Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government about a wide range of matters including the issue of the New Scottish Centre (NSC) at Prestwick. The Executive supports the UK Government's commitment to the NSC and is keen for the project to be delivered as soon as it is feasible. The public private partnership for National Air Traffic Services was completed on 26 July 2001.

Cancer, heart and stroke are Scottish Executive health research priorities. Over the last three financial years, the Scottish Executive has spent the following on: (a) Cancer Research.

	1999-2000(£ million)	2000-01(£ million)	2001-02(£ million)
1. Direct funding - research projects	1.2	1.4	1.6
2. Indirect funding - to support research in NHS Scotland	6.2*	7.1	7.7
3. Total	7.4	8.5	9.3

*Estimate; data for cancer and heart and stroke research not recorded separately in 1999-2000. In addition, the Scottish Executive has spent £0.4 million per annum over the last three years on the Scottish Cancer Therapy Network. The network does not itself undertake research but provides data management support for clinical audit and clinical trials. (b) Heart and Stroke Research.

	1999-2000(£ million)	2000-01(£ million)	2001-02(£ million
1. Direct funding - research projects	1.2	1.9	1.5
2. Indirect funding - to support research in NHS Scotland	4.1*	4.7	5.3
3. Total	5.3	6.6	6.8

Note:*Estimate; data for cancer and heart and stroke research not recorded separately in 1999-2000. Details on individual projects are available from the National Research Register (NRR), a copy of which is in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17404).

Post Offices and postal services are reserved matters. The UK Government has already put in place a number of measures to maintain the network of rural post offices. These include the formal requirement placed on the Post Office in November 2000 to prevent any avoidable closures. For its part, the Scottish Executive is demonstrating its commitment to rural post offices through the provision of rates relief for qualifying rural outlets.Additionally, as part of the Scottish Executive's commitment to providing services in deprived urban areas, we are currently considering support for post offices in these locations and I hope to be able to advise you further in due course.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28420.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is primarily a response mode funder of research and this role is well known and advertised throughout the health care and academic community. Mental health is a research priority and given the number of high quality applications received in recent years, direct commissioning has not been considered necessary. The CSO is currently directly funding 40 research projects on mental health at a cost of £4.1 million. As well as trials of treatment for mental illness, the projects include epidemiological and methodological work which is an essential basis for developing and evaluating treatments and services. Additionally, through the Research and Development Support Fund, the NHS in Scotland spent £2.8 million on 385 research projects related to mental health issues in 2001-02. These projects are recorded on a UK-wide research database called the National Research Register (NRR) which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17404).

No such measures exist. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guidelines are best practice guidelines primarily intended for use by clinicians, and are not intended to be construed or to serve as mandatory standards of medical care, as is made clear in section 1.4 of guideline 52. Their implementation is a matter for NHS boards in consultation with other appropriate authorities.

The Executive has no such plans. The implementation of SIGN guidelines is a matter for NHS boards, in consultation with other authorities as appropriate.

This was principally a clinical guideline. However, as well as its distribution to all primary care trusts, acute trusts and NHS boards in Scotland, copies were sent to all members of the Scottish Parliament Health and Community Care Committee and other MSPs and individuals who had registered an interest in receiving the guideline upon its publication, relevant voluntary organisations and all related member organisations of the SIGN Council, which includes the British Association of Social Workers. There was also a media campaign aimed at raising public and clinical awareness resulting in widespread TV, radio, newspaper and medical press coverage. The guideline is of course available for all interested persons to see at the SIGN website:http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/published/index.html.

The information requested is not held centrally. The implementation of SIGN guidelines is a matter for NHS boards, in consultation with other authorities as appropriate.

We published a care pathway document last year on the who, what, when and where of joined up services and support for mentally disordered offenders. The care and the custody agencies are working together and with others to organise the necessary care, support and accommodation that addresses the range of needs presented by this important group.The guidance is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 12345).