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With reference to (a), the potentialpublic funding costs for those PFI/PPP projects currently under negotiation or contractbidding are commercially confidential whilst the projects are in the procurementstage.

For (b) I refer the member tothe Scottish Executive Financial Partnerships Unit’s website where the informationcan be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/ppp.

The financial arrangements betweenthe Scottish Executive and PFI/PPP contractors and consultants employed to adviseon PFI/PPP projects are set out in contracts between the relevant parties.For the four Scottish ExecutivePFI/PPP projects, the body of the project agreement for the M6 DBFO is to be madeavailable on the Scottish Executive’s Publication Scheme at www.scotland.gov.uk within a month; the tender documents for the M77/GSO are included in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 36425); the contract for KilmarnockPrison is available from Scottish Prison Service’s website at www.sps.gov.uk/Default.asp?menuid=231,and the contract for Addiewell Prison is not yet publicly available.

Individual contracts betweenthe Scottish Executive and consultants which it employs to advise it on PFI/PPPprojects are not readily available. The Scottish Executive negotiates call-off contracts,framework contracts, framework agreements/arrangements for certain services, andfinancial advisory services for PFI/PPP projects is included in this. Further informationis available from the Scottish Executive’s website at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Procurement/Selling/CollaborativeContracts.

Contracts, whether for contractorsor consultants, over a certain financial threshold are subject to EU procurementrules.

Since 1999, I am not aware ofany enhanced payments above the original contracted figure being sought by consultantsemployed to advise the Scottish Executive in relation to its PFI/PPP projects.

The Scottish Executive does nothold details of payments to consultants employed to advise other public sector procuringbodies undertaking PFI/PPP projects.

I understand that NHSLothianhas been working on plans to develop a dedicated service for patients with bothprimary and secondary Lymphoedema, in all care settings. Edinburgh Community HealthPartnership has agreed to host the service for patients from across Lothian.

Delivering for Health set out the Executive’s approach to the management oflong-term conditions such as coeliac disease. People should be supported to helpthem live with these conditions through services which are responsive to all oftheir needs, delivered quickly, close to home wherever possible and as early inthe course of the disease as possible.

We are currently consulting ona Long-Term Conditions Toolkit which will allow Community Health Partnerships (CHPs)to assess the extent to which their services for long term conditions match themodel set out in Delivering for Health. Use of the Toolkit, will be mandatoryon all CHPs.

This information is not heldcentrally.

The Executive is aware of theimportance of ensuring that all health professionals receive appropriate guidanceregarding the detection, diagnosis and treatment of all conditions, including coeliacdisease. They are required to complete and pass nationally recognised training programmes.

The information requested isnot available centrally. Information on out-patient waiting times is collectedcentrally at specialty level only.

Werecognise the contribution which workers from the accession states are makingto our economy. However, we want to make sure that those coming to Scotland are equipped with all theinformation they need to live and work here. For this reason, and recognisingthat Polish workers account for almost two-thirds of these workers, we areproducing a guide that aims to provide basic information, in Polish, aboutliving and working in Scotland. The guide is due to be publishedin June and will be distributed here and in Poland, as well as being available on line.

I refer the Member to myletter to all MSPs of 11 May 2006. A copy of the letter is available at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-06/pa06-046.htm.