Chamber and committees

Scottish Executive guidance, issued under section 5(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, indicates that, while it is for local authorities to determine the number of inspections per establishment, two inspections per year is the normal minimum requirement. Authorities are required to provide at least one annual comprehensive overview of the performance of each establishment.There are no plans to issue guidance to those authorities that carry out less than two inspections a year on residential homes. The Regulation of Care Bill proposes to set up the Commission for the Regulation of Care to replace existing registration and inspection by local authorities and health boards. This national body should become operational in April 2002 and its function will be to register and inspect all care services.

Scottish Executive guidance, issued under section 5(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, indicates that it is for local authorities to determine the frequency of inspections on any establishment. Authorities are expected to undertake at least two inspections on establishments per year; however, additional visits are to be made as necessary to investigate concerns and monitor the implementation of recommendations.

Policy on xenotransplantation is a reserved matter for the UK Government.

The Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (SCPMDE) monitors and funds the training of Clinical Psychologists in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Executive. SCPMDE has secured formal agreements which will guarantee a minimum of 32 training places in Scotland each year for graduate psychologists who wish to embark on the three-year training programme for clinical psychology. This represents an increase of 33% over the past five years. 90% of those trained in Scotland go on to work as clinical psychologists in NHSScotland.SCPMDE is working with representatives of the clinical psychology profession to consider alternative staffing models for providing psychology services for NHSScotland. However, these discussions are at an early stage.

The attraction of high-level research and development activities and the strengthening of the biotechnology cluster are two of the key strategic themes currently being pursued by Locate in Scotland (LiS).As with all the projects that it helps attract to Scotland, LiS, through its policy of ongoing Investor Support, works with these companies to ensure that they not only remain in Scotland but continue to develop their operations.

We have stated in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change that we intend to develop primary care services and strengthen the role of LHCCs.The LHCC Best Practice Group and Audit Scotland have both reviewed the progress, to date, of LHCCs. Reports from both pieces of work are expected shortly and will, together with other related work, inform what the Executive does next on this issue.

I expect every NHS Trust in Scotland to take the necessary action to remedy any inadequacies in their policies or procedures highlighted by the Audit Scotland Performance Audit Equipped to Care.

It is for individual community bodies to decide how they will raise the required capital. There are sources of financial assistance and advice available to community bodies contemplating land purchases e.g. the New Opportunity Fund's recently launched Scottish Land Fund and Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise Community Land Units.In relation to ensuring good stewardship and efficient management of land, the community right to buy provisions of the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill set out the requirements and identify the criteria for the purchase of land. For example, they require community bodies to be representative of the local community; to have plans for the land that are compatible with its sustainable development and to demonstrate that purchases would be in the public interest.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is currently funding six projects related to diabetes. Two of these are looking at potential risk factors: "The influence of pre-natal growth, genetic and socio-economic factors on risk factors for coronary heart disease, hypertension and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus: a study in adult twins" and "Early life origins of cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance syndrome: follow up of children born to women in controlled trials of weight manipulation during pregnancy".

Work by an expert group to develop draft standards on infection control, decontamination of medical devices and environmental hygiene is currently under way. We expect draft standards to be produced shortly. The drafts will be reviewed by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland and will then be released for consultation, piloting and implementation by NHSScotland in the course of this year.