Chamber and committees

The Department of Enterprise and Lifelong Learning transferred its Edinburgh based posts to Glasgow during 1999-2000. In total, around 140 posts were transferred.

The Scottish Executive Health Department contracted with Glasgow Caledonian University for a target of 30 students to the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 diploma courses in midwifery to be spread across three-year and 18-month pre-registration courses. The target was met in both years. The actual intakes were 23 three-year places and seven 18-month places in 1999-2000 and 20 three-year places and 10 (provisional for February 2001) 18-month places in 2000-01.

The Scottish Executive has no plans to increase the number of student midwifery course intakes at Glasgow Caledonian University in 2001-02.

The National Audit of all museums and galleries in Scotland will determine the relative importance of collections. Preparations for the audit are well advanced and I have agreed to give priority to Glasgow's museums, after our commitment to audit the industrial museums first. We have made available £3 million over the next three years for restructuring the museum sector and access to these funds will take account of the outcome of the National Audit.

The National Cultural Strategy recognised the particular position of Glasgow and committed the Executive to working with Glasgow City Council to examine the circumstances of their museums and galleries. As a first step, I had a constructive and positive meeting on 19 January with Bailie Cameron, Convenor of Glasgow's Cultural and Leisure Services, to discuss the way forward. We have agreed to continue discussions to address the council's difficulties.

Our National Health - a plan for action, a plan for change commits the Scottish Executive to introducing a transparent new accountability review process and we will ensure that the Scottish public has the information it needs to form a view on the performance of the NHS. League tables are unlikely to be the best way of presenting this information.

The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to health and safety matters.

The Scottish Executive is committed to major improvements in the ICT infrastructure in schools. Over £80 million has been made available to Scottish local authorities to develop the National Grid for Learning in schools which will ensure that all school pupils will have access to computers, the Internet and e-mail. Internet access is already available in 49% of primary schools and 97% of secondary schools, compared to 22% and 73% in 1998, and all schools will be connected by 2002.The Scottish Executive is also looking at how to provide broadband links to Scottish schools, so that pupils and teachers everywhere in the country will be able to benefit from equal access to e-mail, videoconferencing, high-quality educational materials and other resources and services.

Through its Digital Scotland initiative, the Scottish Executive is working towards pervasive and affordable access to the web for people in Scotland. We are committed to achieving universal access to the web by 2005. We are promoting digital inclusion in Social Inclusion Partnerships, including establishing a network of locally based ICT champions and supporting ICT facilities, in consultation with local communities and partners.

Specific actions to ensure all people may take advantage of the opportunities that ICTs present are the Community Access to Lifelong Learning (CALL) programme and the learndirect scotland initiative.The CALL programme is funded by the New Opportunities Fund. CALL has been established to engage more adults in learning at a community level by developing support for ICT access to information and learning opportunities. Some £23 million has been earmarked for spending in Scotland.People need to learn how to use new technology effectively if they are to feel comfortable with it and reap the benefits it offers. To that end, anyone, anywhere in Scotland can now get access to learning at a time and a place to suit them. The Executive's flagship for lifelong learning - learndirect scotland - has been operational since October, simplifying access to learning at all levels. Through its services anyone aged 18 or over can also register for an Individual Learning Account to help them pay for the learning they do. Discounts of 80% are available for basic IT skills courses to help adults grasp and exploit the opportunities that ICT presents.

In February 2000, Henry McLeish launched a series of initiatives to accelerate the uptake of e-commerce by Scottish businesses. These were the First Steps into E-Commerce workshops, Digital Advantage workshops, Ecomm2000 consultancy packages, a national e-promotion campaign, and the creation of a Director of E-Commerce at Scottish Enterprise. Scottish Enterprise also runs a Winners at the Web competition to highlight examples of best practice, organises high profile events such as E-Commerce week and offers advice and signposting through its own website. Highlands and Islands Enterprise offers a similar range of assistance including advice, seminars and workshops.The Executive was involved in the establishment of 10 local support centres in Scotland which provide the delivery mechanism for these initiatives. Most are now integrated within the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise networks.