Chamber and committees

The Executive's priorities are for healthier people in Scotland and for a modern, responsive NHS which puts the patient at the centre of everything it does. The specific actions set out in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change will help to deliver these priorities to a defined timescale.We are providing the resources to enable the service to deliver what the people of Scotland need, when and where they need it.

Prior to the release of any GM crop in this country, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) undertakes a thorough risk assessment to identify whether the GM crop may cause harmful effects to humans or the environment. This includes consideration of the potential for both direct and indirect impacts on local biodiversity and the wider environment. All current GM crops including the GM oilseed rape being grown in Scotland have been tested in laboratory and glasshouse conditions and in small-scale plots before being given approval to be grown as part of the farm-scale evaluation programme.ACRE has concluded that GM crops themselves do not pose a threat to human health or the environment and remain confident that the current GM crops on which they have advised pose no greater risk to health or the environment than non-GM varieties.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14735.

It is not yet clear what cost implications might arise for residential homes from the implementation of the National Care Standards. However before making any final decisions on the standards, the Scottish Executive is committed to consulting on the possible cost implications for service providers.It is proposed to carry out the cost consultation in two stages. Stage 1 will begin just after Easter and will focus on residential care services and, in particular, costs associated with recommendations on staffing ratios, room sizes and en-suite facilities. Stage 2 of the cost consultation will begin in late summer and will consider the costs associated with implementation of the full set of care standards.The Executive has also allocated £1.26 billion to local authorities for social work this year. This represents a 10% increase on last year. It is for local authorities to decide how best to spend these monies in the light of local priorities.

The present regulatory framework at both European and UK level is governed by the European Council Directive 90/220/EEC. Based on a scientific assessment of risk, the Directive does not enable wider socio-economic arguments and public opinion to be considered as part of the overall decision-making process.I fully expect that the revised Directive will be published in the Official Journal within the next few days. Thereafter, member states will have 18 months in which to implement the provisions into national legislation. The Scottish Executive will consult widely on the content of any new legislation. Until this is in place it would be illegal to act in contravention of existing European and UK law.

The legislative framework which underpins the release of GM crops at both European and UK level makes it very clear that approval can only be refused if there is scientific evidence that the GM crop poses a threat to human health or the environment. The concerns expressed by Highland Council and others related to the wider socio-economic and political arguments but did not raise any new scientific evidence which would have given grounds for the approval to be withheld. If however, any such information becomes available subsequently, I will have no hesitation in reviewing the decision.

The primary responsibility rests with local authority social work functions. We have provided guidance to authorities and issued copies of the booklet Thinking about moving into a Care Home? to assist.

As with any evidence-based organisation, the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network (SIGN) maintain a high level of awareness of clinical outcomes data. This is broadly derived from four sources: clinical scientific literature, scientific/professional meetings, national professional networks and personal contact.In developing standards, the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland (CSBS) draws heavily on the work of SIGN, HTBS and other equivalent organisations.

The ecological research, which is being undertaken by a consortium of independent scientists is designed to study the effect, if any, that the management practices associated with genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops might have on farmland wildlife when compared with those used with non-GM crops.The research involves a comparison of key indicators of biodiversity between the GM and non-GM cropping systems, including:

Soil seed bank;

Arable plant diversity, biomass and estimated seed return;

Field margin and boundary vegetation, noting species in flower and signs of unintentional spray drift of weed-killer during its application to the field;

Gastropods: abundance, activity and diversity measures;

Arthropods on vegetation, concentrating on plant bugs, spring tails and the caterpillars of butterflies and moths, sawflies (related to wasps (Hymenoptera)); diversity and biomass measures;

Ground (Carabid) beetles and other ground dwelling arthropods; abundance and diversity measures;

Bees and butterflies; observational studies;

Birds and mammals; observational studies.The scientific validity of this research programme is being overseen by a Scientific Steering Committee of independent experts in agriculture and ecology. The results of this research will be published at the end of the farm-scale evaluation programme.

The Regulation of Care Bill currently going through the Scottish Parliament will end the distinction between residential care homes and nursing homes. From April 2002 all care homes will be registered and inspected by an independent body, the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care.The National Care Standards Committee (NCSC) is currently drawing up the standards against which the Commission will register and inspect care homes. In drawing together these standards, the NCSC is taking account of existing legislation and guidance including the Nursing Homes Scotland Core Standards on Nutrition. The NCSC will also take into account the recommendations of the CRAG Report.