Seòmar agus comataidhean

This is a matter for local health boards and NHS Trusts.

In 1998 the Scottish Executive published its Sensing Progress report which examined the planning, delivery, commissioning and management of social work services for people who had visual or hearing impairment or who were deafblind.Following a number of seminars, many local authorities took up the recommendations contained in the report. A check on the implementation of the recommendations will be made by the Executive this year to help secure better identification, assessment and services for deafblind children and adults and those with visual or hearing impairment.

Due to the efforts of GPs and NHS staff, the Scotland- wide target of 60% uptake for 2000-01 has been exceeded with 63.5% of the total number of patients aged 65 and over in reporting practices receiving the vaccine.This has been part of the range of measures allowing the NHS to cope with demands over the winter.

The Scottish Executive has agreed to provide core funding towards the administrative costs of Child Infertility Network Scotland for a three-year period commencing 2000-01. This will enable them to continue providing the service which was previously provided by CHILD, the National Infertility Support Network.

This information is not held centrally.

I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1O-3093 on 15 March 2001.

I have today appointed a Standing Committee, under the Chairmanship of Sir John Arbuthnott, for that very purpose. The remit of the committee is to:keep the formula for resource allocation for NHSScotland under review;keep under review the information available to support elements of the formula;advise on possible formulaic approaches to the parts of health expenditure not currently covered by the needs-based formula; andadvise on adjustments to the formula for unmet need to tackle inequalities in the light of consultation.Furthermore, the committee will consider any relevant issues which are from time to time referred to it.Along with the Chairman, the members of the committee will be:David Bolton, Director of Primary Care, Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust;

Dr Adam Bryson, Medical Director, National Services Division, Common Services Agency;Richard Copland, Director, Information and Statistics Division, Common Services Agency;Dr Frances Elliot, Medical Director, Fife Primary Care NHS Trust;Ms Fiona Mackenzie, Chief Executive, Highland Primary Care NHS Trust;Colin Masson, Director of Finance, Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust;Mrs Lesley McLay, Director of Nursing, Ayrshire & Arran Primary Care Trust;Professor Lewis Ritchie, James Mackenzie Professor and Head of Department, University of Aberdeen;Matthew Sutton, Senior Research Fellow, University of Glasgow;Dr Lesley Wilkie, Director of Public Health, Argyll & Clyde Health Board, andProfessor Kevin Woods, William R Lindsay Chair in Health Policy & Economic Evaluation, University of Glasgow.The committee will also comprise a number of officials with appropriate policy involvement from the Scottish Executive Health Department.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13246.

The Scottish Executive Health Department is currently conducting an exercise to determine the extent to which Health Boards have implemented the recommendations contained in the report.

In my statement to the Parliament on 26 October 2000, I said that the UK Government were looking to put in place financial arrangements to benefit those with vCJD and their families. Constructing a compensation scheme that is effective and properly meets the needs of those affected is not an easy task. However, I am pleased to say that the UK Government will be making interim payments of £25,000 when regulations have been put in place to ensure the payments are not taken into account in the calculation of income-related social security benefits and are exempted from the provisions of the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997. Details of the full compensation package are still under consideration.