Chamber and committees

The Ministerial Working Group's report was published today, and is available on the Scottish Executive website.

The NHS in Scotland provides the conduit for the bulk of the £26 million per annum Health Improvement Fund resources, which includes priorities to improve the diet of children through supporting the provision of fruit in pre-school settings and breakfast clubs and fruit/salad bars in school settings. NHS boards have received their allocations and notification of the priority topics and it is for boards, in partnership with other local interests, to determine how best to meet local needs to improve community health in their local areas. I look forward to receiving the evaluation report from the pilot Fruit Plus initiative in Glasgow, which is partly funded through the Health Improvement Fund.

The Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) is represented on the Joint Advisory Committee which is overseeing the development of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

The trust acknowledges that at present waiting times for imaging remain higher than is acceptable. However, it believes that this financial year will see significant improvements through the investment in equipment and the recruitment of additional radiographers and radiologists. In the run up to these developments having a positive and sustainable impact on waiting times, the trust has put in place additional imaging sessions in the evening at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Individual Learning Account (ILA) members who had not enrolled in learning before the scheme's closure and who had not started their learning by 31 January cannot now access ILA-discounted learning. However, any learner whose learning was booked on the ILA Centre computer system before its suspension on 23 November will still be able to access ILA funds, irrespective of the date on which they start their learning.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22733.

There is no provision under the terms of the Individual Learning Accounts (ILA) scheme to make compensation payments. However, closure of the scheme should not result in a loss to any ILA member. Commitments given to those who had enrolled for learning by the closure date and who had started their learning by 31 January will be honoured.

It is not possible to quantify this figure on a monthly basis. In total over 215,000 Individual Learning Accounts (ILA) were opened in 2001 and over 108,000 activated. The number of learners taking up learning, with or without an ILA grant, would be expected to vary from year to year.

We have already said that we are aiming to make better use of technology and civilian staff as well as cutting paperwork. The drive to reduce bureaucracy is being taken forward on a range of fronts including, for example, the review of common police services; through the implementation of best value principles; through provisions in the forthcoming legislation and in other ways to release more police officers for front line work; and through investment in better information and communications technology. These measures are just part of the wide-ranging reform agenda for the police in Scotland which we are taking forward in partnership with police authorities and police associations.

Staffing information below trust level is not available centrally but will be held by local NHS management. Contact details for NHS management personnel are available on: www.show.scot.nhs.uk.