Scottish Executive

Access for Disabled People

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions are planned with the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance regarding its concerns about the proposal to abolish the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: As part of the government’s decision to amalgamate the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland with the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland, officials will be engaging with a number of organisations, including the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions are planned with the Equality and Human Rights Commission regarding its concerns about the proposals to abolish the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: As part of the government’s decision to amalgamate the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland with the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland, officials will be engaging with a number of organisations, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Aggregates Tax

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to distribute its share of the money raised by the UK Government from the aggregates tax.

John Swinney: Scotland’s share of the money raised by the UK Government from the aggregates tax is indirectly reflected in our overall spending review settlement. Environmental spending is a devolved matter and the Scottish Government’s plans for environmental spending are set out in our budget. A couple of the larger projects that have been funded in recent years are a Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) aggregates programme, aimed at increasing the country’s production and use of secondary and recycled aggregates, and a Sustainable Design in Architecture project raising awareness of the need for a more considered design approach to our built environment based on principles of sustainable development.

Central Heating

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many installations were carried out under the central heating programme in each (a) year and (b) month since its inception in (i) the North Lanarkshire local authority area, (ii) the South Lanarkshire local authority area, (iii) the Falkirk local authority area and (iv) each parliamentary constituency in the Central Scotland region.

Stewart Maxwell: The fuel poverty programmes have included the provision of central heating in both the public and private sectors. In the public sector, local authorities completed installations in their properties in March 2004 and housing associations completed installations in their properties in December 2004, except Glasgow Housing Association properties where, due to the high number of properties involved, the Programme was completed in March 2007. In the private sector, installations have been carried out by the managing agent.

The number of systems installed in the public sector from the start of the programme in 2001 until the programme ended in December 2004 are held as annual installation figures. The number of systems installed over the period requested in Falkirk, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire council areas, is shown in the following table:

Note:

1. The figures include installations carried out by local authority and housing associations in each of the local authority areas indicated.

2. The figures do not include installations carried out in the private sector.

In the private sector, information is not held by local authority or parliamentary constituency area, but by main postcode. In the private sector the monthly installation rate, covering the period October 2006 until January 2008 for main postcode areas DG, FK, and ML is shown in the table below:

Note:

1. The figures marked with an asterisk, where the current managing agent (Scottish Gas) has provided figures on a three-monthly rather than a monthly basis, during the start up period covering its involvement on the programme. The figures given are the monthly average for the relevant three-month period.

2. The DG, FK and ML postcode areas are the main postcode areas covering the local authority areas requested.

Before October 2006, information on installations in the private sector are held as annual installation figures. The total number of systems installed in the private sector in each financial year over the period requested for main postcode areas DG, FK, and ML is shown in the table below:

Communities Scotland

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial savings are anticipated from the abolition of Communities Scotland.

Stewart Maxwell: The First Minister said in Parliament on 31 January 2008 that taking Communities Scotland into government will generate efficiency savings of £1.7 million.

Culture

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-6591 and S3W-6592 by Linda Fabiani on 6 December 2007, what percentage the total planned cultural budget, including Historic Scotland, for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 is of the total Scottish budget in each year, expressed to two decimal places.

Linda Fabiani: The budget for culture is part of the First Minister portfolio’s total allocation and is detailed as follows. The cultural aspects of the budget are highlighted in bold.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-6592 on 6 December 2007, which provided figures which were calculated using total Scottish Budget figures that included Annually Managed Expenditure which contains those elements of expenditure that are not readily predictable such as NHS and Teachers’ pensions and the cost of capital for Scotland’s trunk road network. The alternative measure of Scottish Government budget is Departmental Expenditure Limit. Both these figures for each year are noted as follows.

2007-08

Total Managed Expenditure (TME) = £31,894.9 million.

Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) (minus AME) = £26,717.4 million.

2008-09

Total Managed Expenditure (TME) = £33,181.2 million.

Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) (minus AME) = £27,891.7million.

For consistency’s sake, the percentage figures requested have been provided using both TME and DEL budget figures:

2007-08

Based on TME, the culture budget is 0.75% of the total Scottish budget.

Based on DEL, the culture budget is 0.89% of the total Scottish budget.

2008-09

Based on TME, the culture budget is 0.76% of the total Scottish budget.

Based on DEL, the culture budget is 0.90% of the total Scottish budget.

In addition to this, one-off additional funding of £12.3 million was received in 2007-08 at the spring and autumn budget revisions.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the planned culture budget for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 into (i) capital and (ii) resource.

Linda Fabiani: The budget for culture is part of the First Minister’s portfolio total allocation and is detailed as follows.

The planned culture budget for 2007-08 is £217.8 million resource and £20.6 million capital.

The planned culture budget for 2008-09 is £227.7 million resource and £23.4 million capital.

Dentistry

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice the Student Awards Agency for Scotland has given or intends to give to applicants domiciled in Scotland inquiring about support for the four-year graduate course at the new Aberdeen dental school.

Fiona Hyslop: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) will advise that students undertaking the four year accelerated dentistry course at University of Aberdeen will be eligible to have their tuition fees paid in full.

In addition, eligible students will be able to access living cost loans and other supplementary grants, such as travel expenses, disabled students allowance and child care.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why mandatory registration of dental technicians and other dental care professionals is needed.

Shona Robison: The primary aim of statutory regulation of the healthcare professions is to improve public safety. Regulation by the General Dental Council (GDC) was introduced for professions complementary to dentistry by the Dental Act 1984 (Amendment) Order 2005 following extensive UK-wide consultation. Further legislation in 2006 specified dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists as professions complementary to dentistry and also made provisions relating to their registration with the GDC.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that significant numbers of dental technicians continue to work in their profession, following the requirements for mandatory registration by the General Dental Council.

Shona Robison: From 31 July 2008, all dental technicians must be registered with the General Dental Council in order to practise as such. In terms of legislation made in 2006 they have already had two years to register on the basis of GDC approved experience and/or qualifications. From 31 July 2008 they will only be able to register on the basis of approved qualifications.

The GDC has carried out a widespread publicity campaign to ensure that dental technicians register on time and are able to continue to practise after 31 July 2008. The council has issued regular press releases and articles to the trade press, and representatives have attended relevant dental professional exhibitions and events as well as numerous speaking opportunities. Information has also been posted on the GDC website and in its newsletter, which has been distributed with the two main dental technician publications during the two year transition period. The GDC has also been liaising with the relevant professional organisations, who have been targeting their members and have written directly to all registered dentists asking them to contact their dental technicians and ask them if they are registered. The GDC will continue this publicity campaign and plans to write directly to dental laboratories within the next few weeks.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether dentists will be permitted to send their work overseas, rather than use General Dental Council registered laboratories in Scotland and the United Kingdom, following full registration in July 2008.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has no power to stop dentists sending their work overseas, rather than to laboratories in Scotland or the rest of the UK, now or after July 2008, as to do so would be to act incompatibly with community law. It is for dentists themselves to ensure that they deliver a safe service and we would encourage them to send work to dental technicians registered with the General Dental Council to ensure patient safety.

Diabetes

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of diabetes were diagnosed in NHS Grampian during (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004, (d) 2005, (e) 2006 and (f) 2007.

Shona Robison: Information on the prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes at NHS board level is available from the annual Scottish Diabetes Survey. First published in 2001, the Survey includes data from primary and secondary care and is currently the most comprehensive source of information on diabetes in Scotland. The surveys can be found on the Scottish Public Health Observatory (ScotPHO) website www.scotpho.org.uk/home/Healthwellbeinganddisease/Diabetes/diabetes_keypoints.asp.

The 2006 survey will be available on the site very shortly.

The Scottish Public Health website also provides a guide to further sources of information on diabetes in Scotland, under the "Health, Wellbeing and Disease" tab.

Education

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in what years the ceramics departments in the art schools in (a) Aberdeen, (b) Edinburgh and (c) Dundee ceased to take undergraduate students.

Fiona Hyslop: The Duncan of Jordanstone Art School at the University of Dundee ceased to admit undergraduate students to ceramics courses in 1999.

Edinburgh College of Art ceased to admit undergraduate students to ceramics courses in 2002.

Gray’s School of Art at The Robert Gordon University continues to offer tuition in ceramics in its BA (Hons) Three Dimensional Design (Ceramics, Glass, Jewellery) course.

Energy

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the potential for a North Sea underwater energy transmission network for the large-scale transmission of energy between different parts of Scotland, as an objective separate from the aim of internationally transmitting energy for export which is generally associated with such a scheme.

Jim Mather: The current focus of the Scottish Government on the electricity grid is twofold. Firstly, to secure fairer transmission charging and access to the onshore grid and, in the longer term, to achieve economic benefits from export of renewable energy.

Enterprise

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the production capacity is of the Harris Tweed industry, in terms of the numbers of weavers available.

Jim Mather: We estimate Harris Tweed production capacity is 1.2 million metres (single width equivalent). A Harris Tweed Industry Liaison Group has recently been established to encourage producers, weavers, local government and government agencies work together to drive the industry forward. This group plans to research Harris Tweed weaver and loom numbers. The aim is to ensure production capacity is adequate encompassing weavers, training, looms and loomsheds.

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it will do to help to market Harris Tweed.

Jim Mather: HIE Innse Gall has approved financial assistance towards the establishment of two Harris Tweed production facilities on Lewis including an element aimed at encouraging product promotion and marketing activity.

In addition, a Harris Tweed Industry Liaison Group was established in February 2008. This will seek to identify a range of issues and actions for the promotion, marketing and development of the sector.

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage and train more people to become weavers in the Harris Tweed industry.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Harris Tweed to the economy of the Outer Hebrides. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and HIE Innse Gall, have worked with the Harris Tweed industry over a considerable period of time to support its development, and will continue to do so.

HIE Innse Gall provides a range of support, including working with self-employed weavers on weaver training and assistance with capital costs of buildings and equipment.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate why the leadership of Fife Council will not meet the Rosyth Waterfront Liaison Group to consider the proposed £500 million development for Rosyth.

Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for Fife Council.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-2239 by Stewart Stevenson on 7 February 2008, what percentage target it has set itself for reduction in emissions by 2011.

Stewart Stevenson: In the Government Economic Strategy we set a target to reduce emissions over the period to 2011. As stated in the strategy, the exact basis of the target will be decided following public consultation on proposals for a Scottish Climate Change Bill.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-2239 by Stewart Stevenson on 7 February 2008, how its performance in reaching the percentage target it has set itself for reduction in emissions by 2011 will be measured.

Stewart Stevenson: The Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be used to measure emissions in each year up to and including 2011. The inventory for 1990 to 2005 can be found at http://www.naei.org.uk/reports.php.

As stated in the Government Economic Strategy our target is to reduce emissions over the period to 2011.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-2239 by Stewart Stevenson on 7 February 2008, what level or tonnage of emissions in 2011 would be consistent with the pathway towards reducing emissions by 80%.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-6397 on 17 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of compliance with building regulations is assumed in the calculation of official estimates on carbon dioxide emissions from buildings.

Stewart Stevenson: The Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990-2005 (www.naei.org.uk/reports.php) provide estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from a range of sectors. In the case of the residential sector the figures in the inventory are calculated on the basis of actual fuel consumption and do not relate to building standards.

Also in connection with the residential sector, the Scottish House Condition Survey provides estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from the Scottish housing stock:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/12/18132350/0.

These figures are based on the energy efficiency of households across Scotland which is determined using the National Home Energy Rating scheme (www.nher.co.uk).

Fair Trade

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what activities it undertook during Fairtrade Fortnight.

Linda Fabiani: Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 began on 25 February and concludes on 9 March.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2007 took place from 26 February to 11 March. The then Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport undertook a number of events in support of this. These were:

Further Education

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with Kilmarnock College in respect of its development plans.

Fiona Hyslop: None. Matters relating to capital investment are the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). I am aware that the SFC is currently in discussion with the college about its outline business case and that the matter is likely to be considered at the July 2008 meeting of the SFC’s Capital Investment Committee.

Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of further education students who, in each of the last five years, attended a course of no more than one year’s duration also attended a further education course in the previous year of an equivalent or higher academic level.

Fiona Hyslop: The percentage of further education students at Scotland’s colleges who attended a course of not more than one year’s duration and also attended a further education course in the previous year of an equivalent or higher academic level, as a percentage of all further education students studying a course of not more than one year’s duration is given in the following table. Academic levels have been determined with reference to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Courses with an academic level not referenced to SCQF have been excluded.

Note: Only includes students whose places are funded by the Scottish Funding Council.

Further and Higher Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students under the age of 25 are married or have a partner and have a dependent child or children.

Fiona Hyslop: The information requested is not held centrally. However in 2006-07 of the students aged under 25 who were supported by the Student Awards Agency 450 were married.

Information on partners will be recorded from 2008-09 where required by the change in the means testing arrangements.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students under the age of 25 have a dependent child or children over three years old.

Fiona Hyslop: The information requested is not held centrally.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of students who will benefit from the extension of the dependants’ grant to students who have a partner on a low income.

Fiona Hyslop: Under the previous Scottish Executive, information on partners and their income was not recorded. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) does not ask for details of partner’s income because they are currently not recognised in the income assessment for living cost support. It is therefore not possible to estimate how many students will be affected by the changes as we do not know how many students have partners, or what the partner’s income is.

The Scottish Government did attempt to model the costs involved in estimating how many students in Scotland will benefit from the extension of the dependant’s grant to students who have a partner on a low income. However, because this information is not available, it is not possible to produce accurate forecasts.

The Scottish Government will ensure that all income available to households will be recorded by SAAS and will closely monitor the numbers affected by these changes from 2008-09 onwards.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students in Scotland are assessed as coming from a single parent family but have a parent who lives with a partner.

Fiona Hyslop: Information on how many students in Scotland who are assessed as coming from a single parent family, but have a parent who lives with a partner, is not held centrally.

Information on partners will be recorded from 2008-09 where required by the change in the means testing arrangements.

Gaelic Language

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to produce its draft Gaelic language plan and when it was statutorily required to first produce one.

Linda Fabiani: The notice issued by Bòrd na Gàidhlig to the Scottish Executive in August 2006 specified that the Scottish Executive Gaelic language plan should be submitted to Bòrd na Gàidhlig in August 2007. In common with other public bodies which have been asked to prepare statutory Gaelic language plans the then Scottish Executive sought, and was granted, an extension by Bòrd na Gàidhlig. This extension was required to enable adequate time to consider the two key statutory documents published in May 2007, the National Gaelic Language Plan and Guidance on the development of Gaelic language plans, which public bodies must have regard to when preparing their Gaelic language plans. The extension also allowed the new Scottish Government time to consider the opportunities for Gaelic development which could be included in the Gaelic language plan. The Scottish Government intends to publish a draft Gaelic language plan for consultation shortly, with a view to submitting a final Gaelic language plan to Bòrd na Gàidhlig for approval as soon as possible thereafter.

General Practitioners

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what input Scottish ministers and officials have had to the negotiations on extending the opening hours of general medical practices as part of the four nations’ discussions.

Nicola Sturgeon: The GP contract is a UK contract negotiated on behalf of the Scottish, English, Welsh and Northern Irish Health Departments, by NHS Employers with the GP Committee (GPC) of the British Medical Association. In consultation with ministers, officials discuss national priorities with NHS Employers and the other three health departments and agree the approach to negotiations. Scotland remains committed to providing better access to GP services and extended opening hours.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints (a) it and (b) each NHS board have received from patients about the level of access to their GPs and associated services as a result of opening hours in each of the last three years.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not routinely collected by the Scottish Government or NHS boards.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescales are for implementing any new agreement on extended opening hours for general medical practices.

Nicola Sturgeon: We expect the result of the GP poll early in March. Depending on the outcome of the poll we will be seeking thereafter to finalise the detailed arrangements for extended hours in Scotland with Scottish General Practitioners Committee (SGPC) in time for implementation to begin at the start of the forthcoming financial year.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of graduates who complete their GP training in Grampian subsequently take up posts within Grampian medical practices.

Nicola Sturgeon: The specific information requested is not centrally available. Details of Information on staff employed in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

Latest available data is at 30 September 2007.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to people suffering from Acquired Brain Injury on discharge from hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The early management of patients with a head injury is covered in SIGN Guideline 46 which is currently under revision and due for publication in 2009. The draft revised guidelines suggest that patients with severe head injury should be assessed for multi-disciplinary rehabilitation. A discharge letter should be sent to every general practitioner about every patient, whether admitted to hospital or not and should indicate whether follow up has been arranged. If no follow up has been offered, the discharge letter should indicate that good recovery is likely within a few weeks but should unforeseen or persisting difficulties arise then follow up would be arranged.

We are currently implementing our Rehabilitation Framework which will be taken forward in each NHS board by rehabilitation coordinators who are about to be appointed. The framework will create an effective multi-agency approach to rehabilitation services which are flexible and responsive to the needs of patients and communities in Scotland.

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider taking action to ensure the provision of information packs to support people suffering from Acquired Brain Injury on discharge from hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The most suitable vehicle for taking this forward is the national Managed Clinical Network (MCN) for Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). One of its main aims is to provide, in easily accessible formats, high quality information for people with ABI and their families and carers which is relevant to the different stages of the patient journey. One of the MCN’s working groups is identifying current practice related to information-giving and is in the process of collecting good examples of written information made available to patients and their families.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of the estimated cost to NHS Fife of £155,000 for baby Ryan Turner to remain in hospital 10 months after clinicians considered him fit to return home because suitable alternative accommodation has not been provided for him and his family.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of an estimated cost to NHS Fife of £178,000 for baby Ryan Turner to remain in hospital until Christmas 2009 if suitable alternative accommodation is not provided for him and his family.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers an estimated total cost to NHS Fife of £333,000 for baby Ryan Turner to remain in hospital after he was declared fit to go home to be an efficient use of public resources.

Nicola Sturgeon: Ryan’s welfare must take precedence over any other consideration. I expect NHS Fife and Fife Council to work together to ensure that he receives the most appropriate care in the most appropriate setting, making the most efficient and effective use of resources as circumstances permit.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that postcode prescribing is not a feature of health provision in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: The planning and provision of services is a matter for NHS boards. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) was established to reduce the incidence of so called "postcode prescribing" in Scotland. Its remit is to provide advice to all NHS boards and their Area Drug and Therapeutics Committees (ADTCs) across Scotland about the status of all newly licensed medicines, all new formulations of existing medicines and new indications for established products. NHS boards are required to take account of SMC recommendations in the planning and provision of NHS services.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has provided on the issuing of steroid warning cards to patients on steroid treatment.

Shona Robison: Guidance on issuing steroid treatment cards was disseminated in a joint letter by the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer on 26 July 2006.

The guidance reminds all healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of patients receiving steroid therapy of the importance of issuing steroid treatment cards where appropriate.

The guidance can be found at http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/cmo/CMO(2006)10.pdf.

Higher Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement the National Union of Students has had with the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities.

Fiona Hyslop: The National Union of Students (NUS) have not been involved in the taskforce. I expect to discuss the work of the taskforce with NUS Scotland at the next FHE roundtable in March and am also holding a summit with student representatives from across Scotland in April.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all papers considered and produced by the Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities in addition to the notes of its meetings and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Fiona Hyslop: All papers considered and produced by the taskforce at its first two meetings are available on the Scottish Government’s website here:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/UniversitiesColleges/16640/hetaskforce.

I will consider the need to release future taskforce papers on a case-by-case basis taking account of the need to create space for a creative and open dialogue between the government and university principals while demonstrating my support for open government.

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students qualified from art schools in Scotland with a degree majoring in ceramics in each year from 1999 to 2007.

Fiona Hyslop: The following table provides the number of graduates from Scottish higher education institutions that completed their studies with a degree qualification where the major subject of study or the title of the course was ceramics.

Number of Graduates from Scottish Universities with a degree majoring in ceramics, 1999 to 2007

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Notes:

In these table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest 5.

Numbers may not sum to totals exactly due to rounding.

Historic Scotland

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the remit and role of Historic Scotland are clear.

Linda Fabiani: Yes. The role and remit are set out in Historic Scotland’s Framework Document 2004.

Historic Sites

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers that the role of Historic Scotland should be in planning applications near sensitive historical sites.

Linda Fabiani: Historic Scotland’s role in planning applications near sensitive sites is to provide advice to planning authorities on the potential impact of a proposed development on historic sites of national interest. These are scheduled monuments and their settings, category A listed buildings and their settings and sites included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

Where it considers that there would be sufficient adverse impact on the national importance of one or more of these historic sites, Historic Scotland will object on behalf of Scottish ministers. Where it considers there is a lesser impact, Historic Scotland may recommend that the planning authority impose appropriate planning conditions to mitigate the impact.

Homelessness

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated under the heading "Tackling and Preventing Homelessness" or previous equivalents in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08, showing the amount assumed to be allocated for (i) addressing rough sleeping, (ii) provision of housing information and advice, (iii) provision of temporary accommodation, (iv) hostel decommissioning and (v) any other major identified expenditure items.

Stewart Maxwell: The Tackling and Preventing Homelessness grant was created in 2007-08 as an amalgamation of three previous funding streams – Homelessness Task Force funding, the Furnished Tenancies Grant and the Glasgow Hostels Decommissioning Programme. The amounts allocated from these sources was as follows:

2007-08: £39.2 million

2006-07: £38.7 million

2005-06: £38.2 million.

Of this, £15 million in each of the years was allocated for the specific purpose of hostel decommissioning in Glasgow. None of the remaining funding was specifically allocated for any of the purposes set out in the question although local authorities were able to use it for these purposes if they so wished.

Separately, funding for addressing rough sleeping was made available to local authorities through the Revenue Support Grant.

Housing

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it used the Bramley model when developing its house building projections for the housing discussion document, Firm Foundations.

Stewart Maxwell: The government’s proposed house-building goal set out in the housing discussion document Firm Foundations relates to housing in all tenures and reflects a range of evidence and analysis, notably the Scottish Housing Market Review published in June 2007. The Bramley model of Local Housing Need and Affordability produces estimates of affordable housing need only and would not be appropriate, therefore, to assess the overall housing supply position in Scotland.

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many rented properties are operated by registered private landlords and, of these, how many meet the (a) Tolerable Standard and (b) Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

Stewart Maxwell: The latest figures for landlord registration show that the number of applications by landlords for registration is approximately 108,000, while the number of privately rented dwellings they operate is approximately 160,000. Landlords and agents are required to register in each authority where they own or manage property, so these figures include multiple registrations for some individuals or organisations.

The landlord registration system does not collect information on whether properties meet the Tolerable Standard or the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SQHS). However, on the basis of the sampling carried out by the Scottish House Condition Survey we estimate that at least 96% of privately rented properties meet the Tolerable Standard and between 13% and 25% meet the SHQS. There is no legal requirement for privately rented houses to meet the SHQS. However, since September 2007 private landlords have been required to ensure that their properties meet the Repairing Standard. If a landlord fails to comply with a Repairing Standard enforcement order, the local authority must take this into account when determining whether the landlord is fit and proper to let property.

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the quality of housing in the private rented sector.

Stewart Maxwell: We will implement provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 that enhance local authorities’ powers to enforce higher quality standards in the private housing sector as a whole, including the private rented sector. For example, a local authority will be able to require the drawing up and implementation of a maintenance plan for a house that has not been, or is unlikely to be, maintained to a reasonable standard.

For the private rented sector the recently announced National Voluntary Landlord Accreditation scheme will require landlords to confirm that they are meeting legal requirements in letting and will encourage a process of continuous improvement in both the physical condition and management of private rented accommodation. This builds on the steps already taken to ensure sound minimum standards through the requirement for private landlords to be registered and the introduction in September 2007 of the Repairing Standard for private rented houses. This standard extends the statutory responsibility of a private landlord to maintain a house in a reasonable state of repair. Tenants now have the power to enforce the standard by applying to the Private Rented Housing Panel, which can take action against landlords who fail to comply with the standard.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many new homes building work has been started by (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations since May 2007.

Stewart Maxwell: The information requested is published on the Scottish Government website at

(a) http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NewBuildLA.

(b) http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NewBuildHA.

These tables show the number of units started/approved to the end of September 2007, the most recent date for which information is available. The housing association figures are for approvals during the reporting period as the performance of the Affordable Housing Investment Programme is reported in terms of approvals. Data for other sectors are provided by local authorities’ building control departments and refer to construction starts during the quarter. The data are collected on a quarterly basis and do not include the actual month when the start/approval occurred.

Individual Learning Accounts

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) cost was and (b) number of beneficiaries have been of the Individual Learning Account scheme in each year of its operation.

Fiona Hyslop: The following table records the cost of the Individual Learning Accounts Scotland (ILAS) scheme along with the number of learners participating in the scheme since it began in from December 2004 to March 2007. Figures for the financial year 2007-08 are not yet available.

Notes:

1. The figures give courses which have been undertaken by learners and it includes some repeat learning by individual learners.

2. The amount spent by learners excludes any personal or third party contribution paid towards the cost of learning.

3. The unit cost includes all admin costs, VAT, development costs, marketing costs and the amount spent by learners as at 1.

4. The Individual Learning Account Scotland scheme began in December 2004 and therefore the data is given to the end of the financial year at March 2005.

Interception of Communications

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many telephone eavesdroppings have been authorised by ministers since May 2007 and how this compares with the number for the equivalent period in the previous year.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9298 on 12 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government about reducing cash and valuables in transit offences.

Kenny MacAskill: No such discussions have taken place. However, we have recently announced a three year funding package of £778,000 for the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC). The SBCC provide practical advice to the business/commercial sectors on how to develop business crime reduction and prevention strategies. Through the Scottish Financial Crime Group, which the SBCC are responsible for, Scotland continues to monitor the issue, particularly in relation to any migration/displacement of such crimes and any local and regional increases in Scotland. Prevention is very much the primary focus of its work.

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were made to the Scottish Legal Aid Board for the employment of counsel in jury trials in sheriff courts in each month since April 2006.

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of applications were granted by the Scottish Legal Aid Board for the employment of counsel in jury trials in sheriff courts in each month since April 2006.

Kenny MacAskill: The following table shows the numbers of applications for sanction to instruct senior and/or junior counsel for trial or proof by the month in which they were received by the Scottish Legal Aid Board. The table shows the final decision on those applications taking into account any reconsiderations (further reconsiderations of refusals may yet be received) and the number granted or part-granted as a proportion of the number of applications in that month.

Applications which were granted in part are those where sanction was not deemed to be appropriate for the full extent of the work for which it was sought. Applications which were "not considered" are primarily those where the applicant indicated, before a final decision was made, that sanction is no longer required.

Note: *Two applications received in December 2007 are as yet undecided.

Licensing

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to encourage the development of family friendly licensed premises.

Kenny MacAskill: One of the aims of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 is to encourage pubs to become more child and family friendly. The new act replaces the complicated system of children’s certificates with mandatory conditions concerning premises’ policies on access by children and a requirement for baby changing facilities in every on-sales premises allowing access to children under five. It will be a matter for operators to ensure that their premises are safe and suitable for those under 18 and this will be carefully assessed by their local licensing board in granting the licence on those terms.

Local Government

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the performance of local authorities in terms of their targets and indicators will be monitored.

John Swinney: Local authorities will submit an annual report to the Scottish Government showing achievements against their agreed contribution to national outcomes as detailed in the single outcome agreement. The details of the content and timing of this are currently being developed as part of the on-going dialogue between the Scottish Government and local government.

Authorities are also subject to a statutory duty of Public Performance Reporting on an annual basis on issues likely to be of interest to their local community. It is therefore for them to consider how they will report delivery against the commitments in the single outcome agreement locally.

Medical Research

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding has been awarded to support neuroscience research in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO), of the Scottish Government Health Directorates, has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO primarily responds to requests for funding research proposals initiated by the research community in Scotland.

For the purposes of this reply, neuroscience is defined as the study of the nervous system including the brain, the spinal cord and networks of sensory nerve cells or neurons. It includes Alzheimer’s disease, dementias, Parkinson’s disease, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. It does not include mental health or stroke management research. In each of the last five years to support neuroscience research in Scotland, the CSO has awarded directly the following funds:

2003: £557,259

2004: £1,108,322

2005: £827,287

2006: £735,285

2007: £827,830.

The CSO would welcome further research proposals in this area which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

The main agency through which the UK Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The value of funding awards for neuroscience research in Scotland made by the MRC for each year of the last five years is not available. The MRC fund research on a UK wide basis and do not hold funding information specific to Scotland. In 2006, the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) published a health research analysis report, which can be obtained at www.ukcrc.org/publications/reports.aspx. The analysis does not give separate data for Scotland but provides information of the distribution of research funding across all types of research in the UK for the first time. The data collected by UKCRC for this analysis was from the 11 largest government and charity funders of health related research for the financial year 2004-05. From this data UKCRC has advised that the MRC spent £3.5 million on neuroscience research in Scotland in 2004-05.

The above mentioned funds exclude indirect research support and infrastructure costs for neuroscience research, details of which are not held centrally.

Military Personnel

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement the recommendations of the House of Commons Defence Committee’s seventh report of 2007-08 on military care for the armed forces relating to the registration of GPs and dentists in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: Health care, including dentistry, for serving armed forces personnel is provided by Medical Defence Services. On leaving the Service, they are entitled to register with a GP in the same way as the general population. The extension of priority treatment for veterans guidance, which issued to NHS Scotland on 13 February 2008, also includes guidance for GPs obtaining the medical records of ex-servicemen and women from the Ministry of Defence.

The Scottish Government wishes to improve access to NHS dentistry for everyone and is:

increasing the number of dental students to help meet the demand for dental care. Bursaries are available for students on the understanding that they work for a period of time in the NHS after qualification;

opening a new dental school in Aberdeen, planned for October 2008, which will add to the number of dentists in Scotland;

making grants available through the Scottish dental access initiative for practitioners to expand their NHS practice or to open a new practice and there are allowances to encourage dentists to set up in rural and remote areas, and

increasing the number of therapist training places, enabling 40 dental therapists to qualify per annum.

NHS 24

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local "mini-centres co-located with out-of-hours services", as promised in the SNP manifesto, have been established in 2007-08 and how many will be established in 2008-09.

Shona Robison: NHS 24 is committed to a local presence in each NHS board area, as outlined at their annual review in August 2007. Discussions are progressing with NHS board partners about a number of initiatives on the further development of locally integrated services.

NHS Hospitals

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the administration costs for (a) St John’s Hospital at Howden, (b) the Western General Hospital and (c) the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh were in each year since 1997.

Nicola Sturgeon: The administration costs for St John’s Hospital at Howden, the Western General Hospital (WGH) and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) since 1997 have been:

In 2002-03 NHS Lothian faced double administration running costs (such as decommissioning costs), that have been estimated at £15 million as the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh were both operational. No adjustment has been made to the above figures to reflect these extra costs.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any hospital operating theatres which do not have laminar airflow systems installed carry out orthopaedic joint replacements in NHS Lanarkshire.

Nicola Sturgeon: I have been informed by NHS Lanarkshire that all operating theatres in Lanarkshire which carry out orthopaedic joint replacements have laminar airflow systems.

NHS Services

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how long on average it takes each NHS board to assess patients under the exceptional circumstances route.

Nicola Sturgeon: Assessments regarding exceptional circumstances are determined by the clinical circumstances in each case and for this reason there is no prescribed deadline for completion of an assessment. Information regarding the time taken to consider individual cases is not collected centrally.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any NHS boards have declined to participate in any supra-regional health board specialist services and, if so, which boards and for which services.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are expected to deliver comprehensive health care for their resident population. The particular configuration of services to deliver specialist services differs between areas and is a matter for individual NHS boards.

In relation to national services, NHS boards have no choice in whether they participate. Once a specialist service, network or screening programme is designated as national by the Scottish Government it is mandatory and binding on all NHS boards.

NHS Staff

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors are employed in (a) Monklands, (b) Wishaw and (c) Hairmyres hospitals, broken down by grade.

Nicola Sturgeon: Staff in post information for doctors employed in individual hospitals is not available centrally. However, figures on doctors employed in NHS Lanarkshire are available. These can be found in the table "HCHS medical and dental staff by gender, contract type, grade, specialty, NHS board and Region" in the medical and dental section of the Workforce Statistics website at www.isdscotland.org/workforce. This table shows whole time equivalent and head count figures for doctors employed in NHSScotland by grade and by NHS board and region. Whole-time equivalent adjusts head count to take account of part-time working. Latest available data is at 30 September 2007.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many medical training posts are being held open to allow successful candidates to defer taking up the appointments.

Nicola Sturgeon: Details of vacant medical posts are published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at www.isdscotland.org/workforce. The specific information requested is not available centrally. The vacancies table in the medical and dental section gives the number of vacancies by speciality and by NHS board area and year. The table also gives the number of posts which have been vacant for six months or more. Latest available data is at 30 September 2007.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are in the medical grading structures of clinical departments in acute care.

Nicola Sturgeon: The specific information requested is not centrally available. However, details of vacant consultant posts are published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at www.isdscotland.org/workforce. The consultant vacancies table in the medical and dental section gives the number of consultant vacancies by speciality and by NHS board area and year. The table also gives the number of posts which have been vacant for six months or more. Latest available data is at 30 September 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of staff are employed in each cabinet secretary’s and minister’s private office.

John Swinney: Each Cabinet Secretary and Minister’s Private Office have the following numbers of staff:

Note: *There are three part-time members of staff employed within the Ministerial Private Offices.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many junior physiotherapists are employed in the NHS; how many junior physiotherapists will be required by the NHS over the next 10 years and how many newly qualified physiotherapists will graduate over the same period; how many physiotherapists currently employed in the NHS are likely to retire over the next 10 years, and what measures it is taking to ensure that there is a sustainable supply of junior physiotherapist posts in the NHS to give the opportunity for newly qualified physiotherapists to gain sufficient NHS experience and seniority to replace staff who will retire over the next 10 years.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information available centrally is:

1. The number of physiotherapists employed on an agenda for change (AfC) band 5 is 439 (head count) and 398.3. (whole-time equivalent) as at 30 September 2007. This will include newly qualified physiotherapists and staff who have been in post for more than a year.

2. As part of their workforce planning, NHS boards have forecast an increase in qualified Physiotherapists by 6.9% over the next three years.

3. Information about the number of physiotherapy students who will graduate in the next 10 years is not available. The Scottish Government Health Directorates neither commission nor control the numbers of physiotherapists in training in Scotland. It is higher education institutions (HEIs) who determine the final numbers. NHSEducation for Scotland (NES) is, however, working with HEIs to determine a structured approach to supporting undergraduates clinical placement numbers through a Memorandum of Understanding at national and local level.

4. The number of physiotherapists (AfC band 5 and above) as at 30 September 2007, aged between 50 and 59, who will reach the age of 60 in each year from 2008 to 2017 is shown in table 1. Please note that there are 65 physiotherapists (AfC band 5 and above) aged 60 and over as at 30 September 2007.

Table 1 - Physiotherapists (AfC Band 5 and Above) who will Reach the Age of 60 in¹

Source: ISD Scotland, ISD Ref. IR2008-00416.

Note: 1. Includes physiotherapists (AfC band 5 and above) ages 50 to 59, inclusive, as at 30 September 2007

Information on how many junior physiotherapists will be required by the NHS over the next 10 years and how many newly qualified physiotherapists will graduate over the same period is not available centrally.

5. We are working with NHS Education Scotland and other stakeholders, including the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP), to make sure employment opportunities for newly qualified physiotherapists are maximised. In particular, the National Solutions Group which includes the CSP, is taking forward a range of solutions including the development of a pan-Scotland AHP Bank to provide wide ranging and flexible job opportunities for newly qualified AHPs to work in a community care setting and developing the NES Ready4Work Programme which will be online from April and aims to keep graduates work ready.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS was of using agency nurses in each year since 1999.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the cost of using agency nurses in NHSScotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

The table Agency nurse usage by NHS board and speciality – Hours, WTE and Costs in the Nursing and Midwifery section of the website shows costs information for years 2001 to 2007. Latest available data is at 31 March 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to the NHS of using agency nurses since May 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the cost of using agency nurses in NHSScotland since May 2007 is not yet available. Latest available data is at 31 March 2007.

The table Agency Nurse Usage by NHS Board and Speciality – Hours, WTE and Costs in the nursing and midwifery section of the website shows costs information for years 2001 to 2007.

Information on agency nurses is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at www.isdscotland.org/workforce in the nursing and midwifery section of the website.

NHS Waiting Times

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of patients on out-patient waiting lists were seen within 13 weeks in each year since 1993.

Nicola Sturgeon: The percentage of patients seen within 13 weeks for a first out-patient consultation following referral for the years ending 31 December 1998 to 2007 is provided as follows. Similar information for 1995 to 1997 is available only for the years ending 31 March and this is also provided.

Due to changes in data collection in the 1990s it is not possible to provide comparable data prior to 1995.

NHSScotland: Percentage of Patients^* Seen Within 13 Weeks for a First Out-Patient Consultation Following Referral

Source: SMR00.

Note: ^*Excludes patients with an availability status code.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to provide details of in-patient and out-patient waiting times for treatment for glaucoma and cataracts in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: On 31 December 2007, no patient waited more than 18 weeks for a first out-patient consultation, or for in-patient and day case treatment. Also on that date NHSScotland effectively delivered a 18 weeks total journey waiting time from General Medical Practitioner/Optometrist referral to cataract surgery

Retrospective analyses of waiting times for first out-patient consultations are only available at specialty level and exclude patients who held an availability status code. Information on waiting times for a first out-patient consultation in the speciality of ophthalmology showing the median wait and the percentage of patients seen within 18 weeks following referral, for the years ending 31 December 2005, 2006 and 2007 has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 44909). Waiting times information is also collected from a monthly waiting list census and information on the number of patients without an availability status code who had waited more than 18 weeks for a first out-patient consultation in the speciality of ophthalmology on 31 December 2005, 2005 and 2007 has also been provided.

Retrospective analyses of waiting times for in-patient and day case treatment are based on data that does not record whether patients have had an availability status code applied. The information requested on treatment for glaucoma and cataracts showing the median wait and the percentage of patients treated within 18 weeks of being placed on the in-patient and day case waiting list for the years ending 31 December 2005, 2006 and 2007 has also been provided; it includes the waiting times of patients who were exempted from the guarantee. In-patient and day case waiting times information is also collected from a monthly census. As data is collected for cataract surgery but not for glaucoma treatment, information on the number of patients with a waiting time guarantee waiting more than 18 weeks for in-patient and day case treatment in the specialty of ophthalmology and for cataract surgery on 31 December 2005, 2006 and 2007 has been provided.

The new approach to defining and measuring waiting – referred to as new ways – came into effect on 1 January 2008. Unlike the previous system where patients who had an availability status code applied could have exceedingly long waits - in some cases of over 12 months - all patients will be covered by the maximum waiting time standard. It is intended to publish as much information as possible about patients waiting times experience including periods of unavailability. Information for the three months ending 31 March 2008 will be published at the end of May 2008.

National Health Service

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what block contracts have been created between NHS boards and private sector providers in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08, broken down by NHS board and service provider.

Nicola Sturgeon: Details of contracts between NHS boards and independent health care providers are not available centrally.

The Scottish Government has made clear that NHS boards can use existing private sector capacity, but that we will not invest taxpayers’ money to fund new private sector capacity.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any NHS board has (a) renewed or (b) signed any new block contracts with the private sector since May 2007 and, if so, which boards and for what types of service, also showing the number of patients in respect of each board and service.

Nicola Sturgeon: Details of contracts between NHS boards and independent health care providers are not available centrally.

The Scottish Government has made clear that NHS boards can use existing private sector capacity, but that we will not invest taxpayers’ money to fund new private sector capacity.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients of each NHS board have been treated in the private sector in (a) Scotland, (b) the rest of the United Kingdom and (c) abroad, funded by the NHS, in each quarter in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not available centrally.

For NHS patients treated by independent hospitals in Scotland, information is required to be submitted as part of standard national data returns. However, submissions for independent hospitals are known to be considerably under-reported and thus figures are not published. The Information and Statistics Division of NHS National Services Scotland is working with the Scottish Government, NHS boards, and the independent health care sector to resolve this issue, and data collection is improving.

For NHS patients seen by independent hospitals in England and Wales, information is required to be submitted to the NHS England Information Centre. The quality of information on Scottish residents treated in independent hospitals in England, Wales or Northern Ireland is not known.

The Scottish Government has made clear that NHS boards can use existing private sector capacity, but that we will not invest taxpayers’ money to fund new private sector capacity.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards since May 2007 in respect of their funding of patient services in the private sector.

Nicola Sturgeon: There has been no guidance issued to NHS boards since May 2007 in respect of funding of patient services in the private sector.

NHS boards are responsible for decision making in relation to creating capacity to deliver their commitments to patients, including use of the independent sector where this is deemed appropriate. However, we would expect that NHS boards will always maximise the use of NHS capacity before turning to the private sector.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many computers were lost or stolen in the NHS in 2007 and what the value was of those items.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHSScotland does not centrally collect details on the loss of hardware and the associated costs. It is the responsibility of individual health boards to report and investigate in line with their own local policies and procedures.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on outside consultancy firms by each NHS board in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.

Occupational Health

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many occupational therapists are registered in (a) Aberdeen City, (b) Aberdeenshire and (c) Angus.

Shona Robison: Using data supplied by the Health Professions Council (HPC), our best estimate (rounded to the nearest 10) for the number of occupational therapists who are registered and who are known to be working in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Angus are as follows:

Aberdeen City - 130 occupational therapists

Aberdeenshire - 60 occupational therapists

Angus - 30 occupational therapists.

The above figures should be seen as estimates as the HPC do not have recorded the workplace for all registered occupational therapists in Scotland. Therefore, the above figures could possibly be under-estimated.

Also, the above estimates are based on the postcode district (i.e. the first part of the postcode) of the registered occupational therapist’s workplace. As the same postcode district could be spread across more than one local authority area, occupational therapists have been assigned to the local authority that accounted for the highest number of individual postcodes within each postcode district.

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would consider the outsourcing of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s occupational health services to be privatisation.

Nicola Sturgeon: It is for health boards to determine how occupational health services are provided. Any transition to a Shared Services Model is a journey that needs careful planning and execution, and requires comprehensive understanding of the delivery process including customer requirements and delivery objectives. We understand that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are in the early stages of considering these issues, and as no decisions have been taken, it is not possible to offer a view on what the outcome of their deliberations may be.

Planning

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what principles it considers that Historic Scotland should apply in response to planning applications near sensitive historical sites.

Linda Fabiani: Historic Scotland provides advice to local authorities on planning applications where the authority considers that the application will effect a scheduled monument or its setting, a Category A listed building or its setting or a site on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

The principles it applies in these circumstances are the policies set out by Scottish Ministers within National Planning Policy Guidelines Note 5 (NPPG5): Planning and Archaeology, NPPG18: Planning and the Historic Environment, the Memorandum of Guidance and Scottish Historic Environment Policies. Advice given by Historic Scotland will therefore be based upon an interpretation of these policies as applied to the circumstances of the individual application.

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many objections to planning applications which were at the time being considered at a national level have been received from Historic Scotland since 1999.

Linda Fabiani: The information requested is not available from 1999, however, information is available from 1 April 2005. Since then, Historic Scotland has objected to three planning applications which were subsequently called in and has itself recommended call in of four applications for listed building consent.

Of these, one planning application was subsequently refused planning permission whilst all of the listed building consents were subsequently refused.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the performance of Historic Scotland, in particular in relation to its involvement with the planning system.

Linda Fabiani: Yes. Historic Scotland achieved nine of the ten key performance targets set by Scottish ministers in 2006-07. In relation to listed building and conservation area consent cases, 99.57% were resolved within 28 days against a target of 97%.

Prison Service

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8923 by Kenny MacAskill on 4 February 2008, what the terms of reference are for the review of HM Prison Castle Huntly commissioned by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

The terms of reference are:

To consider the individual circumstances and the decision to transfer Robert Foye to the SPS Open Estate.

To review the operation of the SPS Open Estate, its role, the process of transferring prisoners there from closed prisons.

The Cabinet Secretary has also written to the Chair of the Prisons Commission, asking him to ensure that the need for the Open Estate be considered as part of his wider ranging work on the future of prisons in Scotland.

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has anent the number of (a) ex-servicemen and (b) ex-servicewomen who joined the Scottish Prison Service in each of the last seven years.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond.

His response is as follows:

There is no system in place to gather this information.

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Not Seen. Not Heard. Not Guilty: The Rights and Status of the Children of Prisoners in Scotland by the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland, how it plans to ensure that Scottish prisons offer appropriate facilities for child visitors and that prison visiting times take account of school hours.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond.

His response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service welcomes the report by the Commissioner for Children and Young people in Scotland. The prison service is currently in the process of recruiting a member of staff specifically to consider the SPS support for offender relationships. As part of this role the post holder will look at developing the SPS standards of service around the children and families of offenders. The SPS continues to review the service they provide and will continue to look at options for service improvement in respect of families and children with reference to the recommendations contained in the report.

The SPS is already, in conjunction with the Scottish charity Families Outside, developing travel plans for each prison. This work will help inform the issue of visiting times.

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Not Seen. Not Heard. Not Guilty: The Rights and Status of the Children of Prisoners in Scotland by the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland, whether it plans to review prison rules with the Scottish Prison Service to raise the basic minimum entitlement to visits and to ensure that visits are regarded as a right of the child, not a privilege of the parent, and that quality "bonding" visits for children are available in all prisons.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond.

His response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service will consider the implications of the recommendations from the report as part of future reviews of the prison rules.

The prison service is currently in the process of recruiting a member of staff specifically to consider SPS support for offender relationships. As part of this role the post holder will look at developing SPS standards of service around the children and families of offenders.

Ensuring prisoners can receive visits from those with whom they wish to communicate is an important opportunity for maintaining family and child contact. SPS are keen to support and encourage appropriate links and recognise the importance of such bonds in contributing to reducing reoffending.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the annual Scottish Prison Service’s survey will reinstate the question "How do you rate relationships with your staff?" which was dropped from the 2006-07 survey.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond.

His response is as follows:

The section containing questions on prisoner and staff relationships was reinstated in the questionnaire used for the 2007 SPS Annual Prisoner Survey. The content of the questionnaire is reviewed annually.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to end the practice of handcuffing female prisoners under escort, particularly in hospital labour suites, and replacing it with a system that is risk assessed.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond.

His response is as follows:

Reliance is responsible for determining the level of security required when handcuffing all prisoners. Their current policy is that, subject to a risk assessment, expectant female prisoners will be single handcuffed. Handcuffs are removed during labour and replaced at an agreed time after the birth and staff will remain outside the labour room. Handcuffs are also removed during bonding sessions between mother and baby"

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to reach a decision as to whether future primary and other health service provision in the Scottish Prison Service will be within the NHS.

Shona Robison: The Prison Healthcare Advisory Board has submitted a detailed report regarding the feasibility of transferring responsibility for prison enhanced primary care services from the Scottish Prison Service to the NHS. The Scottish Government is considering the detailed conclusions and recommendations within that report and will respond later this year.

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is provided to Scotland-domiciled prisoners undertaking a higher education qualification.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond.

His response is as follows:

In order to receive support to undertake a higher education course in a Scottish prison, a convicted prisoner requires to apply to the Scottish Prison Service Higher Education Access Board which considers applications under the Higher Education Access Scheme.

The principle provider of higher education courses under the scheme is the Open University who has a long history of supporting higher education prisoners throughout the UK. If a prisoner gains approval they can expect to receive support with their studies through the prison learning centre and from the higher education provider.

Currently, there are 30 prisoners undertaking 38 higher education courses.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service will consider reintroducing the collection of data for incidents of attempted suicide and self-harm in prison, aligning the description of these categories with the data protocols of the NHS Information Service Division.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond.

His response is as follows:

The collection of attempted suicide and self-harm statistics will commence in April 2008. The Scottish Prison Service definitions are not aligned with the data protocols of NHS Information Services Division.

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) men and (b) women were held on remand in prisons or young offenders institutions on the first day of each month from April 2006 to date.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The table below illustrates the numbers of prisoners held on remand on the first day of each month from April 2006.

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) men and (b) women were serving sentences of imprisonment or detention in prisons or young offenders institutions on the first day of each month from April 2006 to date.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The table below illustrates the number of sentenced female and male prisoners on the first day of each month from April 2006.

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8986 by Kenny MacAskill on 12 February 2008, whether all information will be put into the public domain when the review into HM Prison Castle Huntly reports.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond.

His response is as follows:

The SPS will publish the review into the case of Robert Foye. All legally permissible information will be put into the public domain.

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8986 by Kenny MacAskill on 12 February 2008, what the timescale is for the review into HM Prison Castle Huntly.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

The SPS review of the Open Estate will be published in due course.

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8986 by Kenny MacAskill on 12 February 2008, how the interests of the victims will be considered during the review into HM Prison Castle Huntly.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

The review will consider the circumstances of the decision to transfer Robert Foye to the SPS Open Estate. Issues for victims including any implications for the Victim Notification Scheme will be considered in light of the review.

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8992 by Kenny MacAskill on 8 February 2008, under what circumstances ministers are advised of absconds.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

As we have previously confirmed ministers are not routinely advised of absconds. Any such notification would be dependent upon the circumstances of the abscond.

Rail Network

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to take forward the proposals outlined in East Coast Transmission Network: Technical Feasibility Study by the Crown Estate.

Jim Mather: The report provides a helpful contribution towards understanding the possibilities for sub-sea grid development, which could help exploit Scotland’s potential for renewable energy. The Scottish Government will continue to discuss the development of the electricity grid with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and other stakeholders.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set in respect of rail passenger growth in the Highlands over the next three years.

Stewart Stevenson: No targets have been set in respect of rail passenger growth in the Highlands over the next three years. The passenger increase, as stated in the High Level Output Specification (HLOS), is anticipated to be 3% per annum.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set to reduce travel times on the (a) Inverness to Perth, (b) Inverness to Wick/Thurso, (c) Mallaig to Glasgow and (d) Oban to Glasgow lines.

Stewart Stevenson: No specific targets have been set to reduce travel times on the Inverness to Wick/Thurso, Mallaig to Glasgow and Oban to Glasgow lines. We are, however, committed to improving journey times across Scotland.

We have an aspiration to upgrade the Highland Main Line between Inverness and Perth offering a reduced journey time to Perth and Edinburgh/Glasgow. Current estimates suggest that a journey time saving of around 15 minutes can be achieved on the current fastest trains from Inverness to Perth.

The longer term needs of our national strategic transport corridors are being considered through the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR)

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fund the necessary rail gauge enhancements to enable a switch from road to rail in the highlands and islands.

Stewart Stevenson: We are committed to encouraging modal shift of freight from road to rail. Funding from Scottish Government has provided gauge enhancement between Mossend and Elgin. The enhanced route encourages increased movement of freight by rail and allows larger containers, carrying more freight, to travel to the north-east.

The longer term needs of our national strategic transport corridors are being considered through the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR).

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in establishing high speed rail links to Inverness.

Stewart Stevenson: Our High Level Output Specification (HLOS) sets out plans to reduce significantly journey times between Edinburgh and Glasgow and Inverness. Feasibility work on how this will be achieved is currently underway.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to procure additional rolling stock to accommodate an increase in rail services between Ayr and Glasgow.

Stewart Stevenson: Procurement of trains for the new Airdrie to Bathgate services provides an opportunity to improve rail service capacity, through longer trains, between Ayr and Glasgow.

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Class 320 trains operating on the Helensburgh to Drumgelloch route to be replaced.

Stewart Stevenson: There are no current plans that would remove completely the Class 320 trains from services which include the Helensburgh to Drumgelloch route.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8799 by Stewart Stevenson on 1 February 2008, what additional resources and support it has provided to (a) East Ayrshire Council and (b) South Ayrshire Council from the consultant employed by the Executive to offer assistance to planning authorities, broken down by wind farm application.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-8799 on 1 February 2008. The resources referred to are the time and expertise of the consultants. They are providing advice and support to the councils on the preparation of spatial frameworks and policies for wind farms. The consultants have written to the councils to explain their work and seek initial feedback on the services they can offer. They have also invited the councils to attend a workshop in March. The consultant’s remit does not include work on specific applications so a break down on that basis cannot be provided.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search

Residential Care

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances managers of residential care homes may refuse entry to visitors who have been invited by individual residents.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances managers of residential care homes may refuse entry to visitors who have been invited by the families of individual residents who are incapable of making the request themselves.

Shona Robison: Each care home will have its own set of rules for the day-to-day running of the home. The National Care Standards - Care Homes for Older People require care home providers to ensure that residents and their representatives are aware of the rules before taking up residence in the home. Residents must also be advised of their rights and responsibilities whilst living in the home. Care Home providers are also required to have proper systems in place to protect residents. These should include a system whereby visitors obtain permission prior to entering the home.

For an adult with a mental incapacity, account should be taken of the views of anyone with formal powers to take decisions about the person’s welfare. All decisions taken on behalf of a person with impaired capacity must reflect the principles set out in the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, including to ensure that each decision will benefit the adult and takes account of the views of others with an interest in his or her welfare.

There may be occasions when care home managers refuse to allow visitors entry to the home. This could be in response to the wishes of residents and their families or for reasons of safety.

Care homes are regulated by the Care Commission, which takes the National Care Standards into account in carrying out its regulatory role.

Road Safety

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve the safety of pedestrians crossing the Tore roundabout on the A9.

Stewart Stevenson: A range of safety enhancements for pedestrians are included in the A835 Tore to Maryburgh Cycle Track contract which is expected to be awarded at the end of February 2008.

Roads

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to improve or review the current regulations for ensuring that road users are kept informed of the likely completion dates of road maintenance projects.

Stewart Stevenson: When carrying out road maintenance projects, road authorities throughout Scotland are expected to conform to the Code of Practice for Maintenance Management – Delivering Best Value in Highway Maintenance.

This Code of Practice, was prepared and published by The Institution of Highways and Transportation and has been supported, endorsed and recommended by, among others, The Scottish Government and COSLA as well as the Department for Transport and the other devolved administrations.

It contains guidance on information and publicity of road works and advocates the use of information boards, which can include a likely completion date, on site both prior to and during road maintenance projects.

The Scottish Government is not aware of instances where this guidance is not being adhered to and there are no plans at present to introduce legislation making it a requirement for maintenance companies to display more prominently information boards displaying an expected completion date of a road maintenance project.

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would consider in principle requiring by regulation that road maintenance projects display prominently on site the most up-to-date expected completion date, based on the maintenance company’s plans.

Stewart Stevenson: When carrying out road maintenance projects, road authorities throughout Scotland are expected to conform to the Code of Practice for Maintenance Management – Delivering Best Value in Highway Maintenance.

This Code of Practice, was prepared and published by The Institution of Highways and Transportation and has been supported, endorsed and recommended by, among others, The Scottish Government and COSLA as well as the Department for Transport and the other devolved administrations.

It contains guidance on information and publicity of road works and advocates the use of information boards, which can include a likely completion date, on site both prior to and during road maintenance projects.

The Scottish Government is not aware of instances where this guidance is not being adhered to and there are no plans at present to introduce legislation making it a requirement for maintenance companies to display more prominently information boards displaying an expected completion date of a road maintenance project.

Scottish Government

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its annual (a) cash, (b) time and (c) total efficiency savings targets have been for each year since 1999; on what date the Parliament agreed the budget for each year at Stage 3, and on what date the detailed technical notes relating to the savings to be achieved in each year were published.

John Swinney: The targets for the first Efficient Government Programme were set out in Building a Better Scotland: Efficient Government – Securing Efficiency, Effectiveness and Productivity which was published in November 2004 and related to efficiency gains to be delivered in 2005-08. It was placed on the Scottish Government Internet and copies were placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib number 34543). There was no efficiency programme prior to that.

Detailed Efficiency Technical Notes setting out where the efficiency gains were to be achieved were published on 31 March 2005 (Bib. number 35843), 8 September 2005 (Bib number 37386), 17 May 2006 (Bib. number 40259), and 28 March 2007 (Bib. number 42641). Technical Notes for three new projects and one amended technical note were published on 14 November 2007 as part of the 2nd Efficiency Outturn Report for 2006-07 (Bib. number 44112). Each of these documents was published on the Scottish Government Internet, paper copies were sent to every member of the Scottish Parliament Finance Committee and additional copies were placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Two more technical notes for newly identified projects have just been published on the Internet on 27 February 2008.

The following table gives the dates of the Budget (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 from 2000-01 to 2008-09. The first Budget Bill was passed in 2000.

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the turnover of staff has been in each cabinet secretary’s and minister’s private office since May 2007.

John Swinney: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available.

Scottish Water

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion Scottish Water’s leakage was of all the water that it treated in the (a) Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, (b) Ross, Skye and Inverness West, (c) Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, (d) Argyll and Bute, (e) Western Isles, (f) Moray, (g) Shetland and (h) Orkney parliamentary constituencies in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2008 to date.

Stewart Stevenson: This is an operational matter for Scottish Water and I have asked the Acting Chief Executive of Scottish Water to reply to you.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish Water’s energy costs were in each of the last three years and what action it has taken to reduce its CO₂ emissions over the same period.

Stewart Stevenson: This is an operational matter for Scottish Water and I have asked the Acting Chief Executive of Scottish Water to reply to you.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of water treated by Scottish Water was lost as leakage in the most recent year for which figures are available and what information it has on the comparative percentages for English water companies.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9227 on 21 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Scottish Government does not collect information about the performance of English or Welsh water companies. This is the responsibility of their regulator OFWAT. Information about leakage/security of supply for water companies in England and Wales can be found in OFWAT Annual Reports in the publications on their website at:

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/Content/pubshome.

Sex Offenders

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 33 recommendations in the Justice 2 Sub-committee’s report J2SC/S2/06/R1 on managing registered sex offenders have been delivered since 10 May 2007.

Kenny MacAskill: As indicated to Parliament by the First Minister on 21 February 2008, I will write to the Convenor of the Justice Committee before 9 March 2008 setting out the detail of the substantial progress that has been made in implementing the recommendations contained in the Justice 2 Committee report.

Single Outcome Agreements

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to evaluate pilots on single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the event of evaluation of pilots on single outcome agreements (SOAs) providing negative results, there SOAs will be abandoned.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9814 on 29 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the performance of local authorities in respect of aspects of service not covered by local agreed targets and indicators will be monitored.

John Swinney: Aspects of council services not covered by local agreed targets and indicators will continue to be monitored by inspection and regulatory bodies in the same way as they are currently.

The Scottish Government recently announced further detailed consideration of specific issues raised by the Crerar report on public scrutiny. This will provide an opportunity to consider how systems of audit and inspection can most appropriately reflect the introduction of single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in devising the single outcome agreement process, it is intended to draw on the English experience of local area agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in devising single outcome agreements, it is intended to draw on the English experience of piloting local area agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in devising single outcome agreements, it is intended to draw on the English experience of negotiating 35 targets for each local authority.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in devising single outcome agreements, it is intended to draw on the English experience of having 18 statutory targets for education and early years.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in devising single outcome agreements, it is intended to draw on the English experience of identifying targets for aspects of health and care where local authorities have an input.

John Swinney: In developing single outcome agreements appropriate for Scotland, we have had regard to, and have learnt from, experience elsewhere. We have also drawn on a wide range of public and private sector sources, both at home and abroad, and this has helped to inform our thinking.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in devising single outcome agreements, it is intended to draw on the English experience of adopting a flexible approach to the retention or removal of ring fencing.

John Swinney: In developing single outcome agreements appropriate for Scotland, we have drawn on a wide range of public and private sector sources, both at home and abroad, to inform our thinking.

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it will give to revisiting the local government financial settlement for Highland Council in 2008-09, in light of the impact on local services for children and education resulting from financial cutbacks under consideration by the council.

Fiona Hyslop: The funding settlement provides record levels of investment for all local authorities and their are no plans to revisit the allocations for Highland Council.

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all its agreements with COSLA that are not already available online.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government is in regular contact with COSLA about a range of matters and agreements on specific issues are reached on a continuous basis. While some agreements are published on the Scottish Government website, it would be impractical to publish all points of agreement, which are part of the daily business of government.

Social Work

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many social care workers are registered in (a) Aberdeen City, (b) Aberdeenshire and (c) Angus.

Adam Ingram: The number of social care workers registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Angus in 2007 are as follows.

Aberdeen City: 531

Aberdeenshire: 382

Angus: 212.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many social care workers were registered in (a) Aberdeen City, (b) Aberdeenshire and (c) Angus in each year from 2002 to 2007.

Adam Ingram: The number of social care workers registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Angus for each year from 2002 to 2007 are presented below.

Student Funding

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its Student funding revamp press release of 15 February 2008, what additional resources it will make available to fund its proposals.

Fiona Hyslop: No additional resources are required to fund these proposals.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will guarantee that no existing student will see a reduction in the grant or bursary that they receive due to the changes to the means-testing system announced on 15 February 2008.

Fiona Hyslop: We believe that students are being wrongly assessed under the current means test arrangements. In recognising household income from 2008-09, the revised means test will ensure that all students are now assessed for student support on an equal basis.

We recognise that some students may be eligible for less student support from the government and a higher contribution from their household as result of the additional income that we will now take into account.

Therefore, for a transitional period, we will make funds available through our discretionary funds to those students who are in genuine financial difficulty as a result of changes to the means test.

Suicide

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to raise awareness of suicide prevention in (a) schools and (b) the workplace.

Shona Robison: Choose Life is Scotland’s national suicide prevention strategy and action plan, and suicide prevention is a cornerstone of the Scottish Government’s action on population mental health improvement.

A key part of Choose Life’s action is raising awareness of suicide prevention both nationally and in a range of local settings, including schools and workplaces. This action includes: delivering training programmes; distributing awareness-raising materials; developing workplace guidelines on promoting positive mental health, and providing counselling and signposting to appropriate services. Full details are available at www.chooselife.net.

Transport

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it provides to local authorities and others wishing to develop park and ride schemes utilising rail services.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11.

Following both the recent Scottish Budget settlement, and the concordat signed between the Scottish Government and COSLA, it will be the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities. Having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments, decisions on prioritising and funding local and regional interventions are for local authorities working with relevant regional transport partnerships.

Trump Organization Planning Application

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth plans to take the decision about the Trump development in Aberdeenshire by himself, in private or by appointing a reporter to hear all the arguments in public.

John Swinney: Given the nature of the Menie Estate application and the considerable public interest it is important that the process to examine the issues is as efficient, transparent and inclusive as possible. For those reasons I have determined that there should be a Public Local Inquiry, under the stewardship of a very experienced reporter.

The reporter will make a recommendation to me in due course. I will consider the report carefully and will then make the decision on the case.

Vaccinations

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given by it or the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to vaccination against the human papilloma virus for teenage boys as well as girls aged from 13 to 18.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government’s priority is to directly protect females against their future risk of cervical cancer.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the independent committee which gives advice to the UK government and devolved administrations, considered the merits of vaccinating boys against human papilloma virus (HPV) based on an assessment of the impact on cervical cancer and genital warts. The committee recommended that HPV vaccination for boys would not be cost-effective.

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what MMR vaccines are approved for use by the NHS in Scotland; what changes there have been in approved vaccines since 2002, and what the reasons were for the withdrawal of any previously approved vaccines.

Shona Robison: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has advised that there are two UK licensed MMR vaccines available for use in the routine childhood immunisation programme in NHSScotland: Priorix and MMRII.

The MHRA further advised that two other vaccines are licensed via the centralised licensing procedure administered by the European Medicines Agency. These are M-M-RVAXPRO and ProQuad. These vaccines are not used in the routine childhood immunisation programme in Scotland.

None of the above vaccines have been withdrawn since 2002.

Whisky Industry

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the tax on whisky, showing the dates on which any representations were made and by whom.

John Swinney: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 7 February 2008 to express his disappointment that the 2007 Pre-Budget Report (PBR) did not contain any measures to reduce the tax burden on the spirits industry in Scotland.

The following questions were given holding answers:

S3W-9459

S3W-9460

S3W-9461

S3W-9465

S3W-9466