The only specific disease known to be linked to selenium deficiency is Keshan Disease, a disorder of the heart muscles primarily in children found in some areas of China where the soil is severely deficient in selenium. The Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) reviewed the nutritional implications of estimated selenium intakes in the UK and agreed that:

selenium intakes and measurements of selenium status should continue to be monitored;

further research should be encouraged to investigate whether the current levels of intake are adequate or whether the body adapts to changing intakes;

there is currently no evidence of adverse health consequence from current intakes.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18371.

The Executive has no such plans.

(a) Reliable information on the number of NHS patients treated in private hospitals is not available centrally. However, the Information and Statistics Division, part of the Common Services Agency in NHSScotland, are currently working with the Scottish Executive, NHS Trusts, health boards and the private sector to resolve this issue.

(b) The information is not available centrally.

Information on the number of domiciliary sight tests paid for by health boards and Primary Care NHS Trusts in Scotland is collected by the Common Services Agency as part of the General Ophthalmic Services return. The domiciliary information collected is not published due to concerns about the robustness of the data. Figures by health board of the number of domiciliary sight tests paid are shown in the table for the years ending 31 March 1998 to 2001. Information for the year ending 31 March 1997 is not shown due to quality concerns.

Number of domiciliary visits paid for by Health Boards and Primary Care NHS Trusts

	1998	1999	2000	2001
Argyll and Clyde	1,894	2,266	2,100	2,471
Ayrshire and Arran	2,071	2,171	2,381	2,356
Borders	409	275	491	423
Dumfries and Galloway	513	425	605	841
Fife	849	1,304	1,464	1,182
Forth Valley	1,116	1,110	1,375	1,474
Grampian	1,491	977	1,827	1,838
Greater Glasgow	7,065	5,876	6,859	7,065
Highland	397	397	824	783
Lanarkshire	2,639	2,106	3,123	3,280
Lothian	3,318	3,411	4,219	4,042
Orkney	11	0	6	29
Shetland	52	54	13	42
Tayside	1,315	1,805	1,994	2,535
Western Isles	38	66	37	68
Scotland Total	2,3178	22,243	27,318	28,429

Notes:

1.The increase in the number of sight tests for the years 31 March 2000 and 2001 reflects the change in legislation which allowed for free NHS sight tests for all aged 60 and over.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18269. There are already provisions in place within NHSScotland's Learning Together Strategy that promotes education, training and lifelong learning for all NHSScotland staff.

As an interim measure, pending the outcome of the negotiations on the GP contract, we are currently discussing with the profession in Scotland the introduction of a limited package of incentives aimed at GP recruitment and retention. Details will be announced when negotiations are complete.

The needs of rural areas will be taken closely into account in the forthcoming UK-wide negotiations to amend the GP contract. We will also learn from the work of the solutions group which the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative has established to examine specific recruitment and retention issues affecting staff across the full range of NHS work - including doctors. These include professional isolation and out-of-hours commitments associated with working in remote areas.

Also, Personal Medical Services schemes allow different contractual arrangements to be tested. GPs can be salaried either by Primary Care Trusts or within practices or pilots can be practice-based. Earlier this year I announced an additional investment of £18.5 million to support the development of PMS. The extra resources were allocated to all health boards but the greatest share of resources went to those areas with high levels of deprivation and rural communities.

The Physical Activity Task Force was set up in June 2001 with the remit of producing a strategy for increasing physical activity levels amongst the Scottish population. This group will give a progress report by the end of this year with a draft strategy being planned for the spring of 2002.

Our National Health: a plan for action a plan for change included a commitment to increase funding for Scotland's Health at Work scheme to enable more employers to develop health promoting workplaces. Details will be announced shortly.