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The new consultants’ contractprovides a number of specific advantages, not least a considerable increase inthe contracted time devoted to direct patient care, up from 21 hours per weekto at least 30 hours per week for each full-time consultant. The overarchingbenefit to be derived from the contract is to provide NHSScotland with thetools to more effectively manage consultants’ time and workload. The jobplanning process allows managers, for the first time, to critically examine andtransparently timetable all of a consultant’s activities, and to agree how consultants’working commitments and practices can best contribute to NHS objectives. Inthis way managers will be able to explicitly and more effectively manageconsultant activity in order to secure the capacity they require to improveservices to patients and, where appropriate, take forward the re-design ofservices.

The Scottish Executive’s guidanceto NHS boards on regional planning makes it clear that it is vital to engagesenior clinical staff in the process. I fully expect that the need to involveclinicians will be part of the framework for regional planning currently beingdrawn together by NHS board Chief Executives.

The proposal to establish aninspectorate for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) was thesubject of consultation at the end of 2003. The outcome of this consultationwas a broad welcome for these proposals. I have published a summary of the responsesat www.crownoffice.gov.uk.Following this positive response, the Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotlandstarted work at the end of December 2003, under the leadership of an interiminspector.

The Scottish Executive will this week advertise the post of Chief Inspector of Prosecution ofScotland. The creation of the inspectorate is an important step for the COPFSas it strives to build its reputation as an open and accountable public serviceand secure the public’s confidence in its ability to prosecute crime.

Yes. Myministerial colleagues and I spent considerable time over the summer of 2003consulting with communities across Scotland about antisocial behaviour. Problems with groups of people causingalarm and distress were raised many times and we found widespread support forour proposals to strengthen the powers of the police to deal with such groups.That dialogue with the people affected by antisocial behaviour has continuedand will continue throughout the progress of the bill and beyond.

In December 2000 the UKNational Screening Committee recommended that there was no evidence to supportthe introduction of a population-based thrombophilia screening programme.Screening for individuals considered to be at high risk is available throughoutNHSScotland.

All acute hospitalsthroughout Scotland will be able to treat DVT. The treatment is not normallycomplicated, however, and many cases are managed by the patient’s GP orself-managed by the patient after instruction. In cases of recurrent DVT, whichrequire investigation for an underlying predisposition to form clots(thrombophilia), screening is widely available across NHS Scotland.

The Information andStatistics Division of the Common Services Agency maintains statistics on hospitaldischarges and diagnoses. It is possible to identify cases of deep veinthrombosis linked to travel generally, but not cases specifically linked to airtravel. In 2002, 10 such cases were recorded, and the provisional figure for2003 is 13. However, caution is necessary in interpreting these figures. Somehospitals may not have recorded a possible link with travel. Also, it ispossible that the same patient may have been seen more than once in the courseof a year. We are not aware of any research relating specifically to thesefigures.

The Information andStatistics Division of the Common Services Agency maintains statistics onhospital discharges and diagnoses. There are no plans to collect informationseparately on incidences of air-related deep vein thrombosis treated inhospitals.

It is not possible todistinguish the symptoms of deep vein thrombosis which may have been triggeredby air travel from those of deep vein thrombosis in people who have not flownrecently or at all, so it would not be possible to issue such specificguidance. Though the Executive does not issue clinical advice to medicalprofessionals directly, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN),which is funded by the Executive, has issued advice on what may be done toprevent or reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism, including deep veinthrombosis, developing in the first place. The good practice clinical guidelineProphylaxis of Venous Thromboembolism was published in October 2002 andincludes a section on long distance travel. SIGN guidelines are made availableto the NHS at all levels, and are kept under regular review to take account ofnew published research.

Doppler machines are widelyavailable in acute hospitals throughout Scotland.