Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive does not provide resources specifically for forensic laboratories. Decisions on the level of resources to be allocated to police forensic laboratories from the overall GAE provided for the police are for Chief Constables to determine, in consultation with their police authorities.

I refer to the answer given to S1W-4075.

The Executive is on target to achieve elimination of mixed sex accommodation in the NHS in Scotland by March 2002.

Information on the percentage of patients now accommodated in mixed sex wards is not held by the Executive and is not being collected. The 90% figure announced in April 1999 was an estimate based on advice provided by Trusts at that time. It reflected the fact that most Trusts were largely compliant but with a small number of wards which did not meet the criteria. The position is, however, constantly changing, for example, as ward configurations alter and work on eliminating mixed sex accommodation continues. An exercise to obtain an accurate picture of the percentage of patients in mixed sex wards at a set point in time would be time consuming and of limited value.Progress is being made towards the elimination of mixed sex accommodation from the NHS in Scotland by March 2002. I have asked for regular updates on the position, with information on the Trusts that are fully compliant and the extent of non-compliance in other Trusts. The first report, in January, confirmed that most Trusts will meet the deadline of March 2002 without difficulty and support is being provided to those with specific problems. £4.2 million over three years has been made available for this purpose.

No government departments or agency has an explicit power to ban such installations as long as the operator complies with all relevant licence conditions, health and safety provisions and planning requirements. If the results of research into the non-established health effects of telecommunications installations persuaded the Executive that such a ban should be introduced, it would be necessary to consider whether the licensing regime, the Health and Safety regime or the planning regime might best be adapted to effect such a ban.

Telecommunications operators may install masts in any location provided they have fulfilled all relevant licence obligations, health and safety requirements and planning procedures and have reached agreement with the occupier of the property. The Executive has no plans to pursue a ban on masts in locations such as schools and hospitals.The Executive is currently preparing amendments to planning legislation to enhance the degree of control that planning authorities have over the siting and appearance of telecommunications developments that benefit from permitted development rights.

I have not yet decided whether to establish a Scottish Human Rights Commission, or whether to publish a consultation paper on this issue.I will consider this issue in the light of a submission which The Scottish Human Rights Forum has undertaken to make to me.

This information is not held centrally.However, one of the current Scottish Executive commitments is that by 2003, the biggest ever hospital building programme in Scotland will be delivered, with the provision of eight major new modern hospital developments with a capital value of over £480 million.

There are no plans currently to place defibrillators at public locations in Scotland.

The evidence for improved outcomes resulting from the placing of defibrillators in public locations is not as clear-cut as might be assumed. A number of important issues would have to be considered including the recruitment and training of members of the public to undertake basic Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and use defibrillators. This would be crucial if members of the public are not to be put at risk as a result of inappropriate use of such equipment.I have therefore asked the Coronary Heart Disease Task Force to provide advice to the Executive on the risk: benefit analysis of such a programme.

The Warm Deal provides a package of insulation measures comprising cavity wall insulation, loft, cold tank and pipe insulation, hot tank insulation, draughtproofing, energy efficient lightbulbs and energy advice. All households benefiting from the Warm Deal will have received some or all of these measures.

Expenditure by the local authorities taking part in the Warm Deal is set out in the table below. Eaga's expenditure is not distributed by local authority area. Neither Eaga nor authorities supply the Executive with details of work by house type or age of property

Council	Spend to 31 December 1999	Council	Spend to 31 December 1999
Aberdeen	£63,077	Inverclyde*	£48,385
Aberdeenshire	£42,538	Midlothian	£50,000
Angus	£10,769	Moray	£51,153
Argyll and Bute	£29,229	North Ayrshire	£58,307
Clackmannanshire	£50,000	North Lanarkshire	£239,000
Dumf & Galloway	£42,538	Orkney	£6,692
Dundee City*	£114,230	Perth & Kinross**	-
East Ayrshire	£73,230	Renfrewshire	£90,000
East Dunbarton	£36,308	Scottish Borders	£40,000
East Lothian	£70,000	Shetland	£10,460
East Renfrewshire	£26,462	South Ayrshire	£21,077
Edinburgh	£199,615	South Lanarkshire	£145,462
Falkirk	£109,231	Stirling	£22,922
Fife	£105,000	West Dunbartonshire	£69,232
Glasgow City	£380,845	West Lothian	£47,154
Highland	£39,078	Western Isles*	£12,538
		Total	£2,304,532

* Expenditure is as at 30 September 1999** Not participating in the Warm Deal