Chamber and committees

The allocations to Glasgow City Council announced on the 7 December include provision for Level Playing Field Support for Schools of over £44 million. Glasgow City Council's single capital allocation will rise to almost £40 million (a 38% increase) over the next three years. The Single Allocation covers roads and transport, education, social work, private housing and general services (including coast protection and flood prevention). It is for Glasgow City Council to decide how its single allocation is spent.

The Deputy First Minister has set up a working group to make recommendations about how a "Community Legal Service" might be established in Scotland. The group is broadly based and will report to him in October 2001.

The introduction of family friendly policies is expected to improve morale and show that NHS Scotland cares about its staff. It sends the message that NHS Scotland is serious about recruiting new staff and retaining its staff by offering them the ability to work the hours they want to combine work with family commitments.

Our National Health: A Plan for Action, a Plan for Change makes clear that all NHS employers will be required to meet or exceed best practice guidance on family-friendly policies as part of the new Staff Governance Standard. To help employers, guidance on family-friendly policies will issue in the New Year, and will address issues such as flexible working; childcare; breastfeeding and career breaks. The guidance will apply to all staff in NHS Scotland.

The Minister acknowledged the burdens and pressures on local government. But none of these burdens are hidden.

Comparisons of the population update and block and formula methods of grant distribution for 2002-03 and 2003-04 suggested that Glasgow City Council would gain around £3.9 million more over the three-year period 2001-04 from the block and formula method than the population update method. The incorporation of a "floor", or guaranteed minimum grant increase, gives the council an additional £16 million over the block and formula method. It is the difference between these two figures that constituted the additional £12 million that was referred to in the statement of 7 December 2000.

We will consider any new statutory duties and responsibilities, and whether they impose any additional financial burden on local government, as they arise.

Each authority's grant for 2001-02 was calculated using the existing client group based distribution formula adjusted to reflect a number of distribution reviews completed this year. A minimum grant increase (or "floor") of 5% was put in place. For 2002-03 and 2003-04, the formula was updated using projections of population changes in key client groups. Floors of 4% in 2002-03, and 3.4% in 2003-04, were applied.

The grant allocations arise out of the spending plans announced on 20 September, and represent a 10.5% increase in real terms over the three-year period.

The length and content of vocational training for general practitioners is a matter for the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP), which is a reserved body with a UK wide remit.