The Key newsletter will be distributed to all council tenants to inform them of issues related to the development of a proposal for housing transfer. The frequency of issue will be determined in the light of tenants information requirements. It is estimated each edition will cost £30,000 including postage. The costs will be met from the New Housing Partnership funding allocated to the council.

The Executive supports the aim of providing patients with full and useful information about prescribed and over-the-counter medicines. UK law now requires medicines to be supplied to consumers with specified information on the label and with an accompanying leaflet to ensure safe and correct use. There has therefore been a general move by manufacturers towards supplying medicines in packs which have patient information leaflets sealed into them.

Following the abolition of Crown Exemption from non-domestic rates from 1 April 2000 police forces are liable to pay non-domestic rates for police properties. The Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) settlement for 2000-01 was increased to recompense in full the costs associated with the payment of rates. The effect of Crown Exemption on the police is therefore cost neutral and has no bearing on officer recruitment.

The additional £8.9 million invested in the Scottish police will enable the recruitment of more than 300 extra police officers. Decisions on recruitment and deployment of staff are, however, matters for individual chief constables. After allocating £1 million to the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan for the training of the additional recruits the funds were distributed as shown in the table below. Also shown is the notional number of additional officers that could be recruited from the extra money available.

Police Force	Additional Funding £000	Number of Additional Officers
Central Scotland Police	369	15
Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary	233	9
Fife Constabulary	435	17
Grampian Police	676	27
Lothian and Borders Police	1,442	58
Northern Constabulary	423	17
Strathclyde Police	3,710	148
Tayside Police	612	24
TOTAL FUNDING	7,900	315

Along with ministerial colleagues in the other UK Health Departments, I have asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to review its present advice on the immunisation of healthcare workers against influenza. We await the Committee's advice, which will help inform the arrangements we make in future years.

The Scottish Executive is committed to supporting the Glasgow Alliance and the Joint Economic Strategy for Glasgow published by Glasgow Development Agency and Glasgow City Council as members of the Alliance in 1999. The main aim of that strategy is to build on Glasgow's distinctive qualities to develop a dynamic, internationally competitive economy which creates wealth and provides quality, sustainable work opportunities for all the residents of the city.

Social security benefits including housing and council tax benefits are reserved matters and are the responsibility of the DSS.

Wendy Alexander will be making a statement on the Executive's plans for Best Value on 8 June.

It is the responsibility of each of the local authorities, as employers, to ensure that they motivate and manage staff and manage the process of change in the best way possible. The Leadership Advisory Panel, which the Executive appointed to oversee the modernisation of council structures, is working with councils to help them prepare effectively for the effects of changes on staff.

No action is planned as a result of the report. With the exception of local government elections in Scotland, elections are a reserved issue under the Scotland Act. The Renewing Local Democracy working group, which the Executive appointed last summer, is looking at a range of issues relating to local government democracy including the electoral system. We look forward to receiving the group's report and considering its recommendations.