Chamber and committees

The treatment of drug misusers is one of the key objectives within the Executive's drugs strategy. As part of the new three year £100m drugs expenditure package, we have committed an additional £10m to provide treatment services in the community for more drug users, and £21m for rehabilitation services to equip former drug users for opportunities such as employment and education. These resources are available also for the treatment and rehabilitation of those who abuse volatile substances. Assessment of need and the targeting of resources will be determined at local level by Drug Action Teams (DATs) and constituent agencies.

According to the Scottish Drugs Forum's Directory of Specialist Helping Agencies, there are over eighty treatment services in Scotland, providing a service to people who use volatile substances. The Executive has recently set a national standard to ensure that drug misusers under 16 have access to appropriate drug treatment and care services. This will include the provision of facilities for those who misuse volatile substances. For the first time this year DAT corporate action plans will contain information on the availability of services which treat volatile substance abuse clients. The plans will be analysed by the Executive, to determine whether any further action is required.

Volatile substance abuse is addressed within Scotland's drugs strategy as a whole. Drug Action Teams are asked to include it in their action plans. Efforts are focused on preventing volatile substance abuse through the education of young people, professionals, and retailers, and, where practicable, restricting the sale of solvent-based products. The Scottish Executive provides core funding for the Scottish Drugs Forum, which considers and provides information on volatile substance abuse, through its Volatile Substance Use Working Group. Guidance on volatile substance abuse for professionals working with children and young people was recently published by the Health Education Board for Scotland, in conjunction with the Scottish Drugs Forum, and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. The Executive also contributes towards the funding of the National Drugs Helpline which responds to calls about volatile substance abuse, as well as about the misuse of drugs, in general.

As I announced recently at the AGM of NFU Scotland, we are committed to using the £2 million to assist the livestock sector. We are exploring how this money might be used to best effect and will take account of any views expressed by the industry.

The First Minister met with a delegation comprising Mr Andrew Welsh MSP and representatives of Angus Council and Arbroath Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday 15 January to discuss proposals for an aid package for Arbroath. These proposals are being carefully considered by the Scottish Executive.

Currently, only claimant count unemployment figures are published below large unitary authority areas. Numbers of claimant unemployed in 1991 wards, or postcode sectors are already published monthly via the NOMIS database. This is available via the Parliament's Reference Centre, and the staff are happy to help get required figures.The Scottish Executive has plans to publish a claimant rate for local areas over the next year. In addition, the Scottish Executive will fund a neighbourhood statistics project. Over the years 2001-02 to 2003-04, the Executive will spend £7 million to develop statistics covering many aspects of society and the economy at a very local level. Planned here are many labour market statistics, including the internationally standard ILO measure of unemployment.

The Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care, launched last year, is receiving grant of £4 million over a three-year period to offer education and training for staff working in a residential child care setting. This will include outreach work in rural and other more dispersed areas. The current Regulation of Care (Scotland) Bill provides for a new Scottish Social Services Council which will regulate all staff working in child care establishments. This will be undertaken by ensuring that staff adhere to a code of conduct and by their registration through holding agreed qualifications. The council will also regulate professional education and training.

The information requested in (a) is shown in Table 1.

The specific information requested in (b) is not collected centrally. However, limited information on where patients are discharged/transferred to is available and is shown in Table 2. This includes discharges to institutions (including Nursing and Residential Homes) and other hospitals.Table 1: Number of acute discharges* from Dumfries Royal Infirmary, 1995/96 to 1999/2000#

Year	1995/6	1996/7	1997/8	1998/9	1999/00#
Number of Discharges**	25760	25587	27503	28918	29665

Notes:

* Non-obstetric/non-psychiatric specialties, excluding Geriatric Long Stay

# provisional

** Includes within hospital transfersTable 2:Number of acute discharges* from Dumfries Royal Infirmary, 1995/96 to 1999/2000#showing selected 'discharge/transfer to' details

Year	1995/96	1996/97	1997/98	1998/1999	1999/2000#
Total number of discharges**; of which discharges to:	25760	25587	27503	28918	29665
Place of residence: Institution***	Xx	xx	371	235	271
Transfer within same hospital	2805	2848	3185	3392	3687
Transfer to another NHS hospital	882	933	1012	1034	987

Notes:

* Non-obstetric/non-psychiatric specialties, excluding Geriatric Long Stay.

# provisional

** Includes within hospital transfers

*** Includes Nursing/Residential/Hostel/Group Homes (funded by NHS, Local Authorities or privately) and NHS Partnership Hospitals

xx Not collected prior to 1997/98Source for both Tables: ISD Scotland, SMR01, SMR01 (November 2000).

Projects managed by Aberlour Trust or other voluntary organisations are normally operated in conjunction with the relevant local authority. The extension or coverage of such projects are therefore matters for local decision and there is nothing to prevent them continuing after 16.

This is a matter for the police, who will investigate any alleged incidents involving violence or intimidation by animal rights protesters.

The Scottish Diet Action Plan, Eating for Health, provides the framework for improving Scotland's diet. The plan acknowledges the valuable contribution which meat can make to health, provided it is lean, eaten in appropriate amounts and forms part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. Implementation of the plan includes close liaison between the Scottish Executive, Food Standards Agency and Quality Meat Scotland in the latter's work to reduce further the fat content of red meat and to develop healthy meat products.