Chamber and committees

This information is not held centrally and is in any case regarded as personal to the individual. The Scottish Executive makes no contribution to the society on behalf of its staff.

The Scottish Breast Screening Programme invites eligible women for breast screening every three years. Breast screening is provided at either mobile units or static screening centres.Mobile Screening Units have visited a number of locations in the following areas since 1999.Dumfries and Galloway Lockerbie June to August 2000Newton Stewart and Stranraer September to October 2000Dumfries July to September 2001Castle Douglas April to June 2002Highland - has a dedicated mobile all year round with the exception of five months every three years when it is used in Western Isles by the same screening centre.Lanarkshire - all eligible women are screened on mobiles in Lanarkshire. There is always at least one mobile screening unit operational in Lanarkshire but normally two simultaneously in different localities.Shetland - 12 weeks 2001 (all eligible women invited for screening during this period).Western Isles - five months every three years. Beginning of May to end August 1999 and mid April to mid August 2002.

In 2001, the Executive received initial advances of 1.9 million euros for the Highlands and Islands transitional Objective 1 programme for 2000-06, and 4.45 million euros for the programme covering the rest of Scotland. By the end of 2004 a further 13 and 26 million euros respectively should be drawn down for these programmes. This depends, however, on sufficient demand from the industry for grant and valid claims subsequently being made in respect of projects awarded financial aid.

In the current programme year the Executive plans to seek reimbursement (draw down) of around 13 million euros - 3 million euros for the Highlands and Islands Transitional Objective 1 programme and 10 million euros for the programme covering the rest of Scotland.

The Scottish Executive has no current plans to introduce a national framework specifically for epilepsy but is working towards the development of managed clinical networks which will help improve services for this condition. The SIGN guidelines, currently being revised, will further inform the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with epilepsy.

The radiotherapy equipment modernisation programme has been agreed through a steering group, comprising NHSScotland physicists and oncologists who deliver the services, to determine immediate and longer-term equipment requirements. The programme has maintained steady progress over the last three years in replacing old, out of date linear accelerators and related equipment in all five of Scotland's cancer centres. The table sets out the current position:

Centre	No. of Linear Accelerators	Replaced/Being Replaced/Being Commissioned
Glasgow	8	1 replacement 4 additional
Edinburgh	5	4 replacement
Dundee	2	2 replacement
Aberdeen	2	2 replacement
Inverness	1	1 replacement

Long lead times are experienced in the planning, building works (if necessary) installation and commissioning of linear accelerators and associated equipment. A further wave of central purchasing (Wave 4) is currently being planned that, subject to the required investment appraisal process by NHS boards, will see a further six machines being commissioned. Two of these would be replacements and four additional to current numbers. Waiting times for radiotherapy treatment in Glasgow have fallen from eight weeks to approximately four weeks. In other centres the position is currently fluctuating as replacement equipment installation and commissioning can mean longer waiting times over a period of months. Waiting times in other centres are currently four to six weeks.

The breast screening early recall rate has reduced from 1.2% in 1993 to 0.2% in 2001. This has been achieved by investments in improved technology and in the expertise of screening staff. Image Guided Biopsy, for example, has allowed staff to make definitive diagnosis in a larger number of cases, reducing the number of women required to be placed on early recall. Scotland's recall rate is substantially better than the target rate of less than 1%.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25346.

The £2.75 million investment in liquid-based cytology will be used to meet either the capital or first year leasing costs for the processing machines, for the training costs of the laboratory and smear taking staff and proficiency testing costs. Exact figures will not be known until the machine tendering exercise and training has been completed.

The answer to S1W-24643 should in fact have read 15 times. The actual and planned uses of section 57(1) of the Scotland Act 1998 are contained in the following lists:Section 57(1) of the Scotland Act 1998 has already been used in the following cases;

1. The Sea Fishing (North-East Atlantic Control Measures) Order 2000 (SI 2000/1843) which implemented Council Regulation 2791/1999.
2. The Feeding Stuffs (Enforcement) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/2325) which implemented Council Directive 95/53/EC, Commission Directive 98/68/EC and, in part, Council Directive 1999/20/EC.
3. The Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/498). These regulations implemented the European Union ban on exports immediately following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (initially Commission Decision 2001/145/EC).
4. The Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/627). These regulations simply extended by one day the above regulations without further amendment.
5. The Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Export of Vehicles) (Disinfection of Tyres) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/887). These regulations implemented another part of the European Union export ban.
6. The Biocidal Products Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/880). These regulations implemented Directive 1998/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the council concerning the placing of Biocidal Products on the market.
7. The Environmental Protection (Controls on Injurious Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3141). These regulations implemented, in part, Commission Directive 1999/51/EC adapting to technical progress for the fifth time Annex 1 to Council Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations, and administrative provisions of the member states relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (tin, PCP and cadmium.)
8. Ozone Depleting Substances Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/528). These regulations implemented Regulation 2037/2000 of the European Parliament and of the council of 29 June 2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer.
9. The Hemp (Third Country Imports) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/787) which implemented Regulation 245/2001.

It is planned to use section 57(1) of the Scotland Act 1998 to implement the following obligations:

1. Directive 1999/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the council concerning the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations (Dangerous Preparations Directive).
2. Commission Directive 2001/58/EC amending for the second time Directive 91/155/EEC defining and laying down the detailed arrangements for the system of specific information relating to dangerous preparations in implementation of Article 14 of European Parliament and Council Directive 1999/45/EC and relating to dangerous substances in implementation of Article 27 of Council Directive 67/548/EEC (safety data sheets).
3. Commission Directive 2001/59/EC adapting to technical progress for the 28th time Council Directive 67/548/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances.
4. Commission Directive 2001/60/EC adapting to technical progress Directive 1999/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the council concerning the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations.
5. Commission Directive 2001/91/EC adapting to technical progress for the eighth time Annex 1 to Council Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations, and administrative provisions of the member states relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (hexachloroethane).

Commission Directive 2001/78/EC of 13 September 2001 concerning the use of standard forms in the publication of public contract notices.