Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive has regular meetings with the National Lottery Charities Board Scotland. In reaching decisions on funding of projects the board takes into account factors such as sustainability of projects and the need to plan ahead for when NLCB funding comes to an end.

We are systematically reviewing all our activities to identify issues where there is a risk of ECHR challenge. This process has been underway since December 1998 and is continuing. Guidance on the ECHR has been published and widely circulated throughout the Scottish Executive, to local authorities and to other public authorities.

The Scottish Executive does not at present have any plans to introduce screening for prostate cancer. The National Screening Committee, an expert group which advises all the UK Health Departments, has recommended, after very careful consideration of the available evidence, that a national screening programme using current Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing techniques should not be introduced at this time. The NSC does not believe there is sufficient evidence that screening reduces mortality. The committee is nonetheless actively reviewing the position as results of further planned research trials become available and is considering the possibility of a randomised controlled trial to produce more robust evidence of effectiveness.

The Scottish Executive is, however, aware of the threat to male health which prostate cancer can pose, and the guidance issued to the NHS explains that this recommendation does not exclude PSA testing of those presenting with symptoms, or who have a family history of the disease.

I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-7171.

The information requested is set out in the table below.

	Expenditure (£ million)
1995-96	87.433
1996-97	69.809
1997-98	50.892
1998-99	43.079
1999-2000	43.597

Note: figures expressed in 1995-96 constant prices.

The Executive is taking several measures to minimise disruptive behaviour and improve discipline in schools. Improving discipline is one of the key elements of the Executive's National Ethos Programme which also includes anti-bullying and attendance.

Discipline does not only involve controlling the behaviour of pupils, but also instilling in them the desire to learn. Central to achieving this objective are several of the initiatives funded for the three-year period, 1999-2000-2001-02 under the Excellence Fund for Schools. The Core Programme includes three initiatives of particular relevance to the question of discipline, Alternatives to Exclusion (£23 million), Study Support (£27 million) and Supporting Parents (£15 million). The Special Programme involves Education Action Plans (£15 million) and New Community Schools (£26 million).

In Scotland the curriculum is not prescribed, but national guidance is given.

Although there are no plans to increase the time in the national guidance beyond the minimum allocation for Maths (10%) and for Environmental studies (30%), which includes Science, the guidance already includes a 20% flexibility factor, which remains after all minimum allocations have been made, which schools are encouraged to use to meet their own needs and circumstances.

Many centres have already implemented new National Qualification courses in English and Communication - over 100 at Higher level, around 120 at Intermediate 2 level, and over 70 at Intermediate 1 level.

However, the Scottish Qualifications Authority is tackling concerns which have been raised about the new courses, and has set up a short-life group to look into any possible revisions to English and Communication courses within the existing framework.

In addition, the Scottish Executive's review of the first year of Higher Still implementation aims to identify both the programme's strengths, and areas where improvement is required.

The decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 16 May 2000 relates to certain questions referred to the ECJ by the House of Lords in connection with test cases concerning part-time workers' rights of access to occupational pension schemes.

As the cases raised issues concerning the compatibility of domestic law and European law, the House of Lords considered it appropriate to refer certain questions to the ECJ for a preliminary ruling. The questions related to the time limit for making claims for membership of a scheme and the extent of the limitation on the backdating of the claims. The UK Courts had originally ruled that any claims must be brought during, or within six months of leaving, employment and that backdated access is limited to two years from the date of application.

The ECJ has ruled that while the six months time limit is compatible with European law, the two-year period of retrospection is not. It will now be for the House of Lords to decide whether the six month limit should stand and what the period of retrospection should be. Until then it will not be possible to assess the implications for local authorities generally, and the Local Government Pension Scheme in particular.

The education authorities are responsible for the management of school premises, and they have knowledge of the range of measures which they can consider to reduce vandalism in schools. However, the most appropriate measures will depend on the local circumstances of individual schools.