Scottish
Parliament e-Brief
SECTION
1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK
Parliament is in recess.
SECTION 2 - NEWS
Life
Sciences top of US agenda
US pharmaceutical companies and
academics at a special symposium in New York today will be told that Scotland's
international reputation has been built on scientific achievement and discovery.
First Minister, Jack McConnell, arrives in the United States for Tartan Week today, with the aim of promoting the life sciences sector as a key to Scotland's future economic success.
At the New York Academy of Sciences, Mr McConnell will say:
"When it comes to the life sciences Scotland is a world leader. Our areas of expertise include cardiovascular, diabetes, oncology and reproductive medicine among many others.
"The industry in Scotland has grown at an average of 20 per cent over the last four years. This is significantly above the rate for the rest of Europe. We are home to 21 per cent of the UK's biotech companies and are the fastest growing region for start-ups.
"Scotland has a very proud life science and medical history. Beta blockers, MRI scanners and penicillin are among the many breakthroughs that Scotland has given the world. Scotland's international reputation has been built on science and discovery and I am clear that life sciences will be a key building block of Scotland's future economic success."
Scotland's life science research and technology base includes more than 500 organisations with more than 28,500 employees. Its primary focus is on human healthcare. Scottish drug development companies have approximately 24 candidates in late stage clinical trials to treat conditions ranging from infertility, osteoporosis and leukaemia to fungal and bacterial infection.
Community
Justice Authorities
Community Justice Authorities
are being set up across Scotland from today with the task of transforming the
way councils, the Scottish Prison Service and other local organisations work
together to tackle re-offending.
Created under the Management of Offenders etc (Scotland) Act 2005, the new bodies will:
Work with local authorities, the SPS and other partners to prepare local joint area plans focused on tackling re-offending, which will require to be submitted to Minister for approval;
Monitor and report on the effectiveness of joint working between all the local partners, including police forces, NHS Boards, relevant voluntary organisations, the Scottish Courts Service and the Crown Office;
Support better information-sharing and the sharing of good practice; and
Distribute funding for criminal justice social work services in local areas and ensuring this is being used effectively to improve the management of offenders, and tackle Scotland's unacceptably high re-offending rates.
The members of CJAs will be councillors nominated by the local authorities within the area. The councils in the same CJA area as Inverclyde are: Argyll and Bute, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire. CJAs will be required to involve local authorities, the SPS and other partners closely in their work.
SECTION
3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS
Parliament is in recess.
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