Chamber and committees

It is the total waiting time which is of most importance to patients, and that is why we are working with the NHS in Scotland to establish national maximum waiting times, to be delivered from 31 March 2001, in the clinical priorities of heart disease, cancer and mental health. In addition, the establishment of additional one-stop clinics, the introduction of walk-in/walk-out hospitals and the redesign of services to improve the patient pathway will speed treatment and reduce waiting times.

In 2000-01 the Scottish Executive has granted Victim Support Scotland:

In addition, the Scottish Executive has also provided increasing levels of funding to Victim Support to enable them to provide a support service to witnesses in the sheriff courts. Up to £2 million has been set aside for this service to be rolled out in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Victim Support Scotland also receives funding (in cash and in kind) from local authorities, the private sector and others.

The level of resources available for capital investment in the NHS in Scotland during 2000-01 totals £179 million and will increase to £194 million in 2001-02.

This increasing trend clearly shows a commitment to capital investment in the NHS in Scotland.

In addition, a total of £41.5 million will be spent over the next three years on Health Service Modernisation Initiatives.

The variance between the capital provision and actual expenditure in any one year can be attributed to either the slippage of capital shemes where the planned expenditure in one year falls to be met in the following year or the transfer of capital resources to NHS Trusts revenue allocations to enable minor works to be carried out that do not add capital value to the NHS estate.

To address this, a major strategic review of dental services is currently being undertaken by the Trust to explore a number of related issues including staffing. A report on the review's findings and recommendations will then be considered by the Greater Glasgow Health Board and the Trust.

We have provided £0.5 million to Highland Health Board for orthopaedic services under the waiting lists initiative. This has enabled Highland Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to increase staffing, including staffing at consultant level, and to reduce significantly a backlog of cases that existed until 1999. 64% of people requiring inpatient and day-case treatment and 68% of outpatients are now seen within three months. The Board and the Trust are striving to make further improvements and to bring waiting times to within the Patients' Charter standards. Initiatives include a closer integration of primary and secondary care services in orthopaedics.

The following table presents local authorities' estimates of the number of below tolerable standard (BTS) dwellings in the private sector in their areas in each of the last four years. Some authorities are not able to provide a full tenure breakdown of their BTS dwelling estimate; the table below, therefore, also gives each authority's estimate of the total number of BTS dwellings in their area and the number for which the tenure was not known. Information on the total number of private sector dwellings in each local authority in these years is not held centrally.

Comparisons of these estimates between local authorities and over time need to be made with considerable care. Councils use a wide range of data sources and methods to derive them. For most councils sample survey evidence is combined with information from administrative sources; the conduct and timing of the most recent surveys and the types of administrative sources used vary significantly between councils.

The Scottish Executive has commissioned independent research into the methods used locally (by authorities) and nationally (in the SHCS) to compile estimates of the number of BTS dwellings. The aim of the research is to identify key elements of a methodology which would provide reliable and comparable estimates at both local and national level. A report of this research will be published later in the year.

A number of steps have already been taken. Notably, the Sex Offenders Act 1997 requires certain sex offenders to register with the police, who, with other agencies, will take steps to assess and manage the risk posed. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 allows the police to apply for Sex Offender Orders against certain sex offenders whose behaviour gives cause for concern that the public is at risk of serious harm. The Act also allows courts to impose an additional period of supervision by social workers after release from prison on licence when it is necessary to protect the public from serious harm.

The 1997 report by the Chief Inspector of Social Work A Commitment to Protect contained proposals for more effective practice in the monitoring and the supervision of sex offenders. The wide ranging recommendations of the report are being taken forward by the Expert Panel on Sex Offending under the Chairmanship of Lady Cosgrove which is due to report in 2001.

Local Authorities who are responsible for statutory supervision of sex offenders in the community provide criminal justice social work services which are set firmly in the context of enhancing community safety and minimising the risk from offenders, including sex offenders. They work to National Objectives and Standards for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System in delivering these services.

Local authority initiatives such as the Fife Council community protection team Change Programme and the Tay Project are aimed at addressing the offending behaviour of adult sex offenders. The Scottish Prison Service provides programmes to tackle sex offending behaviour.