Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive already supports extensive preventative screening activities across Scotland, for example the Scottish Executive recently announced a further three well man clinic pilots in the Borders, Lanarkshire and the Western Isles which brings the total to 10 well man pilots across Scotland.

Members’ staff were asked to put their names forward for ushers/escorts at the Opening Ceremony. As with SPCB staff, members' staff will be assigned to the various usher/escort tasks currently being compiled. These include greeting and co-ordinating "Riding" guests, assisting guests with access needs, escorting VIPs,seating Parliament Hall and Chamber guests and assisting groups of performers.

As the employer, the healthand well-being of members’ staff is the responsibility of individual members.

Under the members’ allowancesscheme, the SPCB sets a number of minimum terms and conditions on which membersmay employ their staff. These are in place to ensure compliance with the lawand general good employment practice. Members are free to improve on these and can,therefore, replicate the healthy living initiative for their own staff if theywish.

The SPCB has no plans toenhance the minimum terms and conditions upon which members may employ staff,as set out in the members allowances scheme. However, as employers in their ownright, members are free to improve on the minimum terms and conditions and can,therefore, replicate the SPCB’s healthy living and well-being initiative fortheir staff if they so wish. All associated costs would be a call on the memberssupport allowance.

The Scottish Executive has not carried out any research into this issue as it is the responsibility of local authorities to assess the needs of individuals and commission services to meet those needs.

The Scottish Executive is doing a number of things to help visually impaired people:

it launched an Eye Care Review in March to improve the services for blind and partially sighted people in Scotland and to promote better integration of services within the NHS, and between the NHS and other agencies;

it is implementing the seven recommendations on improving community care services for people with sensory impairment contained in the Sensory Impairment Action Plan which was launched in January, and

it is considering the recommendations of the Strategy Forum: Equipment and Adaptations report, Equipped for Inclusion.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to assess the needs of individuals and commission services to meet those needs.

Five.

It is not illegal for private investors to encourage tenants to buy their homes under the Right to Buy. However, there are complaints procedures available to tenants through local Trading Standards offices if they have any concerns about the practice.

The Executive provides advice and guidance to tenants thinking about exercising their Right to Buy, in the booklet Your Right to Buy Your Home. This helps to protect tenants by advising them to give serious consideration to the purchase, and recommending they seek professional advice before committing to purchase.

None. In April, an e-mail calling for volunteers for live testing was issued in error to all users of the parliamentary network. As it was always our intention to confine the call to the Scottish parliamentary staff organisation, it was quickly recalled and re-issued accordingly. In the intervening period five staff of MSPs had volunteered. Those staff were informed of the error and thankedfor their interest.

The following is a corrected answer (published on 20 September 2004); see below.

George Reid: None. In April, an email calling for volunteers for live testing was issued in error to all users of the Parliamentary network. As it was always our intention to confine the call to the Scottish Parliamentary Staff Organisation, it was quickly recalled and re-issued accordingly. In the intervening period five staff of MSPs had volunteered. Most of those staff were informed of the error and thanked for their interest.