Chamber and committees

This is not somethingon which work has been undertaken centrally. The Agenda for Change system was agreedin partnership at a UK level between NHS employers, trades unionsand professional organisations and the UKhealth departments. All sides recognise the benefits of the new system and it isfor NHS boards and staff-side representatives working in partnership locally toensure that the implementation process is as quick and efficient as possible withoutsacrificing the integrity of the system.

Proceedings wereraised against six people for making underage tobacco sales between 2000 and2005-06, one of whom was admonished. The fine levels imposed averaged £188,with a range from £75 to £300.

This level ofdetail is not held centrally. However, from information to hand I can confirmthat in the region of 7% of the NHSScotland staff covered by Agenda for Changedo not match to existing job profiles and therefore require to fill out a jobanalysis questionnaire as part of the assimilation process.

The maximum finefor those convicted of selling tobacco to underage customers shall not exceedlevel 4 on the standard scale which currently equates to £2,500.

This level of detailis not held centrally. However, from information to hand I can confirm that in theregion of 7% of the NHSScotland staff covered by Agenda for Change do not matchto existing job profiles and therefore require to fill out a job analysis questionnaireas part of the assimilation process.

It was the view of the Scottish Pay Reference and Implementation Group (SPRIG), the partnership groupwhich oversaw the introduction of the new system, that an exercise to make availableinformation about overall job evaluation outcomes across Scotland would only have real merit once the implementation processhad been concluded. Whilst we are not in a position to present this data currently,I can confirm that this is actively being taken forward.

Data on the numberof (a) verbal and (b) written warnings issued by trading standards by local authorityarea is not held by the Scottish Government. However, we do hold information onthe number of local authorities which issued warnings for underage tobacco salesfrom 2000 to 2006 and the available information is given in the following table.

Year/Period	Total Amount of Local Authorities that Issued Warnings	Amount of Local Authorities that Did Not Issue Warnings	Unknown
2000-01	23	9	0
2001-02	25	6	1
2002-03	26	5	1
2003-04	27	4	1
2004-05	24	5	3
2005-06	22	8	2

 

Since 2006 the ScottishGovernment has been working with the Society for Chief Officers of Trading Standardsin Scotland in order to record the level of test purchasing for age restricted goodsbeing undertaken by local authorities in Scotland. The data collected does not specifically include information on the numberof warnings issued for underage tobacco sales and it is therefore not possible togive a figure for 2006-07.

Job analysis questionnaireswould not go to matching panels but rather to evaluation panels. Matching panelsmatch job descriptions to national profiles. We do not collect data centrally onthe time taken by either evaluation panels or matching panels. The Agenda for Changesystem was agreed in partnership at a UK level between NHS employers, trades unionsand professional organisations and the UK Health Departments. All sides recognisethe benefits of the new system and the operation of evaluation and matching panelsis a matter which is addressed locally through NHS boards and staff-side representativesworking in partnership.

Spend on job matchingpanels is not audited centrally. NHSScotland is committed to the introduction ofAgenda for Change as quickly and efficiently as possible and it is for each NHSboard to monitor each part of the process to ensure best value is achieved. In thisregard, the Audit Committee Handbook provides guidance to NHS boards on good practice.It makes clear that boards should have internal controls established to give reasonableassurance that assets are safeguarded, waste and inefficiency is avoided, that reliablefinancial information is produced and that value for money is continuously sought.

This information isnot held centrally. The Agenda for Change system was agreed in partnership at aUK level between NHS employers, trades unions and professionalorganisations and the UK Health Departments. All sides recognise the benefits of the new system and the operation and administration of job matching panels is amatter which is addressed locally through NHS boards and staff-side representativesworking in partnership.