NHS Quality Improvement Scotland hasindependent status and determines its own work programme, taking full accountof NHS Scotland priorities.In relation to thedevelopment of COPD clinical standards, I understand NHS QIS has taken the viewthat it would not be sensible for it to embark on a further piece of work onCOPD until Audit Scotland has completed work on its long term conditionsproject, which takes COPD as one of two marker conditions, and the Departmentof Health has published its COPD National Service Framework.