Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive is committed to tackling inequalities in health, including gender-based inequalities. To that end, and in conjunction with a range of partners, the Scottish Executive is taking forward a wide programme of action to improve life circumstances, to address lifestyles and to target priority health topics, including mental health. This is expected to contribute to improving mental well-being and reducing the incidence of mental and behaviour disorders.

In addition the Executive continues to tackle drug misuse in Scotland through the comprehensive implementation of the drugs strategy in Tackling Drugs in Scotland: Action in Partnership. This places great importance on treatment, and one of the leading action priorities of the strategy is to improve service to people with dual diagnosis of substance misuse and mental health problems, including an integrated psychiatric service for patients at serious risk of chronic self harm who also have a co-existing drug problem.

Currently, there are no special finance arrangements for care leavers entering higher education. The support costs are met from the normal budget.

The eligibility criteria for student support are the same as for all other students studying full-time higher education. However, a new allowance was introduced in session 1999-2000 to help those students entering higher education from care, with assistance for accommodation costs during the long vacation. This was intended to help students who may be unable to undertake these courses without financial hardship.

Reducing the number of delayed discharges is a high priority. £60 million is being made available - on top of existing record levels of funding in the NHS - to accelerate delivery of a number of priorities including a reduction in the number of delayed discharges. A learning network is also being established to encourage the sharing of best practice.

The focus of the interim report is on the diagnosis of the problems and it is for the Trusts and health boards to work with the task force to address them. However, as I announced on 30 June, I intend to put in place additional management support to bolster the senior team within Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust, to help them drive forward change and improvement.

The Executive is committed to tackling the causes of population decline through initiatives targeted at rural communities across Scotland. In the Western Isles, the Executive supports economic development through Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Western Isles Enterprise. The range of specific measures taken by the Executive in the Western Isles include: support for the latest IT infrastructure; support for new businesses, and improving rural transport with substantial spending on infrastructure projects such as the Eriskay causeway. Wider programmes, such as Iomairt aig an Oir (the Initiative at the Edge) and grants for community land purchase, are also boosting the local economy and creating jobs.

I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. Mr Cameron's response is as follows:

The responses to the SPS Service Operational Requirement are currently being evaluated.

Reducing deaths from coronary heart disease by 50% in the under 75s by 2010 was one of the headline targets set out in the White Paper, Towards a Healthier Scotland. The White Paper, which is available in SPICe, also outlines the main contributory factors for coronary heart disease and stroke - smoking, diet and a lack of physical activity. The White Paper acknowledges the impact of improved diagnosis, disease management, changing lifestyle and life circumstances.

To promote improvements in these areas a number of initiatives have been taken forward, including the establishment of a demonstration project called "Heart of Scotland", an enhanced health promotion campaign by the Health Education Board for Scotland and the White Paper Tobacco Kills. In addition to these initiatives, the Coronary Heart Disease Task Force is looking at rehabilitation services and in conjunction with the Waiting Times Support Group is looking at waiting times for cardiac services with a view to delivering a national waiting time target.

Headline targets of achieving these reductions were established in the White Paper, Towards a Healthier Scotland. The White Paper also outlines measures to be taken in Scotland to suit particular Scottish circumstances but which are in line with the UK White Paper, Smoking Kills, published in December 1998. Both of these documents are available in SPICe (Bib. numbers 3036 and 6728, respectively). A wide range of measures are currently in place, or in development and as a result of the recent boost in funding announced in the budget we will be stepping up our anti-smoking measures. I am currently considering the most effective ways to do this.

I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-7469.

The Programme for Government sets out the Scottish Executive's commitment to speed treatment and reduce waiting times.

Establishing a further 80 one stop clinics (where, if it is practically possible, patients will be assessed, investigated and diagnosed in one day) and redesigning services to improve patient care pathways are just two of the initiatives being pursued to help deliver our pledge.

Cancer is one of three clinical priorities for the NHS and a wide-ranging strategy is being pursued to improve not only the care of patients with cancer but their experiences of that care. The Scottish Cancer Group is working with the Waiting Times Steering Group and the NHSiS to develop meaningful waiting times across the care pathway from referral to treatment, to be delivered from March 2001.