Chamber and committees

The key driver inany health service redesign is to improve the care and treatment available topatients. Before any decisions can be reached on any health service redesignand centralisation of services a number of important issues will be consideredincluding the availability and skill mix of staff, benefits to patients,service issues etc. Input and consultation will also be undertaken with anumber of key stakeholders including service managers, the General MedicalCouncil, NHS Education for Scotland and union representatives.

Once the optionsfor redesign have been considered or a decision has been made, further workwill be undertaken with the regulatory and standard setting bodies to ensurethat the doctors providing NHS services are trained in the competencies neededto undertake their role in the service. The General Medical Council areresponsible for setting the standards for undergraduate medical students andthe Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board are responsible forpostgraduate training and education.

I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-7037 on 4 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-7037 on 4 December 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the searchfacility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The ScottishGovernment has assessed a range of information, including advice provided bythe Scottish Funding Council and the Universities Scotland Spending Review bid.

There have beenno specific discussions on the issue of staff numbers. However I have had anumber of wide ranging discussions on the funding settlement for universities.

As the jointstatement between the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland issued on 22 November 2007 made clear, the Cabinet will consider thepossibilities for additional funding from in-year flexibility and potentialconsequentials as and when the opportunity to do so arises in the years ahead.

As the joint statementbetween the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland issued on 22 November 2007 made clear, the Cabinet will consider thepossibilities for additional funding from in-year flexibility and potentialconsequentials as and when the opportunity to do so arises in the years ahead.Those opportunities will determine what level of funding may be made available.

The Joint FutureThinking Taskforce announced last week will work between now and the spring ofnext year on the issues facing the university sector in Scotland over the next 20 years. The exact remit andmembership of the Taskforce is currently being finalised by the ScottishGovernment and Universities Scotland.

I held a veryconstructive meeting with Universities Scotland on 22 November 2007 covering a range of issues. I stated clearly toUniversities Scotland that the Cabinet remains sympathetic to the sector interms of additional funding from in-year flexibility for capital and potentialconsequentials in the years ahead. I am sympathetic on the issue of thespecific cost pressures universities face in the first year of the settlementand I am willing to work creatively with the sector and the Funding Council onaddressing this matter. Universities Scotland have committed to providing moredetailed information to the Scottish Government on this issue so that it can beconsidered further.

I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-6528 on 3 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.