Chamber and committees

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.

It is for clinicians to determine the priority to be assigned in any given case. Those who need surgery on an emergency or urgent basis may never be on the waiting list at all. The Coronary Heart Disease Task Force has drawn up standard criteria for the management of patients awaiting cardiac surgery, based on clinical need. These will ensure that patients on the waiting list are managed actively and the system will respond appropriately, especially if there is any deterioration in a patient's condition.The Task Force is working with cardiologists throughout Scotland to draw up common referral practices and is developing the concept of a national Managed Clinical Network for cardiac surgery. These initiatives, together with the work to establish national maximum waiting times for cardiac surgery, will help to overcome any geographical bias, while enhancing equity of access to services.

Indicators used for GAE distribution are set out in the Grant Aided Expenditure 2000-01 Green Book, copies of which are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).