Chamber and committees

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the Chairman to reply to the member. A copy of the reply will be placed in SPICe.

I intend to write to the Convenor of the Transport and the Environment Committee with an interim response to the Committee's report before our debate on 11 May.

The Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 provides power for the courts to impose a heavier sentence on persons convicted of an offence committed while on bail.

As we made clear in the discussion paper, our priority is to secure common rights, based on the single social tenancy, for all tenants provided that this does not prejudice the viability of landlords. In the light of representations that the financial wellbeing of individual housing associations could be adversely affected if their existing assured tenants were all given the right to buy at once (the "big bang" approach), we are considering whether, and if so in what precise financial circumstances, housing associations might be given the ability to opt out of the right to buy element of the single social tenancy for a specified period, in respect of properties occupied by assured tenants who do not have the right to buy.

We are also continuing with consultations on further exemptions from the right to buy for houses built for persons with special needs. There is a strong case for exempting sales of individual houses where this would undermine the integrity of a group of houses specifically provided for persons with particular needs. We are, therefore, considering the possibility of exempting not only sheltered housing schemes with a warden service and call system but also other forms of group homes with support provided and groups of houses specifically provided for elderly persons.

We will be discussing these possible courses of action with key housing interests and an announcement on the outcome will be made when these discussions and our consultations have been completed.

I promised that we would publish regular updates on our Land Reform Action Plan to show how we are delivering on our promises. The second of these progress reports is published today. All MSPs are receiving copies.

I am pleased to say that we are well on track generally. Since the last progress report:

The Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill is making good Parliamentary progress;

We have published the draft Bill on National Parks;

We have announced that we will be including crofting community right to buy in the Land Reform Bill (which will be somewhat delayed as a consequence);Funding of nearly £11 million has been announced for the Scottish Land Fund.

The European Communities Directive 97/11/EC made new requirements for the procedures in making Environmental Impact Assessments in relation to private and public works. These changes build on the requirements already in place in the substantive Environmental Impact Assessment Directive made in 1985 (85/337/EEC), which has been incorporated into UK legislation for some years.The changes in procedure for harbour works projects requiring Environmental Impact Assessments under the Directive are being introduced to GB legislation by the Harbour Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/3445). These Regulations have been made on a GB-wide basis under Section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 to implement Community obligations. The Regulations (SI 1999/3445) were made on 21 December and came into force on 1 February.I have written to the Chairman of the Transport and Environment Committee giving further details of the technical changes and effect of the Regulations in Scotland.

Dr Harold Shipman was found guilty at Preston Crown Court on Monday 31 January on 15 charges of murder and of forging the will of one of his patients. On behalf of the Scottish Executive, I express my deepest sympathy for the relatives and friends of all those who died.The crimes took place in England but have implications for Scotland also. Our priority is to ensure that patients are safe, and to maintain confidence in the vast majority of doctors who are dedicated and hardworking. In discussion with the profession, we shall therefore be taking forward a number of proposals to ensure that all GPs are properly monitored and to tighten up the mechanisms to deal with those few who fail their patients.I intend to bring forward Regulations to require the removal from health boards' and Primary Care Trusts' medical lists of GPs guilty of serious crimes and to make it harder for potential GPs to conceal any past convictions when applying to practice. I intend also to make it compulsory for GPs to report deaths on their premises. I shall also be looking critically at the disciplinary process, to establish whether more streamlined and speedy procedures are needed to protect patients.

I will also build on the excellent work already being done by contractors, Local Health Care Co-operatives and Primary Care Trusts to develop bottom-up quality assurance. We have already done a great deal to support this - for example, by creating the Clinical Standards Board to set standards and identify where local teams need to improve.In the House of Commons yesterday, the Secretary of State for Health announced that he is setting up an independent inquiry into the issues raised and that the Home Secretary will conduct a review of matters relating to death certification. We will keep in close touch with this review process and learn lessons from the findings.

I have sent the Scottish Law Commission the following reference:

"Taking account of the Land Reform Action Plan, to consider the existing law of the foreshore and seabed, and to advise on possible reforms, with a view to improving clarity and consistency."I expect this work to be completed by the end of 2002. This will be an essential basis for Ministers' consideration of options for policy changes in relation to this legislation.

Across the Executive's programmes, a number of methods of allocating resources for tackling deprivation are used. As we said in the Social Justice Report published in November 1999, we will be exploring how planning systems can be developed to ensure expenditure is effective and relevant to the problems experienced by particular groups and communities.

We have produced a document setting out our proposals for a Strategy for Carers in Scotland and copies are available in the document supply centre.