EXECUTIVE PLEDGES ACTION ON SCHOOLS, JOBS AND DRUGS

THE SCOTTISH executive yesterday took the unique step of publishing a
timetable of its policy pledges in an attempt to build public confidence.

Each minister personally signed a list of deadlines for more than 150
commitments. The exercise, which was deemed a relaunch following a troubled
summer for the Executive, was intended to draw a line under the past few
months and start the new Parliament term with a clean slate.

Donald Dewar, the First Minister, said targets included doubling the number
of modern apprentices to 20,000 by 2003, 100,000 new businesses in Scotland
by 2009, a Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency established by next June and 100
schools built or renovated by 2003. Tobacco advertising will be banned by
the end of the year, eight new hospital developments will be opened between
2001 and 2003 and a nursery place will be on offer for every three-year-old
by 2002.

However, ministers failing to make the deadlines will not face any action,
other than criticism from the opposition and the public. Mr Dewar admitted
the policy was "a risk".

"It will allow the people of Scotland to judge our progress and, I say
unashamedly to you, call us to account if that is necessary," he said.

It is understood that the document, Making it Work Together, is modelled on
the "100 Days" publicity campaign Labour initiated immediately after taking
office in 1997. That programme was not implemented in Scotland because Mr
Dewar deemed it too much of a gimmick.

However, since the Parliament first convened, allegations of incompetence
and a lack of ambition have dogged the Executive. One of its first pieces of
proposed legislation, to introduce road tolls, faced fierce criticism and
Sarah Boyack, the transport minister, was forced to change it after 24 hours
to guarantee that funds raised from tolling would be ringfenced to improve
transport.

Both leading figures in the executive, Donald Dewar, the First Minister and
his deputy Jim Wallace, will be keen to ensure that the first full session
of Parliament begins positively. Mr Dewar has been warned by Tony Blair that
it is vital to keep Labour supporters happy following the hype surrounding
the devolution campaign, the poor return in the European elections and with
the Hamilton South by-election coming up. Mr Wallace knows that the actions
of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, especially how they handle relations with
their coalition partners, will come under close scrutiny by Charles Kennedy,
the new national party leader.

Mr Dewar said it was his ambition to drive "a skilled Scotland, a Scotland
at work and not on welfare, an educated Scotland, a healthy Scotland, a
caring Scotland".

Alex Salmond, the Scottish National Party leader, said the relaunch showed
the Executive was panicking. He said: "The first sign of a government in
trouble is when they are forced into a relaunch. If the timetabling targets
are not met, there will be no sanction against ministers and no requirement
to resign. The whole exercise is just recycled spin, with no substance."