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NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will, as a priority, determine its approach to assessing mental health services, building upon the experience of the Scottish Health Advisory Service and the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland. This will result in the publication of both local (NHS board) and national reports and will focus on both process and outcome. Assessments will include the views of patients and carers.

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (formerly called the Quality and Standards Board for Health in Scotland) will come into existence, subject to parliamentary approval, on 1 January 2003.NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will be created through the merger of five organisations: the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland, the Health Technology Board for Scotland, the Scottish Health Advisory Service, the Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Unit, and the Clinical Audit and Resource Group. The combined budget of these organisations in 2002-03 is £9.7 million and they employ around 105 staff. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland's budget for 2003-04 and 2004-05 is still to be determined. The board will assess any need for additional funding to undertake new tasks it has been asked to deliver.

In advance of the establishment of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland and the Scottish Health Advisory Service have convened a working group to produce a set of integrated core standards for mental health services to which specific standards for diagnostic groups can be added.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30920 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

Improving services for all children, especially those at risk, is a key priority for the Scottish Executive. The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Children's Services is driving forward better integration of policy, funding and delivery of children's services. We also set up an inter-agency audit and review of child protection with the aim of reducing the number of children being abused and neglected and to improve services for those who have experienced abuse or neglect. The report will be published on 25 November and we will respond fully to any recommendations that are made.

Apart from the Permanent Secretary, the assessment of performance for Senior Civil Servants, like all other staff in the Scottish Executive is carried out by their line managers. There is no formal role for ministers in this process. The First Minister does, however, have the opportunity to comment on the Permanent Secretary's performance as an input to the pay and performance management process of salary determination.

The Scottish Executive has not issued any guidance to NHS boards about implementing the Arbuthnott formula at sub-board level.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31129 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The Executive wrote to all local authorities and NHS boards on 16 October 2002 with good practice guidance on local area co-ordination.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31129 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.