Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive has nofunctions in relation to the provision of financial support directly to familiesof children recently diagnosed with cancer. This is reserved to the Department ofWork and Pensions who are responsible for a range of benefits and services for families.

We all know that airguns in the wrong hands can result in tragic consequences. That is why I have worked closely with UK Ministers to bring in a wide range of measures to strengthen the law, including a new offence of possessing an air weapon in a public place without reasonable cause and banning the import and sale of certain weapons.

Later this year the age for owning and air weapon will increase to 18 years; purchase will be restricted to outlets run by Registered Firearms Dealers only and a new offence of indiscriminate and reckless firing of an airgun from private premises will be created.

The Executive has not carriedout any such studies.

Circular 9/1998, a copy of whichis available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38670) providesguidance to local authorities on the provisions of the Road Humps (Scotland) Regulations1998, including advice on the height of humps. In addition, Traffic Advisory Leafletspublished by the UK Government, in association with the Scottish Executive, provideguidance on the design and placing of humps of various designs. The guidance includesadvice on the impact of different designs of hump on passenger discomfort, but doesnot include specific guidance on the impact of humps on people with degenerativeconditions.

The Scottish Executive is committedto the development of a wide range of renewable technologies including solar power.

We fund the Scottish Communityand Householder Renewables Initiative to provide expert advice and financial assistanceto householders and community groups installing renewable technologies. Since itsestablishment in 2002 the initiative has supported 346 projects involving solarpower.

I want to assure people that nowhere in the advice given to me has the suggestion been made that the childrens cancer unit at the Sick Kids hospital in Edinburgh should be closed.

Spend on mental health services by NHS boards and local authorities will draw from the planned year on year increases in allocations to 2007-08. The annual allocation for health in 2007-08 will be over £10 billion and the Grant Aided Expenditure to local authorities for social work will have increased to £2.085 billion.

Executive directed spend plans on mental health also show year on year increases from £37.4 million in 2005-06 to £38.8 million in 2007-08. This includes planned investment in delivery of the new Mental Health Act, the Tribunal, the Mental Health Specific Grant Scheme and the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well Being.

Ministers are aware that NationalServices Scotland is conducting a review of the Scottish National Blood TransfusionService’s (SNBTS) blood processing activities located at their Liberton, Edinburgh site.The economics of these activities have been affected by the need for vCJD precautionsand the development of new, synthetic blood products. Discussions have taken placeto understand the issues affecting the two biopharmaceutical manufacturing businessesand to agree a process for bringing forward proposals for their future.

The SNBTS is undertaking regularmeetings and briefings with colleagues in PFC and Alba Bioscience on these issuesand will continue to do so to discuss and consider all the views that have beenraised. These proposals have been, and will continue to be, developed in partnership.

The department will considerthe options and recommendations presented by the board of National Services Scotland.No decisions have yet been taken. Ministers expect to receive proposals from NSSshortly.

The Patient Claims Team of NHSScotlandCounter Fraud Services (CFS) undertake a national programme of checks of patiententitlement to exemption from NHS charges. Penalty charges may be imposed by theCFS where patients are found to have evaded NHS charges. Patients are given theopportunity to produce evidence of exemption from NHS charges to the CFS beforea penalty charge is imposed. Where patients who are not exempt realise, after initialcontact by the CFS, that they have made a mistake and pay back the charge, the CFSwill not impose a penalty charge. If payment is difficult, the CFS will accept stagedpayments. The CFS will also provide information on how to apply under the NHS LowIncome Scheme for full or partial help with NHS charges.

The information requested isshown in the following table.

Financial Year	Number of Patient Entitlements Checked	Number of Penalty Charges Applied
2005-06 (to 30-09-05)	20,056	5,289
2004-05	54,706	6,183
2003-04	31,487	6,071
2002-03	25,005	2,419
2001-02	10,236	32
2000-011	0	0
Total	146,490	19,994

Note: 1. The CFS was set up inJuly 2000. A small test run of 841 patient claims was carried out to check the qualityof CFS data against the Department for Work and Pensions’ automated system. No otherchecks of patient entitlement to exemption from NHS charges were undertaken duringthis period due to problems with patient consent.

The aim of penalty charges, andall of the work of NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services (CFS), is deterrence - tomake people who should pay for their NHS prescriptions, dental treatment or otherservices but try not to do so think twice about evading charges in future.

The CFS adopt a common senseapproach. Penalty charges are only imposed when patients have not provided proofof exemption to the CFS or have confirmed that they have made a mistake but notpaid back the charge evaded. Where a penalty charge notice has been issued and thereis subsequent contact which indicates that there are personal circumstances whichshould be taken into account, the charge will not be pursued. Each case is judgedon its merits. The CFS will also provide information on how to apply under the NHSLow Income Scheme for full or partial help with NHS charges and undertake publicitycampaigns to clarify and raise public awareness of the categories of people whoare entitled to Family health services free of charge.

The information requested isshown in the following table.

Financial Year	Number of Patient Entitlements Checked	Number of Penalty Charges Applied	Number of Penalty Charges Not Pursued
2005-06 (to 30-09-05)	20,056	5,289	1,411
2004-05	54,706	6,183	1,999
2003-04	31,487	6,071	1,122
2002-03	25,005	2,419	669
2001-02	10,236	32	0
2000-011	0	0	0
Total	146,490	19,994	5,201

Note: 1. The CFS was set up inJuly 2000. A small test run of 841 patient claims was carried out to check the qualityof CFS data against the Department for Work and Pensions’ automated system. No otherchecks of patient entitlement to exemption from NHS charges were undertaken duringthis period due to problems with patient consent.