Chamber and committees

The study on the development of a soil protection strategy for Scotland by Stirling University was finalised in February and future action is now being considered. The recommended review of the available survey data being carried out by the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute has yet to be received but I am led to believe it is now nearing completion. Once it is available we will take forward consideration of the need for a soil protection strategy for Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28144.

It is for local authorities to analyse housing needs in their areas and make plans to meet those needs. However, there are a number of national initiatives that can help increase the supply of affordable housing in rural areas.Communities Scotland's Rural Development Programme has been increased from £36 million in 1998-99 to £48 million in 2002-03. The bulk of this investment is in affordable housing provided by Registered Social Landlords. This programme provided 1,178 new and improved homes across Scotland in 2001-02, and has a target of 1,266 homes for 2002-03. The current New Housing Partnership initiative will also have provided 1,360 new and improved homes in rural areas by the time it comes to an end in 2003.Communities Scotland's programme includes means-tested Rural Home Ownership Grants to assist people with a local connection or with local employment to own a home which will be their sole residence. It helps them to build a house or have one built where there is an insufficient supply, or to buy a house that has been on the market for at least six months. Rural Empty Properties Grant is available to private landlords to bring empty property back into good condition for renting, for the benefit of the local community. Both these grant schemes can be a source of accommodation for key workers where the grant criteria are met.Through New Housing Partnership funding to Highland Council and subsequent joint funding by Communities Scotland, the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust has been supported to deliver tailored housing solutions in small rural communities. It has assisted the provision of accommodation for workers and a school teacher in Ardnamurchan. Rural Partnership for Change, which was established by the Scottish Executive, is working with the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust and is considering the wider implications of its approach.

The Executive is aware of this treatment. We do not, however, direct surgeons on whether or not to adopt this or any other specific technique. That is and must be a matter for clinical judgement depending on the circumstances of each individual case.

The effect of section 27 of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill will be that a simple majority will be able to appoint a manager for the complex if the title deeds do not provide for an alternative decision-making process. Section 32 will allow the owners of a simple majority of the units to vary or discharge burdens affecting a housing complex. Section 50 of the bill provides for a special majority in relation to "core burdens" in a sheltered or retirement housing scheme. These are burdens which regulate facilities or services that make a development particularly suitable for occupation by the elderly or infirm. Attempts to use section 32 to vary these core burdens will require the consent of the owners of 75% of the units. Discharge will not be possible. A simple majority will still be able to appoint a manager in a sheltered complex using section 27, but a 75% majority will be required to confer certain powers on the manager. These special majorities have been introduced as a result of the Executive's consultation exercise for the bill.The provisions of the bill allow the person(s) who hold the majority share in an individual unit to exercise the vote for that unit in respect of decisions under sections 27 and 32. As a result, if an occupier owned 80% of the property and the developer 20%, the occupier would control that property's vote in decisions made under sections 27 and 32.

For General Hospital and Community Health Service Health Records, health boards are required to store patient's medical records for six years following the date of the last recorded entry or three years after death.

The Data Protection Act 1998 allows patients to gain access to their medical records. The Data Protection (Subject Access) (Fees and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2000 set out how much, up to a maximum of £50 a patient may be charged for access to their records.

The Executive recognises the benefits of spreading certain types of wastes on agricultural land where the nutritional benefits reduce the need for expensive fertilisers. Blood and gut content from abattoirs may be spread on land which is used for agriculture where this activity is authorised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as an exemption under the Waste Management Licensing Regime. Those spreading this product should ensure that it is done without endangering human health and the environment, without risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals and without causing nuisance through noise or odours or adversely affecting the countryside or places of special interest.The Executive plans a number of changes to legislation to tighten up the controls on this practice. These changes include amending the Waste Management Licensing Regime to ensure that recycling provides benefits to the land, does not lead to pollution or health impacts and is monitored effectively. Changes are also planned to implement the requirements to prevent the spreading of untreated blood on land in the forthcoming EU Animal By-Products Regulation, expected early next year.

We have no reason to believe that the derogation from the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 for the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Area is having any adverse affect on the welfare of horses.

Through the Scottish Road Safety Campaign, the Scottish Executive targets road safety messages at drivers and other road users.The campaign's Driver Behaviour Strategy, which addresses the issues of speeding, drink and drug driving, seatbelt use and young driver safety, aims to modify unsafe and undesirable driver behaviours.Campaign initiatives include "Foolsspeed", a long term campaign which aims to change driver attitudes to speed and speed choice, while "Don't Risk It" addresses drink driving. On 20 May the campaign launched a new television advert focussing on drug driving. The campaign has also produced adverts on the issues of seat belt use and young driver safety. It has made arrangements for publicity campaigns on all these issues in the current financial year. Road safety publicity undertaken by the campaign is evaluated to determine its effectiveness.