Chamber and committees

The Scottish Broadcasting Commission has published one report, in January 2008, in line with the work programme it published shortly after its first meeting on 26 October last year. This was an interim report about the economic phase of its work. The commission plans two further such interim reports, about the democratic and cultural aspects of its remit. It then plans to publish a full report later in the 2008.

The interim report published in January contained no specific recommendations for action by the Scottish Government. The commission plans to make recommendations in its final report and the government will consider whether it should take action as a consequence of these recommendations.

While there are regular meetings between officials of the Scottish Government and the Electoral Commission, there have been no meetings between Scottish ministers and the Electoral Commission since the May 2007 elections.

Representations have been received from individuals and politicians. Direct representations to me from politicians include those from Dr Ian McKee MSP, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Nigel Griffiths MP, Mike Pringle MSP, Mike Rumbles MSP and Margaret Smith MSP.

On Wednesday 20 February, I received a petition from the Evening News in response to their campaign calling for services to be retained at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

It will be for the football authorities and clubs to present their case for any relaxation on the legislation for the sale of alcohol at football matches. However, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice would not consider any such request without the full backing of the police.

The amendment of the Sports Grounds and Sporting Events (Designated) Order 2004 removed from the list of designated events, senior men''s international rugby union matches played at Murrayfield and Hampden Park. The relaxation of control on the sale of alcohol was only considered following police agreement and discussions with the Scottish Rugby Union.

The information sought is set out in the following tables. The data relates to areas which fall under the remit of the Scottish Government Communications Directorate. Information for individual portfolios/departments is not available.

Communications Officers employed in press related activities (these figures are a snapshot taken in the months in question. They are shown as full-time equivalents).

	May 2007	Feb 2008
Number of Communications Officers	40.6	40.2

 

News Releases Issued (Both Local and National Releases)

	1 May 2006 to 31 Jan 2007	1 May 2007 to 31 Jan 2008
Number of News Releases Issued	1,421	1,367

 

Employer''s costs (staffing and associated costs) for Communications Officers employed during the periods detailed below.

	1 May 2006 to 31 Jan 2007	1 May 2007 to 31 Jan 2008
Communications Officers Costs	£1,890,240	£1,837,994

 

PR Costs (Including the Staffing Costs Associated with Managing the PR Activities)

	1 May 2006 to 31 Jan 2007	1 May 2007 to 31 Jan 2008
PR Fees	£877,424	£548,057

 

The fast track arrangements in England provide fast access to treatment, generally for musculo-skeletal disorders. These are open to all serving UK armed forces personnel who, in the main, return to England from overseas to receive any treatment required. This reflects the location of Ministry of Defence Hospital Units.

In Scotland, the MoD''s Regional Rehabilitation Unit at Redford Barracks treats musculo-skeletal injuries. Its work has been commended by the recent Defence Committee Report as forward looking and sensible in providing significant benefits to Scottish Service personnel and patients.

NHS Scotland has well established links with Medical Defence Services and the Scottish Government is actively engaged with the MoD and the Department of Health on a range of issues, including arrangements for the rehabilitation of armed forces personnel.

The Scottish Government already meets regularly with the Ministry of Defence to discuss a range of issues and will continue to do so.

The Partnership Board, which includes senior Ministry of Defence and UK Health Departments'' officials, meets three times a year at where health matters affecting both parties are discussed at strategic level. Professor Peter Donnelly, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, represents the Scottish Government on the Partnership Board. The Board is underpinned by three Working Groups: Contracts, Performance and Operations; Planning, Policy, Resource and Strategy: and Workforce Issues. Scottish Government officials have full membership of each group, which meet every two months.

We are participating fully in Military and Civilian Health Partnership Awards to promote clinical excellence provided by all professional groups involved in the healthcare of the UK armed forces, with special recognition of the successful partnership between Defence Medical Services (DMS) and the UK civilian healthcare providers.

The Minister for Communities and Sport, Stewart Maxwell, recently met representatives from Veterans Scotland and MoD Ministers to discuss support provided to people leaving the forces and we will continue to work together on these issues.

Scottish Government officials meet regularly with representatives of Veterans Scotland and individual Scottish veterans'' charities. They also chair the Veterans'' Programme Scotland Steering Group which brings together the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Scotland to discuss issues that affect Scotland''s veterans'' community.

Our servicemen and women do an outstanding job and it is only right that they get the health care they need both during and once they leave the services.

The Scottish Government will consider carefully the Defence Committee''s Report and will continue to work with the Ministry of Defence; the Department of Health and with Veterans'' Organisations in Scotland to fully meet the care needs of service personnel, their families and veterans.

On 21 February 2008, the First Minister noted the statement of Colonel Martin Gibson, the Chief Executive of Erskine Homes:

The Scottish Government is working well in partnership with veterans'' organisations in providing information to veterans on the extension of priority treatment. There has been much positive activity in Scotland since Scottish Government officials appeared before the Defence Committee.

We will continue to build on that positive activity.

The Scottish Executive has funded KIMO''s Fishing for Litter project to help reduce marine litter of all kinds, including plastics. Following a meeting between KIMO and myself, my officials are currently discussing future work with that organisation. Support was also provided to the independent charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, to produce the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (Scotland) 2006, which may be found at http://www.littercode.org/, and which deals with marine litter on beaches. Our consultation, Better Bathing Waters For All, on measures to transpose and implement the Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC) contains details of proposals to clear litter, including plastics, from our shores. The consultation may be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/11/15101809/0.

Wastes are hazardous if they are listed as such in the European Waste List (Decision 2000/532/EC). Plastics appear in several chapters of this list but are not themselves listed as hazardous, though they may occur in conjunction with other wastes which are.

Since 1999, the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee and its predecessor Committees have published one report (4th Report, 2005, Session 2) in which it agreed that the member had breached article 4(6) of the Members' Interests Order by failing to register the receipt of a gift within the 30 day registration deadline provided for by the Members' Interest Order. This report confirms that, under paragraph 14 of the Direction issued by the Scottish Parliament on 15 January 2003, the Standards Commissioner referred the complaint to the Procurator Fiscal on 17 February 2005.

As the committee's report did not recommend any sanctions be imposed, the Parliament was not required to consider a motion lodged under Standing Order rule 1.7.