Scottish Parliament e-Brief

Issue 96, 7^th January 2002

SECTION 1 - BUSINESS THIS WEEK

THE CHAMBER

IN COMMITTEE

The main items of business in the Committee rooms this week are:

• Equal Opportunities will consider the Scottish Executive report on access to and use of the NHS by people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
• Audit will receive a briefing from the Auditor General for Scotland on his report entitled "Overview of the National Health Service in Scotland 2000/2001".
• Local Government will take evidence for its Local Government Finance Inquiry from academics, Ernst & Young and councillors and officials from Argyll and Bute Council.
• Rural Development will take stage 1 evidence on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill from various crofters' groups, the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards and Highlands and Islands Rivers Association.
• Education, Culture and Sport takes evidence for its Scottish Borders Inquiry from Deputy Minister for Education and Young People, Nicol Stephen. The Committee also takes evidence on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and considers a discussion paper on the Westminster Scottish Affairs Committee Inquiry into Devolution and Broadcasting.
• Justice 2 also considers the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, taking stage 1 oral evidence from Members of the Rural Affairs Committee, the Law Society of Scotland, the National Farmers Union of Scotland, the Scottish Landowners Federation and Scottish Natural Heritage, before considering written evidence received.
• Transport and the Environment will consider correspondence on the announcement of the proposed board of Scottish Water. Stage 2 consideration of the Water Industry (Scotland) Bill will continue, as will evidence taking for the Aquaculture Inquiry.

SECTION 2 - NEWS

AGE RANGE FOR MENINGITIS C VACCINE EXTENDED
All young people under 25 will from today be entitled to the Meningitis C vaccine, it has been announced.

The £2.45 million vaccination programme is to be introduced following a recommendation by the UK Wide Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that the vaccine, currently available to everyone under 18, should be extended to all those aged 24 and under.

Young people between the ages of 20 and 24 are almost three times as likely to become infected with Meningitis C than those aged between 25 and 30.

The Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS) is producing an information leaflet entitled "Aged 20-24? Get immunised with Men C" and an accompanying poster. Throughout January sample packs will be distributed to GP surgeries, immunisation co-ordinators, pharmacies, job centres, colleges, universities, armed forces recruitment centres and Health Promotion Departments.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is caused by several different organisms including viruses and bacteria. Bacterial meningitis is a very serious, but quite rare, disease. In the UK there are two main strains of meningococcal infection, identified as B and C.

Over the last five years there have been an average of around 100-160 cases of Group C meningococcal disease in Scotland, resulting in around five to ten deaths each year.

In November 1999, a mass immunisation campaign commenced to immunise all UK children and young people under the age of 18 years with Meningitis C Conjugate vaccines. (There is no vaccine yet against type B meningitis). The UK was the first country in the world to introduce this vaccine.

Full Story

VICTIMS TURN TO ABUSE WEBSITE
The Executive's pioneering website which supports the Domestic Abuse, There's No Excuse campaign has been visited more than 2,300 times in its first month.

Launched on 6th December 2001, to coincide with television and newspaper ads, the website is specially designed to ensure that anyone who logs on cannot be traced. It provides a forum for women to tell their personal stories and gives information on how to find help.

The figures - 2,306 visits up to today - show that on some days more than 100 women have been contacting the site over a period when the issue of domestic violence has received more high profile publicity by being featured on the BBC soap, Eastenders.

Research by the Executive prior to the launch suggested that one in five of women in Scotland experience some form of domestic abuse during their lives.

Full Story

SECTION 3 - NOTES ON THIS WEEK’S CHAMBER BUSINESS

As this is the first week back after the Christmas recess, some of the details of this week's business remain sketchy. When these are confirmed, they will be published in the Business Bulletin.

2002's Parliamentary Chamber Business begins on WEDNESDAY afternoon with a debate on the Executive's Priorities.

The motion has not yet been tabled and so further details are not yet available. However full details will be published in the Business Bulletin shortly and a full transcript will be available in the Official Report at 08:00 on Thursday.

Member's Business comes from the SNP's Kenny MacAskill and debates Congestion and Pollution Caused by Edinburgh "Bus Wars."

THURSDAY morning sees a debate from the Health and Community Care Committee on it's Report into Hepatitis C.

More specifically, the report concerns people who contracted Hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1980s. While there was no negligence on the part of the NHS, those affected are nonetheless arguing for compensation.

Following an 18 month inquiry into the issue, the Health Committee published its report on 2nd October 2001. One of its recommendations is that Hepatitis C sufferers infected through NHS treatment should be entitled to financial and other assistance, and that this should be awarded on the basis of need, having regard to the physical and psychological loss individually suffered.

The Scottish Executive published its response to the Committee report on 11th December 2001, ruling out compensation unless the NHS had actually been negligent in individual cases.

However, the Executive has also announced that an expert group is to be set up to examine the merits of non-fault based medical compensation. This has been welcomed by the Committee, although it has requested clarification regarding the impact on Hepatitis C sufferers.

Click here to read the report in full

This will be followed by a Ministerial Statement, the subject of which is to be announced.

After Question Time and First Minister's Question Time, there will be a Conservative Debate on Scotland's Economy.

Again, at the time of writing the motion has not been published and no more details are available. However full details will be published in the Business Bulletin shortly and a full transcript will be available in the Official Report at 08:00 on Friday.

The day concludes with a Member's Business debate on Strategic Planning in Fife from Iain Smith (LIB DEM).

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