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This paper is a commentary on the third in the series of consultative papers (CP3) on a New Basel Capital Accord for banks, earlier papers being issued in 1999 and 2001. While CP3 retains the overall structure of its predecessor, it contains many revisions and a more complete set of rules. Greater coherence has not, however, been accompanied by a reduction in complexity. This is partly an inevitable consequence of attempting to set global standards for banks at different levels of sophistication. But it also reflects financial innovation and the growing complexity of banking practice, which are a continuing source of problems for regulation. Many of the revisions in CP3 in comparison with 2001 are a response to representations from governments and the financial sector in areas such as greater flexibility regarding adoption of different elements of the internal ratingsbased approach, adjustment of the risk weights for lending to small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) to avoid punitively high interest charges, and a less prescriptive approach to measuring operational risk under the most advanced option for handling the subject. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision intends to address some continuing reservations concerning the shape of the New Accord before mid‐2004. Even these further changes, however, are unlikely to bring on board major countries which have declared that they will not apply the New Accord or limit its application to a minority of their banks.

Ex Libris, the report of the Adam Smith Institute advocating membership fees and borrowing charges in public libraries, attracted no great attention apart from a few knockabout setpieces in the press and on the radio. NLW's prize for headline of the month goes to the Daily Telegraph of 23 June: two half columns on the report were headed by Fees Demanded to Deter Library Louts. Worth reporting here if only to express editorial belief that there can't be more than two people who read both NLW and the Daily Telegraph. There was also a little to‐do on Radio 4's ‘Stop the Week’ on 28 June with Robert Robinson almost alone defending public libraries, provoking a reference from one of the chatting coterie that something was alright for the ‘Raynes Park literati’. Robinson went to Raynes Park Country Grammar School which in its day was quite a school with W H Auden writing the words of the school song. (Readers in Uttoxeter and Gosport may like to know that the school is hard by the London and South Western Railway and is probably in the new‐fangled London Borough of Merton.) The Times on the same day had a respectable second leader which concluded that the report “should make us think more about how libraries should be managed, what they should stock and who should manage them”.

Explicit barriers to international trade, investment, technology, and financial flows have been reduced considerably. As a result, “macro-liberalization” of international economic transactions has largely run its course. Now, attention needs to shift from international rules for governments to international rules dealing with the various aspects of the international operations of firms – what are called “micro-issues” in this chapter; these include, by way of example, cross-border mergers and acquisitions and international bankruptcies. Such international rules for the principal actors in international production and markets would complement (or replace) the unilateral rules that exist at the national level. International rules would set the direct parameters for certain aspects of the international activities of firms and hence provide the global governance for operating in the global production and trading spaces. This chapter exemplifies for a number of areas the state of rule-making for some micro-issues, analyzes the nature of this rule-making, and suggests a way forward. Developing international micro-regulatory frameworks of rules of the road for the various aspects of the international operations of firms in the globalizing world economy should be the new frontier of international commercial diplomacy.

Undoubtedly the most publicised art event during recent months was the long‐awaited opening of the much‐debated extension to the National Gallery. Even when completed the Sainsbury Wing (named, of course, after the trio of grocers who donated the money for its erection) continued to generate controversy in architectural circles. To the uninvolved visitor the building seems to be enormously successful and the suspicion arises that a lot of adverse comments may have come from British architects disappointed that such a prestigious commission went to an American architect. But Robert Venturi and his principal partner, Denise Scott‐Brown, have cracked what had hitherto been seen as an insoluble problem, with style and vigour. Indeed, thanks to Prince Charles' notorious “carbuncle” intervention the National Gallery has now an extension of a quality not achievable (for a number of economic and aesthetic reasons) since the 1930s. This point is clearly emphasised by the illustrations of the structures previously proposed for the site reproduced in Colin Amery's A Celebration of Art and Architecture: The National Gallery Sainsbury Wing (ISBN 0 9476465 86 1, hardback, £40.00; ISBN 0 947645 87 X, paperback, £15.95). This includes not only a succinct history of the National Gallery and a survey of the various previous proposals for an extension, but also a section on “Construction Details” illustrated by some excellent paintings of work in progress, by Andrew Norris. Some of the paintings around which the Wing was designed are in Amery's book, but more are to be found in Michael Wilson's Guide to the Sainsbury Wing (ISBN 0 947645 94 2, paperback, £4.95). This takes the form of tours around the building and around the contents. These include a very large and elegant shop which has led to the immediate removal of the “temporary” shop from its previous dominating position within the National Gallery; a restaurant which allows the public a view of Trafalgar Square similar to that hitherto only available to users of the library in Canada House; and the Micro Gallery (sponsored by American Express) which brings the very latest touch‐screen computer technology right out to the public. With software developed by Cognitive Applications and editorial material generated by 21st Century Systems, this enables any visitor to search the whole of the National Gallery's catalogue and compile their own study notes. The system even has a facility for the display of explanations of “difficult” words used in the descriptions of the 2,000 painting involved, and, at print‐out time, there is even an explanation for the reasons why copyright restrictions prevent the reproduction of certain pictures. No wonder this facility has proved to be an immensely popular aspect of a building which already looks as though it has always been there.

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain an awareness of the management of the drug misusing guidelines in Glasgow general hospitals.

A brief literature review was carried out to establish the available evidence for the guidelines. Additionally, a survey questionnaire was sent out to junior medical staff requesting their views on the drug misusing guidelines.

A paucity of evidence relating to drug misusing guidelines was found from the literature. The Glasgow Guidelines appear to be a welcome source of information that is both comprehensive and easily accessible for staff. Junior medical staffs have broadly welcomed the guidance but would appreciate additional support on the management of patients prescribed Suboxone.

There should be an increase in training and development for junior medical staff regarding the guideline.

The Glasgow Guidelines are aimed primarily at junior medical staff whose knowledge on drug misusing patients may be scarce. Increased training and awareness should improve the management of drug misusers in general hospitals. Consequently, patients should spent less time in hospital.