Chamber and committees

The report of the MMR Expert Group has been published today. Copies will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The report is also available on both the Scottish Executive and the expert group websites.The Executive is grateful to the chairman and members of the expert group, for producing an excellent report, which addresses its remit in full. The report confirms that there is no proven scientific link between the MMR vaccine and autism or Crohn's disease. The Executive has no plans to change the current immunisation programme. The report describes the consequences of pursuing an alternative vaccination policy to MMR. It is clear that none of the alternatives provides comparable protection - for the population or individual children - against measles, mumps and rubella. In principle, the Executive is happy to accept all the recommendations that fall to the Scottish Executive for action. A more detailed response will, however, be prepared, and published, in due course.The expert group report cogently focuses on the need for improvements in the range and quality of services for those affected by autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), endorsing the recommendations of the Public Health Institute of Scotland (PHIS) Needs Assessment Report on ASD. The Executive recognises the importance of appropriate services to support individuals affected by autistic spectrum disorder, and their families and carers, and has today announced its response to the Needs Assessment Report that the Executive commissioned from the PHIS.The Scottish Executive is committed to reform and to improving services. Much work is under way. Autistic spectrum disorders are already included in The same as you?, the Report of the Review of Services for People With Learning Disabilities published in May 2000. Its aim is the same as the PHIS report - to ensure that services are co-ordinated and seamless. Change Funds have been provided to local authorities - £36 million over the three years to 2003-04, and £16 million in each year thereafter. This is for learning disability, but individuals with autistic spectrum disorders benefit too. Similarly children with ASD will benefit from the changes resulting from the consultation on Assessing our children's educational needs: The Way Forward, and the Changing Children's Services Fund - £27 million in 2002-03 - which is focussed on the delivery of integrated health, education and care services for vulnerable and deprived children. Also, under the Innovation Grants Programme, announced yesterday, £697,000 is being made available over two years to enable local authorities and voluntary agencies to work together to develop new services for children with ASD and their families.We will also work with researchers in Scotland to develop proposals for innovative, high quality research to underpin improvements in treatment and care for people with ASD.The Scottish Executive will continue to build on that foundation and work towards the ideal described by PHIS. The Executive is focussed on delivering sustainable, long-term improvements in the range and quality of services for those affected by autistic spectrum disorders across Scotland as a whole, in partnership with local service providers and users. Further steady and lasting progress will be based on mapping work currently being carried out by the Scottish Society for Autism and the National Autistic Society. The Executive's view, consistent with PHIS, is that early priorities must include involving individuals with ASD and their families or representatives, early assessment, integrated joint planning, and a coherent approach to training and workforce development.

On Monday 4 March, as part of our Action Programme to Reduce Youth Crime 2002, I announced a further £2 million to promote restorative justice programmes in authorities across Scotland. This is in addition to the £23.5 million over three-and-a-half years that we are already investing in reducing youth offending.

Patients are at their most vulnerable directly after surgery. We must continually improve standards of post-operative care and the Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality provides powerful information to inform those improvements.As a result the number of intensive care beds in Scotland has risen, and there is now a High Dependency Unit in every major hospital in Scotland. We are also working to ensure there are greater numbers of experienced nursing staff in the NHS.

The information requested is not held centrally but could be obtained from West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust.

The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to review its policy, detailed in Management Executive Letter (MEL)(2000)13 on charges for car parking at NHS hospitals.

In 1999-2000 and 2000-01 the parties were entitled to claim the following amounts:

	1999-2000	2000-01
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party	£90,000	£97,470
Scottish National Party	£175,000	£179,550
Scottish Green Party	£5,000	£5,130
Scottish Socialist Party	£5,000	£5,130

As required under the Scottish Parliament (Financial Assistance for Registered Political Parties) Order 1999 (passed by the Westminster Parliament), funding for the qualifying political parties is calculated on a relevant amount for a period multiplied by the number of members of the Parliament who are connected with that party. The relevant amount this current financial year is £5,248. Based on the existing membership of the respective parties in the Parliament, each party is entitled to claim up to the following maximum amounts for 2001-02:

	2001-02
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party	£99,712
Scottish National Party	£183,680
Scottish Green Party	£5,248
Scottish Socialist Party	£5,248

In 2002-03 the maximum amount which the respective parties are entitled to claim will be the calculation of £5,248 uprated by the retail price index for March 2002 for each member associated with that party in the Parliament.Payments are only made when the relevant parties submit a claim. Under the Order each qualifying political party must provide an independent audit certificate of all claims made for financial assistance at the end of each financial year.

The Executive fully supports the development of football academies in Scotland. To assist this, sportscotland has established a Scottish Football Academy strand within the Sports Facilities Programme of the Lottery Sports Fund. A budget of £6 million has been allocated for the period to 31 March 2003 and each eligible project can attract up to £1 million. sportscotland also provides advice and guidance to potential applicants.In addition to this the newly established Scottish Football Partnership has also committed over £1.5 million to supporting the development of football academies. Each eligible project can attract funding of up to £300,000.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is due to publish its fifth Annual Report and Accounts on 30 October. The report contains details of SEPA's achievements and activities during the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001, the agency's fifth year of operation. Copies of the Annual Report and Accounts have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17062).

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17444 answered on 29 September 2001.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is considering proposals for an extension to GNER's franchise for services on the East Coast Main Line. The proposals are likely to feature improved services and rolling stock. As indicated in my reply to question S1W-17937 on 13 September 2001, I have given gave the SRA statutory Advice on the extension of the franchise.