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Local authorities areexpected to meet their responsibilities for tackling alcohol problems fromwithin the resources made available to them by the Scottish Executive. While we have no plans to provide additional resources to local authoritiesfor this purpose, we announced on 4 March 2004 that we will be making anadditional £8 million available to NHS boards for tackling alcohol problemsover the next two financial years.

This ring-fenced allocation isin addition to the existing resources for tackling alcohol problems provided inNHS boards general allocations.

The NHS Reform (Scotland)Bill will make provision for a new duty on NHS boards to co-operate to advancethe health of the people of Scotland. That duty will underpin the work currently underwayin boards to draw together a framework for regional planning. The frameworkwill make it clear that boards must participate in regional planning, thatdecisions reached in regional planning groups are binding and it will set outarrangements for dispute resolution. We will ensure that an assessment ofregional planning activity forms part of the annual accountability review foreach NHS board.

While this is primarily amatter for NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow, I would expect appropriateclinical advice to form part of the development of the report.

The Scottish Executive’s guidanceto NHS boards on regional planning makes it clear that it is vital to engagesenior clinical staff in the process. I fully expect that the need to involveclinicians will be part of the framework for regional planning currently beingdrawn together by NHS board Chief Executives.

The new consultants’ contractprovides a number of specific advantages, not least a considerable increase inthe contracted time devoted to direct patient care, up from 21 hours per weekto at least 30 hours per week for each full-time consultant. The overarchingbenefit to be derived from the contract is to provide NHSScotland with thetools to more effectively manage consultants’ time and workload. The jobplanning process allows managers, for the first time, to critically examine andtransparently timetable all of a consultant’s activities, and to agree how consultants’working commitments and practices can best contribute to NHS objectives. Inthis way managers will be able to explicitly and more effectively manageconsultant activity in order to secure the capacity they require to improveservices to patients and, where appropriate, take forward the re-design ofservices.

The proposal to establish aninspectorate for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) was thesubject of consultation at the end of 2003. The outcome of this consultationwas a broad welcome for these proposals. I have published a summary of the responsesat www.crownoffice.gov.uk.Following this positive response, the Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotlandstarted work at the end of December 2003, under the leadership of an interiminspector.

The Scottish Executive will this week advertise the post of Chief Inspector of Prosecution ofScotland. The creation of the inspectorate is an important step for the COPFSas it strives to build its reputation as an open and accountable public serviceand secure the public’s confidence in its ability to prosecute crime.

Yes. Myministerial colleagues and I spent considerable time over the summer of 2003consulting with communities across Scotland about antisocial behaviour. Problems with groups of people causingalarm and distress were raised many times and we found widespread support forour proposals to strengthen the powers of the police to deal with such groups.That dialogue with the people affected by antisocial behaviour has continuedand will continue throughout the progress of the bill and beyond.

Community health partnerships(CHP) should, where possible, reflect natural communities. They must be fit forpurpose and the size should be based on the principle of co-terminosity betweenCHPs and local authorities and natural communities. Consideration must also begiven to the minimum population size required to deliver a wide range ofservices for local people.

We attach the highest importanceto gaining the views of all professional staff and local communities inevolving community health partnerships (CHP) and this includes the issue of boundaries.The consultation paper on the development of CHPs issued on the 18 Julyemphasised that NHS boards must ensure that local authority partners are fullyinvolved in the development of CHPs and that all proposed schemes should bedeveloped through a bottom up inclusive process and demonstrate that the viewsof all stakeholders have been taken into consideration.

Health boards should workwith all stakeholders to agree the boundaries which are in the best interest oflocal communities and partner organisations. Where a community health partnershippotentially crosses into two health board areas the respective boards shouldinvolve and agree the boundaries with their local authority partners.