I and Scottish ministerial colleagues had a constructive meeting with local authority leaders and chief executives on 26 May at which we discussed a shared vision for using information and communications technology to deliver more convenient and efficient public services in Scotland. It is for authorities themselves to decide how to make progress, but I am sure that councils understand that integrating people, processes and technology can make a major contribution to internal efficiency and to better services to the public.

The Scottish Executive is keen to enhance the community leadership role of councils through the continuing development of community planning. Our commitment to the community planning process will be further demonstrated by the establishment of our Community Planning Task Force and by the wider package of post-McIntosh measures which we are progressing.

Openness, transparency and accountability are among the key criteria on which the Leadership Advisory Panel are assessing councils self-reviews of their policy development and decision-making processes. The panel and individual councils, working together, will ensure more open and accountable processes are developed across the country.

We have agreed that CoSLA will take the lead in promoting organisational learning as part of the development of Best Value.

We have agreed that CoSLA will take the lead in promoting exchange of ideas and best practice as part of Best Value. Wendy Alexander recently announced the provision of £100,000 to CoSLA for the development of a website to allow the exchange of ideas, good practice and training across all Scottish councils.

The NHS in Scotland does not collect the information requested. It is for each NHS Trust to determine the number and type of staff required to deliver an appropriate level of service to meet local patient needs and to organise staff resources accordingly.

In a recent study (Gilchrist and Hooke, 1997) conducted in Greenock prison 29% of prisoners reported that they were drinking over the safe limit for men as advised by the Inter-Departmental Working Group. In Cornton Vale Prison (Loucks, 1997) an estimated 10-15 % of women were found to be addicted to alcohol.

Around three quarters of prisoners are estimated by the SPS to have been on illicit drugs just before entering prison. Various elements the SPS drugs strategy together succeeded in reducing this so that interim results for 1999-2000 show that only 15% tested positive for drug misuse within the prison setting.

The extent and degree of mental illness or psychological disturbance is not known with any precision. Studies have ranged from 3% to 82% of the prison population.

The Executive has allocated £2.856 million of New Housing Partnership funding to Glasgow City Council in connection with the development of its stock transfer proposal, £1.01 million of this is for consultation with tenants. The council has submitted a further bid for NHP funding which is being assessed by the New Housing Partnership Steering Group.

Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, Glasgow City Council, and the Greater Pollok Social Inclusion Partnership are already taking a number of specific measures to reduce unemployment in Greater Pollok. These measures include: the development of strategic sites for both indigenous companies and inward investors to create new jobs for local residents; facilitating access to employment for Pollok residents through a variety of training, counselling, and work experience schemes including the Glasgow Mentoring Network, Glasgow Works, the Glasgow Employment Zone, the New Deal, Skillseekers and Training for Work; removing barriers to employment through improving childcare provision; supporting the development of the Social Economy as a provider of services and employment; promoting a culture of lifelong learning through initiatives such as the the creation of a Real Learning Centre in Pollok Library; and the establishment of a local economic development company "Invest in Greater Pollok" which will manage the delivery of a wide range of economic development services.

In July 1999, the Office for National Statistics claimant count system shows there were around 1,500 people claiming unemployment-related benefits in the Glasgow travel to work area who were seeking work in construction trades. At this time, the usual occupation of around 1,400 unemployed claimants was in the construction industry. Latest figures, from April 2000, show that there are now 1,400 claimants in the Glasgow travel to work area seeking work in construction trades, and 1,200 with previous experience in construction. All people claiming unemployment related benefits must be currently available for work.

No information is held centrally on all Glaswegians looking for work in construction, the type and level of skills these people have.

Based on the most recent information available, it is estimated that around £1,500.163 million will be raised in non-domestic rates for 1999-2000. We estimate that £1,550 million will be raised in 2000-01, the same in real terms as 1999-2000 after taking into account expected losses from appeals and transitional relief.