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We have continually urged universities and NHS Trusts to work together to minimise the drop-out rate of student nurses and midwives, by addressing a range of issues including:

the preparation of the clinical mentors who support students during placements;

the timing, nature and support provided for students' early experiences of clinical placements;

course design to facilitate student progression through successive academic challenges and clinical experiences;

availability of student support services for nursing students.The discontinuation rate can most accurately be measured retrospectively, after each cohort has completed its programme of study. Figures calculated on this basis by the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland, give evidence of an improvement over recent years.

Glasgow City Council's grant allocation was calculated by formula based on long-established methods of establishing each council's need to spend on services. A floor mechanism was also introduced to ensure that all councils would benefit from increases of at least 5%, 4% and 3.4% over the three years. Glasgow continues to receive substantially more grant per person than any other mainland council and has benefited by £16 million from the floor.

The Scottish Executive is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Making it Work Together - a Programme for Government emphasised our commitment to improving the lives of our nation's children and set out a range of targets to that end. The UK Government submitted its second report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child - which included a Scottish chapter - in August 1999. We will consider carefully the UN Committee's observations on that report once received.

The arrangements for dealing with rent arrears will be a matter for negotiation between the relevant council and acquiring landlord, and will be set out in the contract of sale.

As part of our drive to modernise government structures, the Executive is carrying out a radical review of all Scottish Public Bodies. We will consider what role public bodies should play in the devolved Scotland and how they should operate and be accountable to Ministers and Parliament. We will be considering the scope for reduction in the number of public bodies through abolition and merger, and the circumstances in which new ones should be created.I shall make a statement on the way ahead following the review around the end of May.

The Scottish Executive supports and encourages such opportunities.

Scotland's National Cultural Strategy, published in August 2000, promotes creativity in the arts and other cultural activity, especially by children and young people. A key priority is to recognise and celebrate schools as centres of creativity.

The Executive is providing £27 million to 2002 under the Excellence Fund Core Programme for study support, some of which will have a creative element.The New Opportunities Fund has made available over £23 million for out of school hours learning activity and over £25 million for out of school care. The learning activity includes creative ventures in the arts to help raise the self-esteem and confidence of pupils. Many out of school clubs provide good opportunities for participation in creative activities.

The Scottish Executive does not forecast inflation. For reference, the latest HM Treasury forecast for inflation, covering the period to 2003, was published in Building Long-Term Prosperity for All: Pre-Budget Report (November 2000).

The Scottish Executive recognises that Zyban has shown to be most effective if used in combination with motivational support and, as such, complements existing smoking cessation services. The Executive is looking at the availability of smoking cessation services. However, Zyban is not clinically suitable for all patients who wish to stop smoking and the decision whether or not to prescribe this treatment is a matter for the clinical judgement of the doctors concerned.

The Code of Practice on Openness for the NHS in Scotland makes a presumption of openness and accessibility of information to the public, subject to certain exceptions such as information on individuals and about internal discussions which would harm frank debate. Health boards are required to hold meetings in public wherever possible and to publish and provide information on services, proposals and decisions.

I refer Mr Gibson to the answer I gave to question S1W-11138.