Chamber and committees

Our strategicframework for healthy eating sets out our plan to increase demand for healthierchoices, supported by action to supply that demand with improved access to healthierfood.

Our strategiesbegin from the earliest stages with parenting support and encouragement for breastfeeding,we have consulted on nutritional guidance in early years settings, we have set nutritionalstandards for school meals, and have announced that we will consult on a HealthPromotion and Nutrition in Schools Bill during this parliamentary year.

Beyond schools,we are developing nutritional standards in hospitals, care homes and prisons. Weare targeting workplaces through the Scotland’s Health at Work scheme, which results in healthier food choices in canteens,tuck shops and vending. We have made advice available to any member of the publicwho wants it through the Healthyliving campaign website, and advice line and weare working through the Scottish Community Diet Project and our neighbourhood shopsinitiative to support communities to improve access to and take up of a healthydiet.

I have today arranged for the release of a spreadsheet detailing direct and indirect grants to voluntary organisations in 2005-06.  In 2004-05 the Executive will be providing £387 million directly and £136 million indirectly - £523 million in total - to the voluntary sector in Scotland.  This is an increase of £119 million from last year, reflecting the Scottish Executive’s continued commitment to the sector.

Copies of the spreadsheets are available from the Scottish Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib Numbers 37519 and 37520)  and the Scottish Executive website.

In the answer given to question S1W-24583, I undertook to continue to report quarterly on the numbers of letters received by ministers and our performance in answering them.

In the quarter January to March 2005, 2,899 letters were received for ministerial reply of which 76% received a reply within our target of 20 working days.

Executive officials have discussed with the authority the use of discount vouchers at the bridge since the tolls rose on 1 May 2005, in general terms. However, the management and operation of the bridge, including the discount terms and arrangements, are a matter for the authority itself.

Westminster does not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters in Scotland unless it has the consent of the Scottish Parliament. This convention – sometimes known as the “Sewel convention” – is an important part of the devolution settlement, signifying respect for the role of the Scottish Parliament.

The Executive recommends that the Scottish Parliament should consent to such legislation only when it would deliver clear benefits for Scotland and is consistent with the themes of the Partnership Agreement. In that context, the Executive is working with the UK Government to identify and agree specific opportunities to deliver such benefits in relation to the Bills announced with today’s Queen’s Speech.

The bills already identified as offering potential are:

The Animal Welfare Bill – to ensure that people who are banned from keeping animals in England and Wales, following conviction for cruelty to animals there, continue also to be banned from keeping animals in Scotland.

The Equality Bill – to ensure that the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights takes due account of Scottish interests and the duty to promote equality between men and women is placed on Scottish public authorities.

The European Union Bill – to ensure that the devolution settlement is taken into account in legislation to enable the ratification and implementation in UK law of the EU Constitutional Treaty and to allow a referendum on the Treaty to take place.

The National Lottery Bill – to provide power for Scottish ministers to issue directions to the Big Lottery Fund and allow a Scottish Committee to exercise all the functions of the Fund in relation to devolved expenditure.

The Executive will maintain a dialogue with the UK Government over the coming weeks and months to see whether further opportunities can be identified. If that proves to be the case, the Executive will bring them to the attention of the Parliament at the earliest opportunity.

For each relevant bill, the Executive will present the Parliament with a motion and detailed explanatory memorandum as soon as possible after it is introduced at Westminster in order to maximise the scope for scrutiny and debate. It will be for the Scottish Parliament then to determine whether to give or withhold consent.

Through the Scottish Social Services Council we have introduced a number of actions that support the continuing professional development of social workers. This includes registration for all social workers from April 2003 and the requirement to undertake at least 15 days post registration training and learning over three years. The council is consulting on proposed additional post registration training and learning requirements for newly qualified social workers to ensure that they are properly supported to consolidate their knowledge and skills in practice.

We fully endorse the Continuing Professional Development Strategy agreed by the council on 14 September 2004 and which sets out new arrangements for the continuing professional development for all social service workers, including social workers.

I am publishing today the second annual report on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 – Annual Report to the Scottish Parliament -2004. I am placing copies of this document in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. (Bib. number 36410).

Scottish ministers have set Registersof Scotland the following key targets for 2005-06:

Financial

1. to achieve a return of 15% on net capitalemployed over the three-year period ending 31 March 2006;

2. to improve efficiencyby 2% when comparing three-year performance to 31 March 2006 against three-yearperformance to 31 March 2005 against the standard production cost index;

Speed of Registration

3. to achieve recordingand registration turnaround times in 2005-06:

averaging over theyear as a whole no more than 15 working days for sasine writs;

averaging over theyear as a whole no more than 25 working days for dealings with whole;

averaging over theyear as a whole no more than 90 working days for domestic first registrations receivedover the last 12 months;

("Dealings withwhole" are registrations involving a property title that is already on theLand Register. "First Registrations" are where an entire property is registeredon the Land Register for the first time either because it is new or as a resultof a transaction transferring it from the Register of Sasines.)

4. in line with thethree-year target to eliminate stocks of domestic first registrations over one yearold, to achieve a 62% stock reduction against the 31 March 2004 baseline by 31 March2006;

5. to eliminate allpre-July 2001 casework except where, for exceptional reasons, agreement has beenreached with the agent or where court proceedings are pending;

Registration Accuracy

6. to achieve a registrationaccuracy rate of at least 98% for applications despatched during the previous 12months;

Customer Service

7. to continue tooperate at Charter Mark standards by:

achieving a 98% ratingfor overall customer care in the annual customer satisfaction survey of solicitors;and convening six focus groups around the country to obtain details of issues ofparticular importance to the legal profession;

processing 97% ofall customer enquiries in compliance with the agency's published response standards.

I announced at the time of theQueen’s Speech that, subject to the Parliament’s consent through a Sewel motion,it was anticipated that ten bills could offer opportunities for making useful provisionon matters within the legislative competence of the Parliament and on matters relatingto the functions of the Scottish ministers. Subsequently, Malcolm Chisholm wroteto the Equal Opportunities Committee to advise that opportunities had also beenidentified in the Equality Bill. The position reached in relation to these 11 billsis as follows:

·      Animal Welfare Bill was not introducedprior to the dissolution of the Westminster Parliament.

·      Constitutional Reform Bill receivedRoyal Assent on 24 March and includes the provisions for which the Parliament gaveconsent on 19 January.

·      Disability Discrimination Bill receivedRoyal Assent on 7 April and includes the provisions for which the Parliament gaveconsent on 24 February.

·      Equality Bill fell with the dissolutionof the Westminster Parliament.

·      European Union Bill fell with thedissolution of the Westminster Parliament.

·      Gambling Bill received Royal Assenton 7 April and includes the provisions for which the Parliament gave consent on12 January.

·      Inquiries Bill received Royal Assenton 7 April and includes the provisions for which the Parliament gave consent on3 February.

·      International Organisations Bill receivedRoyal Assent on 7 April and includes the provisions for which the Parliament gaveconsent on 23 February.

·      National Lottery Bill fell with thedissolution of the Westminster Parliament.

·      Railways Bill received Royal Assenton 7 April and includes the provisions for which the Parliament gave consent on26 January.

·       Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill received RoyalAssent on 7 April and includes the provisions for which the Parliament gave consenton 2 February.

Acts of Parliament are availableon the website of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office at:

www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2005.htm.

Phase 2 of the Review of the Childrens Hearings System will be issued in the next few weeks.