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Capital investment in NHSScotland continues to increase year on year.The resources made available for capital investment in NHSScotland in 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 totalled £138 million, £180 million, £238 million and £285 million respectively.

The planned per capita expenditure in the NHS for 2002-03 and 2003-04 is £1,258 and £1,345 respectively.

The Health Department issued guidance in 1999 to NHSScotland advising that temporary contracts should only be used in exceptional and defined circumstances. The Scottish Partnership Forum, which represents all NHS Scotland staff group has established a Guideline Development Group which is currently preparing further guidance and this is expected to issue next summer. The department has been monitoring the use of temporary contracts since 1999 on a regular basis.Our National Health committed NHSScotland to meeting or exceeding the best practice guidance on family-friendly policies which I launched to the service in January this year. Progress on implementing the policy will be made through the Staff Governance Standard and associated staff survey.

Employment law is a reserved matter. However, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is currently consulting widely on its proposals to change the Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment Regulations. Both the Scottish Executive and NHSScotland employers have been given the opportunity to put their views to the DTI.

The Executive recently published our Digital Inclusion Strategy Connecting Scotland's People which sets out how we intend to bridge the digital divide and achieve universal access to the internet by 2005. We see new technologies as making a key contribution to social justice - increasing opportunities for disavantaged individuals and disadvantaged communities. The strategy sets out action to develop awareness; access; support; skills; content; and community involvement.To assist community and voluntary sector groups we have made £1.5million available over three years for IT development in the voluntary sector. Last year, £500,000 was made available to a wide range of projects to develop Internet access, develop websites, and improve connectivity. The successful projects included £8,625 for One Parent Families Scotland to develop a website and interactive-group for lone parents and £56,815 to set up a new and improved digital telephone conference service for Scottish charities. Criteria for organisations to apply for this year's round of grants will be announced shortly.We have also contributed £432,000 to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations Voluntary Sector Web Portal. The Portal will offer one-stop access to information about voluntary sector groups and services in Scotland, as well as facilitating communications between voluntary sector organisations and community groups.

Through the Executive's Digital Inclusion Strategy Connecting Scotland's People we are implementing and developing a number of initiatives to promote digital inclusion in disadvantaged communities. These include:The £1.5 million Digital Champions initiative. This is a network of eight digital champions, who have responsibility for working with local partners to improve ICT provision and initiating new ICT projects in Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) areas.The Digital Communities initiative which will expend some £3.5 million in tackling digital inclusion by creating pilot "digital communities" to connect homes to the Internet in two disadvantaged areas of Scotland. The objective is to demonstrate how the internet can increase peoples' opportunities and improve quality of life, and at the same time to inform our further efforts to close the digital divide. The two communities chosen will be announced in March 2002.Existing initiatives include:The National Grid for Learning Scotland web portal - which has developed a Guide to Getting Communities Connected. This provides anyone who wants to use the internet to benefit their community with a rich source of information, links and contacts to facilitate this.

The Executive is implementing and developing a number of initiatives to promote information and communications technology (ICT) skills in disadvantaged communities. These include:Learndirect Scotland to help and encourage individuals to take direct action to improve their own skills and employment prospects. The Learndirect Scotland helpline and website provides access to over 69,000 learning opportunities. The Scottish University for Industry (UfI) is also developing a network of Learndirect Scotland branded learning centres to enable easier access to ICT learning within communities - 202 Learndirect Scotland centres have been created so far, of which 101 are located in areas of social exclusion. Scottish UfI Ltd has a target to create 300 centres by March 2002.Individual Learning Accounts which provide discounts of up to 80% on certain basic ICT skills courses.Many Further Education colleges which provide outreach facilities in the heart of disadvantaged communities, with ICT and on-line learning being used extensively to help students and organisations develop a culture of digital technology use. IT courses represent 20% of all enrolments in further education. The Scottish Executive is committed to securing an increase of 40,000 college places by 2002, and a significant proportion of these places are being targeted at those who are socially excluded or from low income backgrounds. The Executive, in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, has also launched £150,000 Uplift programme. Uplift is providing initial computer training for 60 to 70 people around the country who will in turn be able to pass on their skills to other members of their communities. Through the Executive's Digital Inclusion Strategy Connecting Scotland's People we are also examining the feasibility of a range of other initiatives to promote digital inclusion in disadvantaged communities - one of which is a volunteering scheme. This scheme would seek to identify and recruit IT literate volunteers to share basic PC and web skills with those new to the web, within their local communities.

One of the initiatives announced as a part of the Executive's Digital Inclusion Strategy Connecting Scotland's People is specifically targeted at disadvantaged communities. We have launched a £3.5 million initiative to create two pilot "digital communities". 2000 households in each community will be provided with home-based access to the web; training; a community-based web portal with locally developed content; and activities to raise awareness of the benefits of getting online - increased access to education; jobs; shopping; entertainment; financial services; etc. Within these communities we aim to create a "critical mass" of web users - so increasing the benefits for each individual of getting online, raising skill levels, and creating a supportive environment.Within Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) areas in Scotland, the £1.5 million Digital Champions programme is providing a network of eight digital "champions". The Digital Champions are working to improve information communication technology (ICT) provision in SIP areas; initiating new ICT projects; spreading best practice on community access to the Internet and increasing the involvement of local people in the creation of Internet content. They are responsible for engaging local people in various initiatives and driving local activity forward. We are also working on a range of other initiatives as a part of the Digital Inclusion Strategy that will help to promote the benefits of the new technologies.

Figures from the Scottish Crime Survey, in relation to domestic violence, have been published in the Action Plan-Preventing Violence against Women. Figures in relation to older people have been published in Older People in Scotland: Results from the First Year of the Scottish Household Survey. Other results are to be used in the Social Justice Annual Report: Scotland 2001, which will be published shortly, in relation both to drug misuse and fear of crime among the elderly. Results in relation to drug use have also being provided for inclusion in a joint Employment Service/Drug Action Team handbook on dealing with drug users. Results relating to drug use and to household victimisation have also been provided for publication by the Office for National Statistics.

The Internet Crime Forum (ICF) brings together representatives from government, law enforcement agencies, including the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, and the Internet industry. A list of those ICF members who have authorised disclosure of their details has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17128). Further information about the ICF is also available on the Forum's web site at:www.internetcrimeforum.org.uk.