Chamber and committees

No. The Caledonian Virtual Practice Development College is acommercial enterprise and would have to bid for work on a competitive basisalongside other bidders/providers of such a service.

We have appointed a nurseconsultant post for older people in the care home sector, whose task is to improvethe care of older people living in a care home. NHSQIS practice development unitdevelop best practice statements in care of older people and have a network of nursesthroughout Scotland where these are shared.

The Kerr Report Building aHealth Service Fit for the Future (Bib. number 36608), in volume 2, has an importantchapter dealing with the health care of older people, and how this should be developed.We have just published the Range and Capacity Review Group’s Report The FutureCare of Older People in Scotland (Bib. number 39640) which provides wide-rangingadvice and information on the health care and community care of older people. Wehave commissioned a Nurse Consultant post for older people in the care home sector,whose task is to improve the care of older people living in the care home sector.Today I launched the National Training Framework for Care Management and the Managementof Long-Term Conditions.

In addition much activity ofthis kind takes place through NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, NHS Health Scotland andNHS Education Scotland.

As part of the review of NHSprescription charges and exemption arrangements, the consultation document wassent to various organisations including medical bodies, patient groups,voluntary sector organisations and individuals, inviting responses on thisissue. Recipients are listed in the consultation document.

However, we recognise thatthe consultation document alone may not have reached all those who would wishtheir views to be taken into account.  Accordingly the review process has includedthe establishment of focus groups targeted on key stakeholders whose viewsmight not have been caught by means of the written consultation alone. Additionallyan independently commissioned survey is being conducted to gauge publicawareness regarding prescription charges.

The responses from all threeinitiatives will be duly analysed and taken into account when considering whataction may be taken.

The Scottish Executiveassumes that the EU “smart money” budget for scientific research and innovationrefers to the 7th EU R&D (Research and Development) Framework Programme. TheFramework Programme (FP) is the EU's main instrument for funding research anddevelopment. The current FP is FP6, which will be running up to the end of 2006and FP7 will be fully operational as of 1 January 2007and will expire in 2013. The budget for the FP7 remains to be agreed as part of the ongoing negotiations. The Commission proposal for FP7 outlines a budget of €73billion over seven years (2007-13). A final budget is expected in the summer of2006.

The Executive is keen tomaximise Scottish participation in Framework funded projects. The InnovationRelay Centre (IRC) is a Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprisefunded initiative specifically designed to facilitate Scottish participants tosecure European R&D funding and find Framework partners or projects tojoin. The framework is open to all private and public entities, both large andsmall, and I would encourage all interested parties to contact the IRC forfurther information.

The information requested isnot available.

Future Structural Fundsprogrammes are currently being developed and will be published for publicconsultation later this year. Our initial broad proposals for future programmesare set out in the Scottish chapter of the National Strategic Reference Framework,which has been drafted by Executive officials, and these will be revised totake into account responses to this consultation. These proposals reflect theExecutive’s key strategies such as the regeneration statement and listcommunity regeneration and social inclusion as key priorities to ensure thatfunding is directed towards areas of greatest need. It is clear that, given thesignificant reduction in funding which Scotland will receive, there will be a need for cleartargeting on those key areas and activities and this will be undertaken at alater stage in programme development. This targeting will also be informed bythe Executive’s existing strategies and policies including the regenerationstatement.

It is important that futureStructural Funds programmes ensure the targeting of funding to areas ofgreatest need and our initial proposals for future programmes have beendeveloped with this in mind. However, it is also important that funding takesadvantage of opportunities for growing the economy throughout Scotland. Indeveloping future programmes we are required to direct the vast majority offunding towards activities which directly support the EU’s Lisbonstrategy on growth and jobs. Indeed, the overarching objective of funding underthe Competitiveness Objective is to encourage business growth and job creationin areas that are lagging economically behind the rest of Europe. Wemust, therefore link the commitment to social inclusion and communityregeneration under future programmes with the need to support economic growth throughoutScotland.

The list of chronic illnesseswhich confer medical exemption from prescription charges on medical grounds bythe UK Government of the day was agreed with the medical profession more than30 years ago and has not been reviewed since.

The Scottish Executive hasacknowledged that there are anomalies and inconsistencies in the current chargeand exemption arrangements, which is why it is undertaking a review of thosearrangements. The public consultation phase of the review closed on 30 April 2006 and responsesare currently being analysed by independent consultants. The consultants havealso been commissioned to establish focus groups targeted on key stakeholderswho might otherwise not be sufficiently covered by the written response.

The view of the Scottish Executiveis that there are currently no grounds on which it would consider a moratorium onthe construction of TETRA masts.