Chamber and committees

Publication will coincide with the start of the consultation process, likely to commence within the next couple of months.

This report highlighted the commitment demonstrated by Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) to continuous improvement. The primary report made 17 recommendations as well as five suggestions for improvement in a variety of areas. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland (HMIC) found that six of the recommendations and three of the suggestions had been fully discharged. HMIC will, however, look for evidence of further development and improvement at the 3rd year review in the following areas: the arrangements for the annual performance review of senior staff; the consideration of the Director of SCRO's scheme of delegation as part of the repositioning of SCRO within a new common police services agreement; the development of outcome performance measures for each of the bureaux within SCRO; the development of an absence management policy, and the establishment of a service level agreement between SCRO and Strathclyde Joint Police Board detailing services and costs.There are also five recommendations related to finance and the financial procedures within SCRO which are being taken forward in conjunction with the Scottish Executive.

A grant of £300,000 has been given to the Piping Centre. No grant has been made to the College of Piping.

We remain committed to encouraging the widest possible participation in lifelong learning. We are actively considering what future arrangements might be put in place to support individual learning. I expect to be able to say more about this later in the spring.In the meantime, learndirect scotland continue to provide advice for learners on freephone 0808 100 9000. Individual Learning Account (ILA) holders with ILA-related enquiries may contact a dedicated freephone helpline on 0800 100 1090.

At 7 January 2002, 253,952 people held Individual Learning Accounts. 116,465 of these have engaged in ILA-assisted learning.

Learners who enrolled in learning before the scheme's closure will be able to proceed, if their learning starts before the end of this month. Letters have gone to all account holders explaining the reasons for the closure and providing them with details of a dedicated freephone helpline, 0808 100 1090, should they require further advice.

Information about the background to planning cancer services was outlined in the answer given to question S1W-19750.The linear accelerator (and related radiotherapy equipment) modernisation programme has been, and continues to be, developed by the Scottish Executive Health Department in consultation with Cancer Centre Directors and relevant staff drawn from across Scotland.Three new linear accelerators are installed at the Gartnavel Hospital site, giving a total of eight now available. Two further (additional) linear accelerators are to be purchased and installed there during 2002.Beyond that, the plans for further replacement and additional radiotherapy equipment will continue to be brought forward via the modernisation programme and within the context of the business planning process for the development of Phase 2 of the new West of Scotland Regional Cancer Centre at Gartnavel.

The West of Scotland Regional Cancer Advisory Group is chaired by Mr Tom Divers, Chief Executive NHS Greater Glasgow. The Regional Lead Clinician is Dr Harry Burns, Director of Public Health, NHS Greater Glasgow.There are more than 60 members drawn from across NHS Argyll and Clyde, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Greater Glasgow, NHS Lanarkshire, Managed Clinical Network leads, the voluntary sector, patient representation and representatives of regional services such as breast screening and cancer surveillance.There are three members from the Beatson Oncology Centre,Dr N Reed, Clinical DirectorProfessor J Cassidy, Academic OncologyMs C Hutchison, Consultant Nurse OncologistFull details of the membership of the North, South East and West of Scotland RCAGs will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.Guidance on the role, structure and function of Regional Cancer Advisory Groups is set out in NHS HDL (2001) 71 issued on 13 September 2001. This is available online at www.show.scot.nhs.uk.

Specialist services for all cancers continue to be provided by the Beatson Oncology Centre.

The Clyde Shipyards Task Force included Gordon Jackson MSP as chair of the Scottish Parliamentary Shipbuilding Group. The task force do not plan individual consultations in advance of publication of the report in the next few weeks.