Chamber and committees

As the provision and management of allotments is a matter for local authorities rather than the Executive, it was agreed with COSLA that they would take the lead on the development of best practice guidelines. We understand that COSLA has met with the City of Edinburgh Council to discuss a framework for guidelines and is currently consulting more widely on this issue.

During the past six months, one letter has been received asking about the rights of allotment holders and the provision of national guidance on allotments. No representations have been received about the feasibility of amending existing legislation.

The UK Government has lead responsibility for welfare to work programmes. Support for people aged over 50 is available under New Deal 50 Plus, and the Pathways to Work programme for incapacity benefit claimants, which is being piloted in Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute.

The Executive works with the UK Government to help more people into work. We will launch, in early 2006, an Employability Framework for Scotland to reduce the numbers of people out of work, including those aged over 50. We fund Training for Work, an adult vocational skills programme for unemployed people which gives priority to people aged over 50. The Executive also works with Age Positive, the UK campaign to promote the business benefits of an age diverse workforce to employers. We will consult on, and complete by the end of 2006, a strategy for Scotland’s ageing population.

The Executive has held discussions with ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions about welfare reform and the Employability Framework for Scotland. We have also discussed the framework with the CBI and the Trade Union Working Party on Lifelong Learning. The framework has been informed by a series of workstreams involving over 150 individuals from a range of organisations, including the voluntary sector, trade unions and employers. The discussions have concerned all groups disadvantaged in the labour market, and have not been confined to those aged over 50.

The Scottish Executive encourages everyone to continue learning throughout their lives irrespective of age or personal circumstances. As older people will form an increasingly large and important part of our workforce over the coming decades, we are currently developing a programme, in conjunction with the Sector Skills Councils, that aims to improve the skills and learning capacity of older workers.

The input to the development of the Employability Framework for Scotland has included research led by Glasgow Caledonian University, as well as the views of the Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education, further education colleges and training organisations. The issues that have been discussed included, but were not confined to, the barriers to employment faced by people aged 50 and over. Further details of the framework development are available at www.scotland.gov.uk/employabilityframework.

The Scottish Executive is also developing a strategy for Scotland’s ageing population. This wide ranging work will involve consultation with academics, representatives of older people, and others, to be completed by the end of 2006.

Under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005, doctors, nurses, midwives and ambulance workers are protected in any area of a hospital whenever they are on duty. These workers and anyone assisting them are also protected when they are responding to emergency situations, including in community health care settings. There are no plans to further extend the provisions of the act.

I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

The SBSA is presently carrying out a review of standards on the access and use of buildings, including dwellings, and the review focuses on the need to provide dwellings that can accommodate the needs of all occupants, older people amongst them. The aim is to ensure that new dwellings better meet the varying needs of both occupants and visitors and are of a form that will enable future adaptation to suit the changing needs of occupants over the years.

The Building Standards Advisory Committee working party carrying out the review includes members from the architectural profession, the Disability Rights Commission, local authority building standards, private house builders and the Building Research Establishment.

Discussions on the issues of accessibility and use of buildings are in progress with a range of other key stakeholders, including: The Joseph Rowntree Foundation; Scottish Disability Equality Forum; Royal National Institute for the Blind; Royal National Institute for the Deaf; Homes for Scotland, and Ownership Options. It is anticipated that other interested parties will become involved prior to public consultation on proposed changes in March 2006.

The Ministerial Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force is nearing completion of a three-year programme of work to improve prevention and control of HAI.

A final report on the work completed by the HAI Task Force will be published in early 2006.

In January 2006 we will embark upon a new programme of work which will continue through to 2008. Its main focus will be on the implementation of and monitoring of compliance with the outputs of the HAI Task Force and related Scottish Executive requirements to ensure these measures are firmly embedded into day to day practice in healthcare settings across Scotland. This work will be led by a restructured HAI Task Force.

Scottish Health Facilities Note 30 – Infection Control in the Built Environment has recently been revised by the Property and Environment Forum as part of the Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force work programme. This document provides guidance on the provision of facilities, including wash hand basins. This note was issued to NHS boards in September 2005, and it is for boards to decide how these guidelines will be implemented locally.

We allocated over £1 million of funding to boards in 2005 to ensure the provision of alcohol hand gel near every frontline bed in Scottish Hospitals. Boards have confirmed that this programme has been implemented.