Chamber and committees

The level of funding which will be made available for the development of a new hospital facility in Angus will be determined by the business case which NHS Tayside will submit to the Health Department in due course.

Responsibility for policy and funding of research and development into new renewables technologies is a reserved matter. The development and demonstration of fuel cells as a source of heating, in power generation and in transport were included in DTI's most recent call for proposals for support under its New and Renewable Energy Programme. The total funding under the Programme available amounts to £12m.

The Health Department will assess any Business Case received from NHS Tayside for the provision of a new local hospital in Angus.All available funding routes should be fully explored at the capital planning stage.But - as the Deputy Minister for Health & Community Care has said already to the Parliament on 1 February 2001 - if public funds are needed for a capital development in Angus, that money will be found.

The members are:Dr David Old (Chairman), Chairman, Advisory Group on Infection (recently retired Reader in Medical Microbiology and Consultant Microbiologist, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School)Professor Sebastien Amyes, Head of Department, Medical Microbiology,University of Edinburgh Medical School Dr Jim Chalmers, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Information and Statistics Division, Common Services Agency for NHS ScotlandMr Richard Clark, Information and Statistics Division, Common Services Agency for NHS ScotlandProfessor Peter Davey, Clinical Pharmacology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical SchoolDr Ian Gould, Consultant Microbiologist, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Dr Norman Lannigan, Trust Chief Pharmacist, Western General HospitalDr Chris Low, Scottish Agricultural CollegeMr John McCormick, Consultant Surgeon, Medical Director, Dumfries Royal Infirmary Dr Ahilya Noone, Consultant Epidemiologist, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health Dr Gabby Phillips, Consultant Microbiologist, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School Professor Bill Reilly, Consultant in Veterinary Public Health, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental HealthProfessor Lewis Ritchie, Professor of General Practice and Primary Care, University of Aberdeen Ms Sarah Stevenson, Infection Control Nurse, Stirling Royal Infirmary

Dr Charles Swainson, Medical Director, Royal Infirmary of EdinburghMr Eric Taylor, Consultant Surgeon, Surgical Department, Vale of Leven Hospital

Dr Andrew Todd, Consultant Physician, Infectious Diseases, Monklands HospitalDr Tom Turner, Consultant Paediatrician, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, YorkhillDr Pauline Upton, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Lothian HealthRepresentatives from the Scottish Executive

The Scottish Executive is committed to improving the effectiveness of money advice services in Scotland’s deprived communities. We are continuing to work with the money advice sector to develop a national telephone debtline which will improve access to free quality money and debt advice throughout Scotland; and we are developing other policy options for strengthening the infrastructure of money advice provision in Scotland.

A project team, led by the Executive and including Money Advice Scotland, Citizens Advice, other money advice providers, local authorities and the credit industry was set up in August 2000 to take forward work on developing a debtline service. A pilot debtline will be launched in Scotland later this year.

Research and development in this area is a reserved matter. The UK Government has allocated £9 million for the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions' new vehicle technology fund, and will be consulting later this year on its strategy to support, facilitate and promote the take-up of such technologies.

Research and development with respect to renewable energy technologies is a reserved matter, and is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry. A DTI White Paper published earlier this year included a major initiative aimed at expanding the use of solar photovoltaics across the UK, with £10 million committed for the first three years of this programme. We will remain in close contact with DTI colleagues as the details are developed.In addition, since April 2000, a reduction of VAT from 17.5% to 5%, has been available for professionally installed solar panels.

General hospital-acquired infection (HAI) would not have been noted as a contributory factor in clinical negligence claims prior to April 2000. However records of clinical negligence claims where MRSA - which may have been acquired in hospital - was stated as a contributory factor are available prior to April 2000.No clinical negligence payments have been recorded in respect of incidents in which MRSA is mentioned as a contributory factor. At present there are seven MRSA-related clinical negligence claims under consideration. No claims specifying HAI as a contributory factor have been lodged since April 2000.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13234.