Chamber and committees

Responsibility for contacts with international authorities and for the laws on immigration and international trafficking in persons is reserved to the United Kingdom Government, with which the Scottish Executive is in regular contact on a wide range of issues.There are already provisions in Scots law to protect individuals from exploitation and abuse. No specific further legislation is presently planned, but the position is kept under review.

The Drug Court Working Group, chaired by Sheriff Principal Bowen, submitted its report on 1 May. This set out its proposed model for a pilot Drug Court at Glasgow Sheriff Court and opens the way for the establishment of the first drug court in Scotland. The plans are for it to be in operation before the end of this year. I am placing a copy in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib number 13259).

Phasing in of water charges to all organisations affected by the decision to withdraw reliefs is being made over a period of 5 years. Additionally, the water authorities have offered to install water meters free where this will reduce costs. This should have the effect of reducing further any additional liability that these organisations have to face.However, the Scottish Executive recognises the concerns of a number of organisations about the immediate impact of the first phase of withdrawals this year, and we are in contact with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations on this.

The Scottish Executive's Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill Consultation Paper is published today. The paper is based upon, and contains a copy of, the draft Title Conditions Bill appended to the Scottish Law Commission's Report on Real Burdens (Scot Law Com 181), which was published on 26 October 2000. I would like to commend the Scottish Law Commission for their report, which covers a very complex and difficult area of law reform in a thorough and imaginative way.The Bill will mark the second stage in the Property Law Reform Programme commenced by the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000. It will reform and clarify the law relating to non-feudal conditions and burdens on land which remain following the abolition of the feudal system.Copies of the consultation paper will be sent to the relevant parliamentary committees and be available in the Parliament's Reference Centre. Further copies will be available from Iain Hockenhull, Scottish Executive Justice Department: Branch 5, Spur V/1, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD, telephone 0131 244 8228, or email [email protected].A 12-week consultation period will follow, with the closing date for responses being Monday, 23 July 2001.

It is primarily for Yorkhill NHS Trust and Greater Glasgow Health Board, as the local service providers, to put in place the necessary facilities to meet the needs of the local population.In addition, at a national level on 17 April I announced the creation of four mobile paediatric intensive care beds, each manned by a specially trained paediatric intensive care doctor and nurse, at a cost of £1.6 million. This new service will be Scotland-wide with the two teams making up the national service based in Edinburgh and Glasgow.This brings the total number of paediatric intensive care beds in Scotland to 24.5: 14 at Yorkhill, eight in Edinburgh and 2.5 at the Institute of Neurosciences in Glasgow. This underlines the Executive's commitment to the model of paediatric care advocated by the Scottish Paediatric Intensive Care Audit.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15062.

The allocation to further and higher education institutions of the £15 million being made available over the next three years is a matter for the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Councils.The specific allocations to Higher Education institutions for the academic year 2001-02 were announced by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council on 6 April 2001 and details are available on their website.The Scottish Further Education Funding Council intends to announce the specific allocations to further education institutions for the forthcoming academic year at the end of April.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15062.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15062.

The council's intention to carry out a fundamental review of its policies and methods of funding research was announced in March 1999. The early announcement was intended to give higher education institutions and other interested parties an opportunity to plan ahead for the review. The overall timetable for the review was published in the initial consultation document in February 2000 which included details of the timing of the second stage consultation.The timing of the review was designed to ensure that the council was able to undertake a fundamental review of its policies and methods of funding research and to consult a wide range of stakeholders including, but not limited to, higher education institutions. The timing of the second stage consultation was also designed to ensure that proposals for new funding methods could be published and consulted upon well in advance of their introduction.