Whether it has any plans to enable greater Glasgow Health Board to modernise or replace its hospital buildings.

Greater Glasgow Health Board's recently finalised Health Improvement Programme (HIP) for the 5-year period from April 1999-2004 sets out the challenges facing the provision of services and details specific service proposals that are being considered to meet identified needs. The Health Board does not believe the existing disposition of adult acute services and emergency care throughout Glasgow is a sustainable basis for the future and the HIP sets out a range of service changes to modernise and strengthen emergency services that it will be seeking to discuss with various parties. To date, no decisions have been taken. The Health Board intends to invite comments on its proposals in due course.A number of improvements are in train to replace and modernise Glasgow hospitals. A major £52m publicly funded re-development of Glasgow Royal Infirmary began in February this year. The project includes better, modern maternity services for mothers and their babies in Glasgow with the full range of clinical support facilities on site, an enhanced plastic surgery and burns facilities and services, and an enhanced emergency receiving service. Approval was given in March this year for an £8.3m publicly funded project to develop a head and neck surgery (including oral and maxillo facial surgery) and cancer service for south Glasgow. The Government has agreed to establish Scotland's first "walk-in, walk-out" treatment centre in Glasgow to pilot fast, one-day diagnosis and treatment for a range of conditions. These developments are representative of the Executive's commitment to provide modern co-ordinated and quality care for patients.