Chamber and committees

The franchise agreement requires the operator to provide a punctual service by prescribing a maximum number of “minutes late” which is permitted during any four week period. Where the operator exceeds the permitted minutes late, a financial penalty may be imposed. Conversely, an incentive payment may be made if the operator does not exceed the permitted minutes late.

In addition, the minutes late target is to be tightened by 2% year-on-year throughout the life of the franchise.

17 May 2002 - Comment on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal Guidance number 35 on the use of etanercept for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

17 May 2002 - Comment on the NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance number 36 on the use of etanercept and infliximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

28 June 2002 - Comment on the NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance number40 on the use of infliximab for Crohn’s disease.

The comments can be accessed at www.nhshealthquality.org.

On 12 July 2004, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) issued advice to NHSScotland about the use of infliximab for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in patients who have severe axial symptoms, elevated serological markers of inflammatory activity and who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy. On the same date, the SMC also advised on the use of etanercept for the treatment of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis in adults. The SMC advice can be accessed at www.scottishmedicines.org.

In each case, the HTBS and the SMC advised that NHSScotland should take account of the advice and ensure that recommended drugs and treatments are made available to meet clinical need.

Communities Scotland will shortly issue a discussion paper outlining the Executive’s proposals for introducing a range of shared equity tenure models. This paper will set out principles for the practical operation of these models, including the apportionment of communal repair costs.

Shared ownership enables people who cannot afford outright purchase to buy an equity stake in a property. Sharing owners must also make an occupancy payment to a Registered Social Landlord to obtain exclusive occupancy of that property.

Shared equity also enables people who cannot afford outright purchase to buy an equity stake in a property. Shared equity differs from shared ownership however because a shared equity owner would not make an occupancy payment to a Registered Social Landlord. A shared equity owner would be expected instead to maximise the use of their available funds towards the purchase of an equity stake in a property. They would therefore be expected to have a larger equity stake in a property than would be the case with shared ownership.

Local authorities are encouraged to establish effective co-ordination and systems for sharing information between all the departments which may have an interest in HMO properties. This advice is set out in two documents recently published by the Scottish Executive. Planning Circular 4/2004: Houses in Multiple Occupation: Guidance on the interface between planning control and licensing (Bib number 33931) and Mandatory licensing of houses in Multiple Occupation: Guidance for licensing authorities (Bib. number 34059).

It would be for each department of the local authority to satisfy themselves that work carried out at any type of property complied with any grants of permission under planning or building legislation or with the requirements for HMO licensing.

We have no plans to amend planning and building control legislation in so far as it relates specifically to HMO.