Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including the interface between student support and the benefits system.

NHS boards do, from time to time,need to consider transferring a patient should there be an unexpected demand ona particular service. Boards rely on clinical judgement in such cases and decisionsare taken in the best interests of patients.

The Information and StatisticsDivision of NHS Scotland records all reported instances of antenatal transfers.

As part of the work of the NationalMaternity Services Workforce Planning Group, each maternity unit in Scotland willneed to provide details of each antenatal transfer in 2003. This information willbe used to inform, in line with the recommendationsof the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services, the development of a strategicapproach to integrated workforce planning and service development and delivery formaternity services in NHS Scotland.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide rangeof issues including Royal Mail’s decision to end the delivery of mail by rail.

I understand that Royal Mailare in on-going discussions with GB Railfreight and are seeking to finalise a workablesolution for a return to rail. Royal Mail hope to conclude their considerationsby the end of June.

The Executive fundedorganisations, Cycling Scotland and the Scottish Road Safety Campaign (SRSC) areworking in collaboration to extend the current Scottish Cycle Training Scheme (SCTS).The SCTS was completely revamped in 2000 by the SRSC. Since Cycling Scotland’s inceptionin October 2003, the two organisations have been liaising on additional cycle trainingprovision. Cycling Scotland now offers basic training called Ready SteadyBike. After undertaking this course, children will have the basic skills to progressto SCTS training provided by local Road Safety Units. However, children who havenot completed Ready Steady Bike will not be excluded from the SCTS.  A more advancedcourse of instruction is offered by Cycling Scotland which tackles more complexcycling tasks such as negotiating roundabouts, greenways and cycle lanes.  CyclingScotland has also embarked on a training programmefor adult cycle trainers. The SCTS teaching notes are currently being reviewed toinclude: links with the SRSC’s Streetsense road safety resource for primary schools;information about more advanced cycling instruction through Cycling Scotland, andreference to the Executive funded school travel co-ordinators.

The proposals for a code arebeing developed by an expert working party on which both Scottish Water and the Scottish Executive sit. It is envisaged that the draft code will be issued for consultationlater this year.

I anticipate being able to letthe project have the final report by the middle of June, at which time it will alsobe publicly available.

I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-5804 on 9 February2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The Executive iscurrently preparing guidance for all Scottish public purchasers and caterers whichwill detail the steps local authorities can take to use more local produce. Thisis scheduled to be issued at the end of May. This guidance will encourage the useof menus that include traditional Scottish dishes which require Scottish ingredientsand also the use of produce that is fresh, seasonal and produced in accordance withrecognised farm assurance standards. Ultimately though, local authority procurementdecisions are a matter for the individual local authority concerned. It is alsoworth noting that EU law prohibits discrimination between suppliers on the groundsof locality or nationality.

I announced the publication ofour consultation paper Rights of Appeal in Planning on 1 April.

I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7606 on 4 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.