - for example, family trees, affidavits from third parties and written title deeds for adjoining property.

There will be no changes for land and property owners under the Udal law system other than those outlined in the answer given to question S1W-18739 on 30 October 2001. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.