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The regulatory impact assessment (RIA) on proposals contained in Scotland''s Future is Smoke Free: A Smoking Prevention Action Plan considered the impact of further regulating tobacco vending machines. The RIA recommended an outright ban of tobacco vending machines as being the most effective way of reducing sales to under-18s.

The primary purpose of the regulatory impact assessment (RIA) was to consider the impact of proposals on business and, in particular, on small businesses. Almost 65 per cent of meetings held to discuss the RIA were with tobacco retailers and 60 per cent of written representations in relation to the RIA were from tobacco retailers. Other representations made in relation to the RIA were from local government, health interest groups and tobacco manufacturers. Just over 80% of letters received by the Scottish Government in response to proposals in Scotland''s Future is Smoke Free: A Smoking Prevention Action Plan were from retailers. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/19144342/0/

The Scottish Government actively sought the views of retailers and retail representative groups over an extensive consultation period (April 2008 until February 2009) in order to develop its regulatory impact assessment on proposals in Scotland''s Future is Smoke Free: A Smoking Prevention Action Plan http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/19144342/0/.

The Scottish Government Consulted extensively with retailers and retail interest groups on proposals in Scotland''s Future is Smoke Free: A Smoking Prevention Action Plan:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/19144342/0/.

The following table provides a breakdown of meetings held to discuss proposals:

Organisation	Number of  Meetings
The Scottish Grocers'' Federation (represents 350 retailers across Scotland with over 900 stores)	5*
The National Federation of Retail Newsagents (represents some 1,600 retailers)	3
The Scottish Retail Consortium (represents 75% of the retail market)	3*
Scottish Wholesale Association	2
The Independent Scottish Specialist Tobacconists'' Association	1
Tobacco Retailers Alliance (represents 25,000 retailers across the UK)	1
Sinclair Collis (vending machine operator)	1
Visits to tobacco retailers	2
Meetings with individual tobacco retailer	1
Scottish Licensed Trade Association	1*

Note: *Includes the Scottish Ministerial Working Group on Tobacco Control meeting in November 2008.

The most recent figures for chlamydia testing published by Health Protection Scotland are for 2007. Data is not yet available showing progress made toward meeting targets on chlamydia testing. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) published targets for chlamydia testing in 2008. NHS boards will be audited on achievement of these targets in 2009-10 and annual data collected by Health Protection Scotland will show what progress is being made in moving towards those targets. The first set of figures showing the rate of progress will be for the year 2008-09, which will start to become available in November 2009.

The available information is given in the following tables (2007 is the year for which the latest data is available):

Genital Chlamydia Infection, Scotland 2006 and 2007; Laboratory Tests by Gender and Age Group

Gender	Age Group	2006	2007
Male	15-24	22,203	23,865
	25-49	27,401	28,955
	50+	2,583	2,783
	Total*	52,187	55,603
Female	15-24	78,634	80,509
	25-49	90,288	90,160
	50+	7,320	4,333
	Total*	176,242	175,002
Total1,2	15-24	100,837	104,374
	25-49	117,689	119,115
	50+	9,903	7,116
	Total*	228,429	230,605

Source: Health Protection Scotland - February 2009.

Notes:

1.Excludes cases where gender is not known,

2. Totals do not include the number of tests performed in those <15.

The total number of tests collected from the laboratories contains some equivocal, unconfirmed or indeterminate results (approx 1.3% of tests as well as some duplicate tests for the same individual (approx 5-20%).

*Includes age not known.

Genital Chlamydia Infection, Scotland 2006 and 2007; Laboratory Tests by NHS Board of Report

NHS Board	2006	2007
Ayrshire and Arran	13,026	13,228
Borders	3,213	3,437
Dumfries and Galloway	6,891	6,966
Fife	14,737	14,607
Forth Valley	11,011	11,334
Grampian	26,902	28,577
Greater Glasgow and Clyde**	59,414	61,680
Highland	10,461	10,480
Lanarkshire	17,882	19,497
Lothian	45,074	43,159
Orkney	N/A	N/A
Shetland	N/A	N/A
Tayside	17,917	18,811
Western Isles	N/A	N/A
Total	226,528	231,776

Source: Health Protection Scotland - February 2009.

Notes:

The total number of tests collected from the laboratories contains some equivocal, unconfirmed or indeterminate results (approx 1.3% of tests) as well as some duplicate tests for the same individual (approx 5-20%).

N/A - not applicable as chlamydia testing is performed in laboratories in neighbouring NHS board areas.

**In 2006, the data for the NHS Argyll and Clyde laboratories have been included in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde data to allow comparison with 2007.

The available information is given in the following table (2007 is the year for which the latest data is available):

Genital Chlamydia Infection, Scotland 2006 and 2007; Laboratory Tests and Proportion of Population by Gender and Age Group

Gender	Age Group	2006	2006	2007	2,007
		Numbers	Proportion of Population* (%)	Numbers	Proportion of Population** (%)
Male	15-24	22,203	6.50	23,865	6.90
	25-49	27,401	3.10	28,955	3.30
	50+	2,583	0.60	2,783	0.60
	Total***	52,187	3.10	55,603	3.30
Female	15-24	78,634	24	80,509	24.30
	25-49	90,288	9.80	90,160	9.80
	50+	7,320	1.50	4,333	0.90
	Total ***	176,242	10.10	175,002	10
Total1,2	15-24	100,837	15.10	104,374	15.40
	25-49	117,689	6.60	119,115	6.60
	50+	9,903	1	7,116	0.70
	Total ***	228,429	6.70	230,605	6.70

Source: Health Protection Scotland - February 2009.

Notes:

The total number of tests collected from the laboratories contains some equivocal, unconfirmed or indeterminate results (approx 1.3% of tests) as well as some duplicate tests for the same individual (approx 5-20%).

1.Excludes cases where gender is not known.

2. Totals do not include the number of tests performed in those <15.

*Population denominator based on the GROS mid-year population data for 2006 for those aged 15-64.

**Population denominator based on the GROS mid-year population data for 2007 for those aged 15-64.

***Includes age not known.

Data is only currently available until 2007. The most recent data on positive diagnosis show that in 2006 there were 17,926 diagnoses of genital chlamydia, compared with 17,928 in 2007.

There has therefore been no significant change in the number of positive diagnosis since 2006.

NHS boards, through their Health Promotion Departments, undertake local targeted work on the risks of contracting sexually transmitted infections and on the importance of testing and treatment.

In addition the government is in the process of developing a national social marketing campaign which will aim to raise awareness and create a conversation on sexual health generally. This campaign, which will begin in summer 2009, will be supported by a national website and written information encouraging those who may have put themselves at risk of a sexually transmitted infection to be tested.

Chlamydia tests undertaken by the NHS are processed by NHS laboratories with statistics on the number of tests and positive diagnoses collated and analysed by Health Protection Scotland. Chlamydia tests which are undertaken as part of the community pharmacy contract will feed into this process and be monitored in the same way.