Chamber and committees

Responsibility for the overallprovision of NHS dental services in the area rests with NHS Fife. NHS boards areencouraged to apply to Scottish ministers for approval for salaried dentist postswhere they consider that there is a gap in provision, which cannot be filled byother means.

The Scottish Executive has no plans to carry out such an appraisal. However, we fully appreciate the importance of local roads and their contribution to Scotland’s economic performance. This is reflected in our decision to allocate an additional £60 million per year from 2006-07 to help local authorities address the backlog of maintenance on the local road network.

Responsibility for the overallprovision of NHS dental services in the area rests with NHS Forth Valley. NHSboards are encouraged to apply to Scottish ministers for approval for salaried dentistposts where they consider that there is a gap in provision, which cannot be filledby other means.

The current proposals in the Bill only involve utility company road works. Roads authorities are already under a statutory duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain roads. They have a further duty under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 to ensure best value.

No distinction has been made in the Transport (Scotland) Bill between different types of road works.

The introduction of broadband technology is a priority for the Executive and we are supporting its roll out to all communities in Scotland by the end of 2005.

The legislative framework regulating road works in the Transport (Scotland) Bill concentrates on improving the co-ordination and reinstatement of road works carried out by all utility companies operating in Scotland. There will be no impact on utility companies involved in the roll-out of broadband if they work within the legislative framework.

The local government grant distribution methodology has been agreed following extensive and collective consultation over a number of years with local authorities, through COSLA and takes account of a wide range of complex factors influencing local authority spend to ensure a fair distribution of grant. These factors include population, pupil numbers, road lane lengths and indicators of rurality and deprivation. COSLA has not requested any re-examination of the GAE calculation for local roads and in these circumstances the Executive has no current plans to review the funding formula.

We have no current plans to meet Stirling Council to discuss local roads issues.

An additional £60 million per year has been allocated in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to help local authorities address the backlog of maintenance on the local road network. Allocations to individual authorities will be announced in due course.

The Scottish Executive provide drugs specific resources to NHS boards and local authorities for the provision of drug treatment and care services. In Fife for 2004-05 the NHS board received £829,244 for drug treatment services and the local authority £464,000 for drug rehabilitation services per annum. On 27 October 2004,the Minister for Justice announced that an additional £6 million per annumwill be available across Scotland to support drug treatment and rehabilitationservices from 2005-06.

Local drug action teams are responsible for the planning and delivery of drug treatment and care services in line with identified local need and in full collaboration with all partner agencies.

The Scottish Executive does not intervene directly in local planning, delivery and decision making.