Chamber and committees

A breakdown of this information by local authority area is not available.

The Scottish Executive does not operate any specific policies to influence the overall size or age structure of the population. Long-term planning aims to be sufficiently flexible to cope with change in these. However, our Framework for Economic Development in Scotland (laid before the Parliament in June 2000) is focused on instilling a greater economic dynamism that should attract skilled people to stay, return or settle here.

A pensioner is a person who is aged 60 or over.

The Scottish Executive remains committed to achieving a ban on tobacco advertising and promotion. We recognise, however, that such a ban is just one element of a wide range of measures that together, will help reduce the incidence and impact of smoking. The Scottish Executive is continuing to take forward action to implement the 1998 White Paper Smoking Kills and is working with a range of organisations to make progress on several fronts:

• NRT and Zyban are now available on prescription.
• Additional funding to improve and expand smoking cessation services and health education.
• A Scottish Voluntary Charter for the introduction of non-smoking areas in public places.
• The Lord Advocate is currently undertaking a review of test purchasing policy, linked to enforcement procedures for a range of age-restricted goods including tobacco.

The Scottish Executive is working with the UK Government in taking forward the implementation of the recent EU Directive on additives and labelling of tobacco.

The Executive is taking forward a range of measures to reduce smoking levels and the appeal of smoking among young people.These include health education and promotion of a holistic approach to healthy lifestyles, for example the "Confidence to Learn" training package being developed by HEBS for primary school teachers in order to help younger children to develop decision-making skills and the ability to cope with peer pressure. In addition "Young Scot" have produced a pack aimed at teenagersteenagers to encourage healthy lifestyles including advice on smoking.HEBS has undertaken mass media advertising, including the highly acclaimed STINX advertisment, aimed at teenagers, which promotes the message that smoking is neither healthy nor "cool".A new advert and competition will be launched at the beginning of the school year. An element of the £26 million Health Improvement Fund, which was announced last August, will be used for a major education drive to cut the number of young people smoking.The new "Aliens" advert and competition, which was launched on 16 August, builds on the success of STiNX by continuing the continues the anti-smoking driveanti-smoking drive.Other measures to reduce smoking among young people, including a major education drive, are being developed, backed by additional investment from the Health Improvement Fund.

Reducing the incidence and impact of smoking requires action on a number of fronts. The UK Government estimates that a ban on tobacco advertising and promotion might lead eventually to a 2.5% reduction in the number of smokers. If this was achieved in Scotland it could lead to an annual reduction of some 830 hospital admissions. It could also save around 150 lives in the short term, building to 300 lives each year.

The Scottish Executive has made clear our disappointment that such a Bill was not included in the Queen's Speech. We have been in regular contact with her Majesty's Government since 7 June to press them to bring forward the Bill to ban tobacco advertising and promotion at the earliest possible date.

In 2001-02 Glasgow City Council will have an estimated £75 million to spend on its housing stock. It is for the council to prioritise its housing needs and allocate this funding accordingly. However, Glasgow, like all councils, will be expected to address the issues raised in the question in its new local housing strategy.

Scoping work for a review of the social economy is under way. The review itself will commence soon and I expect to publish a report by the end of the year.

We announced plans for a loan fund in November 1999. A small development team was established with three members of staff seconded from the Bank of Scotland and Scottish Enterprise to take work forward. The team have recently successfully concluded negotiations with the banks over the terms of the loan finance and Social Investment Scotland will be officially launched on 19 September 2001.