Chamber and committees

The Smoking, Health andSocial Care (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on local authorities toenforce the smoke free legislation. It is for local authorities to take a viewon the appropriate level of staffing to enforce the legislation.

(a) There are no set targets for physical activity for 2005. The National Strategy for Physical Activity sets out a long-term target for 50% of all adults over 16 and 80% of all children aged 16 and under to meet the minimum recommended levels of physical activity by 2022.

(b) Information on the dietary targets is not yet available. The Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS) will be publishing a report in November reviewing the progress up to 2003 on the Scottish Diet Action Plan targets. Due to the nature of the methodology this will be the most up-to-date data available. Regular monitoring will be put in place beyond this to provide data on progress towards the targets.

(c) Progress towards national targets to reduce harmful drinking by adults is monitored through the Scottish Health Survey. The most recent survey was undertaken in 2003 and is expected to be published in November 2005.

Progress towards the national target to reduce the number of young people who report drinking alcohol is monitored through the biennial Scottish Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey. In the most recent survey, undertaken in 2004, 20% of 13-year-olds and 43% of 15-year-olds report drinking alcohol in the week before the survey. Since 2002, reported drinking has decreased among 13-year-olds from 23% (to 20%). Among 15-year-old boys reported drinking has decreased from 47% to 40% but remained the same for 15-year-old girls at 46% in both 2002 and 2004.

Statins are available to patients on NHS prescription. These medicines are widely prescribed and, as with all medicines, the decision whether or not to prescribe a drug is a matter for the clinician concerned, in discussion with the patient.

Over the past five years, prescribing of these drugs in Scotland has more than doubled from 1.299 million items in 2000-01 to 3.025 million items in 2004-05. These figures reflect prescribed items dispensed in the community and do not take into account medicines dispensed through the hospital service.

The quality indicators in the new General Medical Services contract include cholesterol management for patients with coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke or transient ischaemic attacks. Indicator sets are designed to encourage more structured care of patients with chronic diseases.

Since July 2004, Simvastatin 10mg has been available for purchase from community pharmacists without a prescription. The decision to allow a statin to be available without a prescription gives people easier access to a preventative medicine and allows them more choice about how they can protect their own health.

The UK Government is currently in discussion with trade unions to establish the overall policy framework for pension reforms and these are expected to be completed by the end of October. The UK Government will then set the pension policy parameters and context for scheme specific discussions, following which the review of the NHS scheme in Scotland will recommence.

Emergency protocols, or “sleeping scripts” as referred to in the UK Health Departments UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan, are now available and are currently being developed for use in Scotland. This information will be will be kept under review.

My officials have tried on several occasions to make contact with the society to discuss and explain the emerging proposals but as yet the society has not responded. We have arranged a meeting with the Scottish Society for Autism.

The Executive has initiated a range of work to inform decisions on potential changes to the network and services across Scotland in future. We have commissioned a Scottish Planning Assessment to consider where the demand for rail services is likely to grow over the next 10 to 20 years, and to identify where the rail network may be unable to meet this demand. We are issuing a consultation asking for views on what the strategic priorities for rail should be. Network Rail are undertaking a Route Utilisation Strategy to consider improvements that could be made to the existing network over the next five to 10 years.

The target rate for the uptake of immunisation against infection in the event of an influenza pandemic will be dependant on a number of factors including the number of people affected by the virus and expert medical advice.

The Scottish Executive is working closely with Health Departments across the UK to prepare for pandemic influenza.

Until the pandemic influenza strain is identified, it will not be possible to produce a vaccine. However, the Scottish Executive has decided, on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the expert group which advises the UK Health Departments on issues relating to immunisation and vaccination, that it would be prudent as a precautionary measure to purchase a small quantity of a vaccine against the current H5N1 strain. 270,000 doses are being ordered for priority groups, such as NHS workers.

The SIPG, Scottish Implementation Planning Group (for severe communicable diseases which threaten national infrastructure) is currently considering what protection might be required for use by care workers, health workers and groups at risk in the event of a pandemic.

Until the pandemic strain is identified it will not be possible to produce a vaccine. However, the Scottish Executive is working closely with the UK Health Departments to ensure that all necessary preparations are in place to facilitate vaccine production when that becomes necessary.