Chamber and committees

Table1: Average Occupancy in Neonatal Units; by Health Board Area #: Years Ending 31March 2005 to 2007

Source:ISD(S)1, Scottish Health Service Costs.

^PProvisional.

Notes:

#ElevenNHS boards are shown, the remaining three, Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles donot have neonatal beds.

In recognition of the absence of a 2nd Tier level to the Neonatal Nurses Education Programme in Scotland a fully funded cohort of 20 students will commence inNovember. This is the start of a phased approach and more students will start thecourse in the near future.

A nursing workloadtool has been developed, with neonatal nurses, piloted and validated that will complementand incorporate the British Association for Perinatal Medicine recommendations.The new tool will identify the number of staff needed based on actual workload.

The Scottish Government is committed to considering proposalsfor Legislative Consent Motions on a case-by-case basis, and believes that the SewelConvention will remain a key part of the current constitutional arrangements aslong as the United Kingdom Parliament retains its current powers.

Within the United Kingdom Government’s new legislativeprogramme announced today, the government has identified and agreed a number ofspecific opportunities to legislate for the benefit of Scotland on matters that are within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliamentand on matters which relate to the executive competence of Scottish ministers.

The bills are:

Health and Social Care: to include Scotland in improvements and changes to the UK regulatory regime for the health care professions.

Climate Change: to provide a statutory UK framework for actions to mitigate climate change by reducingemissions, including setting a statutory target for the reduction of carbon emissions.

Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts: To allowaccess to funds in dormant accounts to invest back into society in Scotland, and confer additional functions on Scottish ministersto make orders directing the distribution of these funds.

The Scottish Government will be bringing forward memorandumsand Legislative Consent Motions for these Bills in line with the requirements ofStanding Orders over the next few weeks. It will be for the Scottish Parliamentthen to determine whether to give or withhold consent.

Further proposalsto legislate for Scotland via a Legislative Consent Motion may welldevelop in relation to other Bills announced today by the United Kingdom Government,as their content is finalised. We will continue to work with the United KingdomGovernment and will bring to the attention of the Parliament any such proposalsas soon as they are identified.

The Scottish Governmentissues an advisory floor each year, which is the minimum amount that Scottishministers expect should be paid to partner providers for a fully loaded pre-schooleducation place. The advisory floor for the last three years was:

Action 4 has beenachieved. The Scottish Government has developed a work plan to take forward itsconsideration of the recommendations addressed to Executive in the 2006 NationalNeedle Exchange Survey.

Action 5. The researchon the outcomes and risks associated with the use of injecting paraphernalia suchas filters, cookers and tourniquets has been completed and the final report willbe published in September 2007 following independent peer review.

Action 6 has beenachieved. The Scottish Executive Justice Analytical Services Division completeda synthesis into the work of the Hepatitis C prevention working group in April 2007.

Action 7. ScottishPrison Services have involved all stakeholders in proposed arrangements for thepilot-in-prison needle exchange in HM Prison Aberdeen. As a result it is likely this initiative will now start next year.