Chamber and committees

The Executive's patient focus and public involvement framework aims to achieve a patient-focused health service where people are treated as individuals and where individuals, groups and communities are involved in improving the quality of care, influencing priorities and in planning services. Patient focus and involvement is at the heart of Cancer in Scotland. There are a variety of dedicated cancer support groups and organisations working throughout the country. The important on-going contribution of the voluntary sector in this area is valued. Patients and carers are involved centrally and across cancer networks to ensure that their views are integral to planning and decision making in cancer services.

As part of the patient and public involvement programme all NHS boards are required to develop a plan for sustainable patient and public involvement which will be evaluated and supported by the Scottish Executive Health Department. For cancer services, regional cancer networks submit regular progress reports on the implementation of Cancer in Scotland including patient/public involvement. This work is in its early stages and progress is variable across the country. Regional monitoring reports which provide more detail are available from the Cancer in Scotland website:www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/cancerinscotland/.

I am delighted to announce the new rates of support for students in further and higher education for academic year 2003-04. I am today placing in the Parliament's Reference Centre details of the rates of those loans, bursaries and grants, which will be available to eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students in full-time higher education (Bib. number 26394). A general uprating factor of 2.4%, in line with inflation, will be applied to the existing schemes of support in 2003-04, thus maintaining their value in real terms. We are also increasing by the same factor the standard rates of tuition fee payments made to institutions on behalf of eligible students by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. This increase is consistent with that announced by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on 19 December 2002 for English and Welsh domiciled students.The Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) has also agreed to maintain the alignment between the further and higher education sectors by, where appropriate, uprating the support available to further education students by 2.4%.

The UK event to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, which was held in the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on 27 January this year, was sponsored by a partnership between the Home Office, the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Executive, and organised with the support of a broadly-based planning group. The Scottish Executive also funded the preparation of an education pack on the Holocaust for use in Scottish secondary schools, which was launched on 26 November 2002.In keeping with this year's theme of Children and the Holocaust, the City of Edinburgh Council organised a full programme of supporting events, designed to increase knowledge of the Holocaust and to encourage young people to engage with the issues it raises. The supporting events included:"In Your Shoes, In My Shoes" - a creative arts exhibition at the Traverse Theatre from 20 January."Out of Europe - Children of the Holocaust" - drama performed by young people at the Traverse Theatre on 21 and 22 January."100 Nights" - an exhibition focusing on genocide in Rwanda in the Central Library from 15 to 31 January"Justice, War Crimes, Genocide and the New World Order" - a lecture by Fergal Keane at the Hub on 23 January"Lessons for the Future" - an educational conference at the Traverse Theatre on 23 January."I knew I was Painting for My Life" - the Holocaust artworks of Marianne Grant at the City Arts Centre from 23 January to 1 March."I was a Slave Labourer" - documentary film at the Filmhouse from 24 to 27 January."The Pianist" - film based on a true story at the Filmhouse from 24 January."The Pianist - The Context" lecture event on 6 February."All our Futures" - music reading and dance at the Usher Hall on 26 January."Book of Commitment and Light one Candle" - the opportunity for the public to sign the Book of Commitment and light a candle in remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust at the City Chambers from 25 to 27 January.Songs of Praise - BBC Broadcast on 26 January.

Cancer in Scotland: Action for change sets out a variety of measures aimed at improving prevention, earlier detection and treatment for all cancers. Awareness raising campaigns of the risks of unnecessary exposure to ultraviolet radiation are run by the Health Education Board for Scotland and local NHS Health Promotion Departments.

The Scottish Executive is committed to implementing the Habitats Directive in Scotland and 229 sites have already been submitted to the European Commission. In June 2002 the Commission undertook an assessment of the lists of candidate SACs put forward by the UK and other member states in the Atlantic Bio-Geographic Region. Out of a total UK list of 76 habitat types and 41 species, our lists were judged to be sufficient for 54 habitats and 27 species. This compares favourably with the Commission's initial assessment in 1999, where 40 habitats and 12 species were held to be sufficient. The Commission has requested that the UK examine the need for a limited number of additional sites for those habitats and species lists judged insufficient, some of which relate to Scotland. Scottish Executive officials have been working with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to examine the need for additional sites in Scotland. In a number of cases, this work has demonstrated that no appropriate sites can be identified and further proposals will not be made to the Commission. I have, however, requested SNH to consult on eight new sites and two extensions to existing sites to address the gaps identified by the Commission in the following habitat types:

Habitat Type

Large Shallow Inlets and Bays

Machairs

European Dry Heath

Upland sites to cover four habitats

Old Sessile Oak Woods

Once SNH has completed the consultation, Scottish ministers will decide whether or not to put these sites forward to the European Commission with a view to completion of the Scottish list of terrestrial SACs. In order to meet a strict EC timetable for submission of sites by 30 April 2003, it is important that SNH initiate public consultation as early as possible, and Scottish ministers have requested that this is taken forward as a matter of priority. The European Commission has made the decision to delay consideration of member states' lists of sites within the marine environment in view of the work that is currently under way to extend the network beyond 12 nautical miles. This is a matter for the UK Government, and the list of sites for these habitats and species will be assessed at a later date in light of this work.

The armed forces and police together with a number of other organisations are to be congratulated on the way in which emergency fire cover was provided during the eight-day strike on 22 to 30 November. A report has been prepared and copies have today been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Schools are at the heart of preparing young people to live in a multi-cultural and inclusive society. We have funded the Centre for Education for Racial Equality in Scotland (CERES) since 1991. CERES aims to promote education for racial equality within educational services in Scotland. CERES liaises with education authorities and schools to assist with formulating, developing and refining policies for multi-cultural and anti-racist education.We commissioned CERES, working in partnership with LTS, and the City of Edinburgh Council, to produce a resource to provide staff in pre-school, special schools, primary and secondary schools with materials to support a more effective delivery of anti-racism education. The CD-Rom Educating for Race Equality - A Toolkit for Scottish Teachers was launched on 3 December, and will be available to all schools in the New Year.In addition, to enable the implementation of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 across the school and pre-school sectors we set up a Delivery Group. The group's remit was to ensure that education authorities and schools/centres are aware of their new duties under the act and to support smooth implementation. As part of this, the group has produced an information leaflet for school staff which will be issued before Christmas.

In the answer given to question S1W-24583 on 28 March 2002, I undertook to continue to report quarterly on the numbers of letters received by ministers and our performance in answering them.In the quarter July to September 2002, 3,731 letters were received for ministerial reply of which 68% received a reply within 17 working days, and 88% received a reply within 25 working days. This performance compared to that in the second quarter of 2002 dips slightly against the first target when 72% of letters received a reply within 17 working days and improves slightly against the second target when 87% received a reply within 25 working days.

From April 2003 to April 2006, HM Inspectorate of Education and the Care Commission will jointly inspect all EA nursery schools and classes, independent school nursery classes, and voluntary and private pre-school centres which are in funded partnership with their education authority.