Chamber and committees

As with the previous system of recruitment, mobility and flexibilityremain important factors in helping to match doctors to posts. Whilst Scotland isdefined by the UK Medical Training Application System (MTAS) as a single unit ofapplication, those short listed for training posts in Scotland have the flexibilityto specify their preferred Deanery area. This allows Scottish applicants to exercisemaximum choice in determining their eventual post location, and is a system featurethat is not available to candidates applying for posts elsewhere in the UK.

Competition for speciality training positions in medicine continuesto be highly competitive. The modernising medical careers recruitment and selectionprocess is open, fair, transparent and competency based, which will ensure thatthe best candidates are selected for posts. Scotland will have at least the samenumber of training posts available under the new system as was available under theold regime. Whilst we expect to fill all our Scottish vacancies with the best availablecandidates, it is impossible to predict how many of those currently working in Scotlandwill be successful in securing posts in Scotland.

There is a formal appeal and complaintsprocedure that is available to all applicants which is publicised through the MMCScotland website. This process can be invoked where recruitment processes or procedureshave not been followed, or there is evidence of unfairness in how the process hasbeen implemented and the objectivity of decisions is called into question. Wherethese reasons are cited, applicants can request a review by the Medical TrainingApplication System (MTAS) administrators or the appropriate postgraduate dean.

To date no complaints meeting these criteria have been receivedin Scotland.

The Scottish Executive is aware of concerns about ModernisingMedical Careers (MMC) and the Medical Training Application Service across the UK,but delivery of MMC in Scotland remains on track thanks to the hard work of allthose involved. Senior clinicians in Scotland have advised that they are satisfiedthat round 1 selection is going well and they remain committed to supporting the Executive in delivering improvements to postgraduate medical education. A letterto this effect, co-signed by Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, the President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the President of the Royal College ofPhysicians of Edinburgh, the President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeonsof Glasgow, the Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Chairmanof the British Medical Association in Scotland has recently been sent to all juniordoctors.

I am pleased to announce thepublication today of the Scottish Policing Performance Framework. The frameworkwill be effective from 1 April 2007. It will for the first time establish a singlenational suite of performance indicators for every police force in Scotland.

The framework has been developedthrough close partnership working by the Scottish Executive, Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, individual constabularies, Her Majesty'sInspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland, Audit Scotland andthe Scottish Police Authorities Conveners’ Forum. The framework provides a coherentnational model for the measurement and reporting of performance information. Itis intended to assist managers throughout the police service to provide more effectivepolicing, to assist chief constables in discharging their operational responsibilitiesand police authorities in holding forces to account for efficiency and best value.It is based on four areas of policing, which encompass the wide range of policingactivities within Scottish communities. The four areas are Service Response, PublicReassurance and Community Safety, Criminal Justice and Tackling Crime and SoundGovernance and Efficiency. In each of these areas, high level objectives have beenidentified, which reflect national policing priorities. Performance measures havealso been developed in each area, as well as several indicators which will providecontextual information on the environments within which police forces are operating.Individual forces will develop appropriate local indicators to complement the corenational suite.

The framework for 2007-08 isa first step towards more coherent national measurement and reporting of performanceinformation across Scotland. It is intended to be sufficiently flexible to respondto developments in policing, in order that measures can be added or removed overtime as necessary.

The framework aims to improveaccountability at local and national levels through the publication of consistentand transparent performance information, which will support Scottish ministers,police authorities and the general public in their understanding of policing performance.Quarterly reports will continue to be provided to police boards and a national reportwill be published annually. The first annual performance report is expected in autumn2008.

Copies of the framework are availablein the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib number 42199).

I last met with the British DentalAssociation on 30 January 2007. Officials meet quarterly with the British Dental Associationand last met them on 1 February 2007.

The Scottish Executive is workingclosely with the independent Electoral Commission to deliver a joint informationcampaign for the 2007 elections. We consider that because the local government andScottish parliamentary elections are combined, a joint public information campaignis likely to be more effective. The Electoral Commission has statutory responsibilityfor the promotion of the Scottish parliamentary elections.

The primary aim of the campaignis to spread awareness of and information about the forthcoming elections to ensurethat people who want to vote are able to do so in May. A vital element of this willbe explaining the two different voting systems being used on 3 May. The campaignplan and content are based on research into current knowledge of the voting systemsand are designed to minimise any confusion on how to vote. The effectiveness of the campaign will be monitored throughout.

The Scotland Office has no officialrole in the public information campaign, however, they are kept aware of the developmentof the campaign through their participation in the 2007 Elections Steering Group.

I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-29452 on 15 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Reporter appointed to conductthe inquiry is presently considering the evidence led at the inquiry and the writtensubmissions of the parties. Thereafter, the Reporter will submit a detailed reportwith recommendations to Scottish ministers, in early December, for their consideration.Every effort will be made thereafter to issue an early decision.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

Yes.

A new 700 place prison has beencontracted for at Addiewell, West Lothian and will come into use at the end of 2008.

Subject to planning permissionbeing given, a new 700 place prison will be contracted for at Low Moss.

The SPS is also investing morethan £1.5 million a week on upgrading and expanding the prison estate at HM Prisonand Young Offenders Institute Cornton Vale, HM Prison Edinburgh, HM Prison Glenochil,the SPS Open Estate, HM Prison Perth and HM Young Offenders Institute Polmont.