Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many under-18-year-olds have been (a) charged and (b) prosecuted for attempting to buy alcohol from retailers in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) police force and (ii) local authority area.

Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following tables. Information on the number of charges is not held centrally. The following tables show the number of such crimes recorded by the police and the number of persons proceeded against in Scottish courts. Retailers cannot be identified separately from other types of licence holders from the data held centrally. The statistics dealing with recorded crime and court proceedings are not directly comparable as a person may be proceeded against for more than one crime involving more than one victim and there is the possibility that the crime recorded by the police may be altered in the course of judicial proceedings. Also a crime may be recorded by the police in one year and court proceedings concluded in a subsequent year.

Number of Offences Recorded by the Police for Persons Aged Under 18 Buying Alcohol or Consuming in a Bar, by Police Force Area, 2002-03 to 2006-07

Number of Offences Recorded by the Police for Persons Aged Under 18 Buying Alcohol or Consuming in a Bar, by Local Authority, 2002-03 to 2006-07

Persons Aged Under 18 Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Buying Alcohol or Consuming in a Bar¹, by Police Force Area, 2001-02 to 2005-06

Note: 1. Where Main Offence and where a person aged under 18 was proceeded against under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 section 68(2).

Persons Under Aged 18 Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Buying Alcohol or Consuming in a Bar¹, by Approximate Local Authority Area², 2001-02 to 2005-06

Notes:

1. Where Main Offence and where a person aged under 18 was proceeded against under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 section 68(2).

2. Incorporates an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area. Some local authority areas, including East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian and North Ayrshire, do not contain a sheriff court.

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children suffering from alcohol-related problems were admitted to hospital accident and emergency departments in each of the last five years for which information is available, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) NHS board area.

Shona Robison: Information held centrally on attendances at accident and emergency departments does not include the diagnosis of the patient. However information held on discharges from acute general hospitals includes whether a patient had an emergency admission to hospital with an alcohol-related diagnosis.

Tables 1 and 2 provide this information in respect of those under 18 years of age for each of the years 2002-03 to 2006-07 by (a) Council area; (b) Health Board of residence. This information is likely to be an undercount as not all those who attend an accident and emergency department will be admitted to hospital.

Table 1: The Number of Acute Hospital Patients^1,2,3 Aged under 18 Years with an Alcohol-Related Diagnosis⁴ (Emergency Admissions Only): Council Area, 2002-03 to 2006-07.

Table 2: The Number of Acute Hospital Patients^1,2,3 Aged under 18 years with an Alcohol-Related Diagnosis⁴ (Emergency Admissions Only): NHS Board of Residence (including Argyll and Clyde)⁵ 2002-03 to 2006-07.

Notes:

1. Caution is necessary when interpreting these figures. Where alcohol misuse is suspected but unconfirmed it may not be recorded by the hospital.

2. Information on patients discharged from acute non-obstetric, non-psychiatric hospitals is available from the Scottish morbidity record, SMR01.

3. Information in tables 1 and 2 are based on date of discharge (rather than date of admission) because the SMR01 dataset is a discharge summary record.

4. Alcohol-related conditions are defined by using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10): Alcohol-related conditions: F10, R780, Y90, Y91, Z637, Z811, Z864, Z714, Z502, T506, Y573, T510, T519, X45, X65, Y15, O354, Q860, P043, Z721, Z133, G621, G721, K860, I426, K70, K292, G312 & E52.

5. Argyll and Clyde NHS Board was dissolved in April 2006; the greater part was allocated to the Greater Glasgow NHS Board; the remainder to Highland NHS Board.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were discharged from hospitals with a mental illness and an alcohol-related diagnosis in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: Table 1 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS general hospitals with a mental illness and alcohol-related diagnosis between 2002-03 and 2006-07 in Scotland.

Table 2 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS psychiatric units and mental illness hospitals with a mental illness and alcohol-related diagnosis between 2001-02 and 2005-06 in Scotland.

Table 1: Patients Discharged from General Hospitals¹ with a Diagnosis of Mental Illness and Alcohol Misuse in any Position: Scotland 2002-03 to 2006-07^P

Table 2: Patients Discharged from Psychiatric Hospitals² with a Diagnosis of Mental Illness and Alcohol Misuse in any Position: Scotland 2001-02 to 2005-06^P

Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01 & SMR04), Data Extracted: 30-04-2008.

Notes:

1. Excludes mental illness hospitals, psychiatric units and maternity hospitals and transfers.

2. Excludes acute and maternity hospitals.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 were (i) treated in and (ii) admitted to hospitals in each NHS board for excess alcohol consumption in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: Patients treated in hospitals can be seen in a variety of settings including accident and emergency, out-patients, day cases and in-patients.

Information held centrally on attendances at accident and emergency departments and outpatient departments does not include detailed information on diagnosis. However, information held on discharges from hospitals includes information on whether a patient was admitted to hospital with an alcohol-related diagnosis by NHS board area of treatment. It is not possible to distinguish between people who were treated in hospital and people who were admitted to hospital but not treated.

Information in relation to the number of patients discharged from NHS general acute hospitals with an alcohol related diagnosis between 2002-03 and 2006-07 by NHS board of treatment for people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45547).

Information in relation to the number of patients discharged from NHS psychiatric units and mental illness hospitals with an alcohol-related diagnosis between 2001-02 and 2005-06 and by NHS board of treatment for people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45548).

The following notes should be read in conjunction with the information available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre:

Notes:

1. A patient was defined as having excess alcohol consumption if their diagnosis contained an alcohol-related condition.

2. Information on discharges from acute non-obstetric, non-psychiatric hospitals is available from the Scottish Morbidity Record, SMR01.

3. Information on discharges from psychiatric units and mental illness hospitals is available from the Scottish Morbidity Record, SMR04.

4. 2005-06 is the most recent year for which SMR04 information is available.

5. The information available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45547) excludes transfers. For the definition of transfers, please see the ISD Data Dictionary at:

http://www.datadictionaryadmin.scot.nhs.uk/isddd/ISD_DT_TOP_Content.jsp?pContentID=1817&p_applic=
CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

6. Information is based on date of discharge (rather than date of admission) because the SMR01 dataset is a discharge summary record. SMR04 data is presented as discharges data to maintain consistency.

7. Caution is necessary when interpreting these figures. The recording of mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol may vary from hospital to hospital. Where alcohol misuse is suspected but unconfirmed it may not be recorded by the hospital.

8. Figures in the information available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 45547and 45548) only relate to those individuals who are treated as in-patients. They do not include individuals managed as out-patients.

Ambulance Service

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults have been committed against ambulance drivers and workers carrying out their duties in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: The following table details the numbers of incidents of violence and aggression towards Scottish Ambulance Service staff since 2004.

Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service

Note: * Figures up to 11 April 2008

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many assaults have been committed against drivers of one-person rapid response ambulance vehicles in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12450 on 9 May 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.

Incidents of violence and aggression against drivers of one-person rapid response ambulance vehicles are not recorded separately by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of all ambulance or rapid response vehicle journeys are undertaken by drivers with no other individual present.

Shona Robison: This information is not currently held by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

However, at the beginning of 2008 there were 32 rapid response units, representing 8% of the total number of accident and emergency resources across Scotland (400). The Scottish Ambulance Service plans to increase this proportion to better respond to changing demand patterns and deliver improved levels of patient care.

The ambulance service has lone worker polices and procedures in place which are designed to minimise any risk to staff undertaking missions with no other support individual present.

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Ambulance Service in the last year about protecting ambulance drivers and workers in the course of their duties.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government considers the safety of all public service workers to be a matter of the utmost importance. There are regular discussions between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Ambulance Service on a range of issues, including the protection of staff. These matters also form part of the discussions at the annual review of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The Scottish Ambulance Service maintains service and divisional level committees which monitor the health safety and welfare of all ambulance service employees. These committees and relevant sub groups prepare and review the risk assessments pertinent to ambulance service work.

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has concerns about any increase in the numbers of one-person ambulance vehicles in respect of the safety of the drivers.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service has in place lone worker policies and procedures which are aimed at reducing any risk to staff to a point as low as reasonably practicable. Staff are required to conduct a dynamic risk assessment when they arrive on scene at an incident. If they believe that there is too great a risk to continue on their own, they will contact ambulance control who will arrange the appropriate support, such as police, fire brigade or sending a back-up ambulance crew.

The service’s management teams and working groups will continue to monitor lone working and will address any issues in partnership with staff side representatives.

Animal Welfare

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many microchip scanners are currently available to local authority dog wardens.

Richard Lochhead: This information is not held centrally. However, in addition to microchip scanners held by local authorities, the vast majority of veterinary practices will also have microchip scanners which can be used to identify stray or lost animals.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given any consideration to introducing a national and heavily-discounted dog microchipping scheme, as was carried out by the Dogs Trust until January 2008.

Richard Lochhead: We have no plans to introduce a national discounted dog microchipping scheme. The Dogs Trust offer a discounted scheme to microchip dogs at a cost of £10 from their two rehoming centres in Scotland. A typical charge to microchip a dog by a private veterinary surgeon could cost as little as £10 if performed at the same time as vaccinations to about £25 to £30 if that was the sole purpose of the consultation.

Autism

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a Scottish equivalent of the Welsh Assembly Government’s The Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Strategic Action Plan for Wales.

Shona Robison: On 2 April 2008, the Scottish Government issued policy and practice guidance on commissioning services for people on the autism spectrum. This marked completion of the work of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Reference (ASD) Group which took forward the recommendations of The Public Health Institute of Scotland’s ASD Health Needs Assessment Report of 2001.

The guidance sets out a number of actions for local agencies, including identifying and providing appropriate services and supports for people with ASD. It also provides information about models of support and nationally funded developments that improve outcomes for people with ASD.

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what audit procedures there are for services delivered to individuals with autistic spectrum disorder.

Shona Robison: All regulated services, including those delivered to people on the autistic spectrum are monitored and inspected by regulatory bodies such as the Care Commission, the Social Work Inspection Agency, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-10806, S3W-10807 and S3W-10808 by Shona Robison on 25 March 2008 and in light of the judgment by the US Attorney General on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services which found that combined multiple vaccinations received by a child significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder predisposing her to deficits in cellular energy metabolism and manifested as a regressive enecphalopathy with features of autism, what its view is of the research paper, Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS) Defects in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders [IN1-1.004] by John Shoffner et al, presented at the American Academy of Neurology on 13 April 2008, revealing that 56% of the assessed children with autistic spectrum disorders had mitochondrial disorder.

Shona Robison: The research abstract states "Recognition of these children is important for understanding how genes that produce autistic spectrum disorders impact mitochondrial function", making clear that the genes that predispose to autism may secondarily affect mitochondrial function, not that mitochondrial disorders play a part in the causes of autism.

Carers

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it is making available to Dumfries and Galloway Council in each year of the spending review for the payment of kinship carers and on what basis this funding was calculated.

Adam Ingram: The full local government settlement for Dumfries and Galloway is £1,010.4 million. This breaks down over this and the next two years as follows:

Funding for all commitments within the concordat, including the commitment on kinship care allowances, is included within this total funding settlement, which was negotiated and agreed with COSLA.

Funding agreed in the local government finance settlement is allocated to councils through a needs-based distribution methodology, agreed with COSLA.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Highland Council specifies how and when the council will offer kinship care allowances to a wider range of recipients and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Moray Council specifies how and when the council will offer kinship care allowances to a wider range of recipients and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Orkney Islands Council specifies how and when the council will offer kinship care allowances to a wider range of recipients and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Shetland Islands Council specifies how and when the council will offer kinship care allowances to a wider range of recipients and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Argyll and Bute Council specifies how and when the council will offer kinship care allowances to a wider range of recipients and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar specifies how and when the council will offer kinship care allowances to a wider range of recipients and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Adam Ingram: Providing a weekly allowance for approved kinship carers of looked after children is one of the commitments contained in the concordat signed with COSLA in November 2007. Progress against each of the commitments in the concordat will be reported annually by COSLA at the end of each financial year, separately from the single outcome agreement process.

It is up to local authorities to determine how to prioritise and allocate funds to meet their commitments locally.

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has made available to local authorities to pay for kinship carers.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government and COSLA have agreed that sufficient resources have been included within the total financial settlement for local authorities to meet this commitment to pay a weekly allowance to approved kinship carers of looked after children at the same rate as the allowance paid to the local authority’s foster carers with child benefit deduction.

Class Sizes

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement from Perth and Kinross Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Perth and Kinross will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement from Stirling Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Stirling will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement from Clackmannanshire Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Clackmannanshire will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Highland Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in the Highlands will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Moray Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Moray will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Orkney Islands Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Orkney will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Shetland Islands Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Shetland will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Argyll and Bute Council specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in Argyll and Bute will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft single outcome agreement with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar specifies how many P1 to P3 classes in the Western Isles will be reduced to 18 in each of the next three years and, if so, what the details are in the agreement.

Adam Ingram: All 32 local authorities in Scotland have submitted draft single outcome agreements (SOAs) that set out how they will contribute to the agreed national outcomes in relation to education provision. Those drafts are currently the subject of discussion. We aim to complete the process of finalising all the Agreements for 2008-09 by 30 June. Subject to agreement with the authorities, all the finalised SOAs will be made publicly available shortly thereafter.

Council Tax

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the figures for council tax benefit, as shown in its paper on revenue projections from a local income tax, assume a council tax freeze.

John Swinney: Responsibility for council tax benefit lies with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The explanatory paper "Abolition of council tax and introduction of local income tax: revenue projections" (Bib. number 45130) used the DWP’s official revenue projections for Scotland’s entitlement to council tax benefit.

Diabetes

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital emergency admissions were recorded for diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycaemic coma in the last three years, broken down by (a) age, (b) gender, (c) type of diabetes and (d) NHS board area.

Shona Robison: The numbers of emergency admissions for diabetic ketoacidosis are shown in the following table.

Table 1: Number of Emergency Admissions for Diabetic Ketoacidosis by Age Group, Gender and NHS Board of Residence Aggregated for the Three Financial Years Ending March 2007

Source: SMR01, ISD Scotland.

The number of emergency admissions for hypoglycaemic comas are not recorded centrally, but the numbers of emergency admissions for diabetic comas more generally, are shown in the following table.

Table 2: The Number of Emergency Admissions for all Diabetic Comas by Age Group, Gender and NHS Board of Residence Aggregated for the Three Financial Years Ending March 2008

Source: SMR01, ISD Scotland.

Notes:

1. Hospital admission data are derived from linked records on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland

2. Diabetes was defined as ICD10 codes: E10-E14, in the main diagnosis position

3. All diabetic comas, including hypoglycaemic coma, was defined as E100, E200, E300 and E400

The basic unit of analysis for these figures is a continuous stay in hospital. Probability matching methods have been used to link together individual SMR01 hospitals episodes for each patient, thereby creating "linked" patient histories.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were discharged from hospitals with a mental illness and a drug-related diagnosis in each of the last five years.

Fergus Ewing: Table 1 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS general acute hospitals with a mental illness and drug-related diagnosis between 2002-03 and 2006-07 in Scotland.

Table 2 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS psychiatric units and mental illness hospitals with a mental illness and drug-related diagnosis between 2001-02 and 2005-06 in Scotland.

Table 1: Patients Discharged from NHS General Acute Hospitals¹ with a Diagnosis of Mental Illness and Drug Misuse^2,3 in any Position: Scotland 2002-03 to 2006-07^P

Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01).

^PProvisional.

Notes:

1. Excludes mental illness hospitals, psychiatric units and maternity hospitals and transfers.

2. Excludes misuse of tobacco or alcohol.

3. Diseases recorded using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10). Drug-related conditions: F11, F12, F13, F14, F15, F16, F18, F19. Mental illness: F00-F10, F17, F20-F99.

Table 2: Patients Discharged from Psychiatric Hospitals¹ with a Diagnosis of Mental Illness and Drug Misuse^2,3 in any Position: Scotland 2001-02 to 2005-06^P

Source: ISD Scotland (SMR04).

^PProvisional.

Notes:

1. Excludes acute and maternity hospitals.

2. Excludes misuse of tobacco or alcohol.

3. Diseases recorded using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10). Drug related conditions: F11, F12, F13, F14, F15, F16, F18, F19. Mental Illness: F00-F10, F17, F20-F99.

Education

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what commitment it has to advanced highers following its announcement on national qualifications.

Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-3189 on 8 May 2008. All answers to oral parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-08/sor0508-01.htm.

Emergency Planning

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what policy it has developed to support public bodies in the event of catastrophic events and in what circumstances it will provide support funding; whether the funding will be available as a grant or claim-based; what level of funding will be available, and what restrictions will be placed on its use.

John Swinney: The police have a duty to protect life and property and co-ordinate the multi-agency response by local authorities, emergency services and others to a catastrophic event. Through the Military Aid to the Civil Community Scheme, public authorities can request the assistance of the Services when appropriate. The Scottish Government provides emergency responders including the police with funding to enable them to deal with all types of civil emergencies, including flooding. Other relevant public agencies (for example health boards) also undertake, within the overall funding made available to them, emergency planning functions. The Scottish Government can in certain circumstances also offer financial support under the Bellwin Scheme to a council or councils incurring eligible costs in dealing with a large scale emergency. Requests for further financial assistance for public bodies faced with a material unexpected financial burden in dealing with such an incident would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to NHS boards regarding maintaining a list of recently retired doctors, nurses and allied health professionals and whether they will be offered appropriate on-going training for work during an emergency pandemic.

Nicola Sturgeon: Work is currently being undertaken to produce Pandemic Flu Scottish Guidance on Health Workforce. This will include advice to NHS employers regarding the need to build up a local pool of staff currently outside the NHS such as the recently retired. Boards should seek to build up for themselves as detailed a picture as possible of the skills of their staff and in doing so assess likely capacity and identify training requirements.

Plans are also being developed to create "surge capacity" to allow flexibility in meeting demand during a pandemic or other emergency.

A draft version of the guidance can be viewed on:

www.Scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/AvianInfluenza/PandemicFlu.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what training module it has created for retired medical, nursing and allied health professionals who may be able to provide support to core services in the event of a pandemic.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is not responsible for creating training modules for individual health care practitioners. This is because the content of any up-skilling programme must accommodate the individual learning needs of the practitioner in question and the specific competencies that require to be refreshed.

Legislation is in hand to ensure that retired and non-practising persons, or suitably experienced persons without the relevant qualifications, can be registered to provide healthcare during times of national emergency involving, or potentially involving, large scale loss of human life or human illness. It will be for the General Medical Council (GMC), Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), or the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to decide whether the person or specified group of persons in question should be temporarily registered as medical practitioners, pharmacists or as nurses or midwives with greater prescribing rights.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance on pandemic preparedness has been issued to hospices, care homes, secure accommodation and the Dungavel detention centre.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has produced a range of guidance to support local planners. In July 2006, planning guidance was issued to schools and childcare settings, including secure units. This was followed in February 2008 by infection control guidance for these settings.

In November 2007, guidance documents on planning and infection control were issued to all care homes in Scotland. To date no specific guidance has been issued to hospices although the general pandemic flu planning and infection control guidance produced by the Scottish Government is applicable to this setting.

All of these documents are available on the Scottish Government website at: www.scotland.gov.uk/pandemicflu.

As it is an Immigration Removal Centre, guidance on pandemic preparedness for Dungavel is issued by the UK Government.

Emergency Services

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery, what contingency plans it has in place to ensure the continued operation of emergency services.

Kenny MacAskill: UK ministers have reserved responsibilities for energy supply and distribution, including any use of emergency legislation. The national emergency plan for fuel, if invoked by the UK Government, enables specific filling stations to be set aside for exclusive use by emergency services and other essential organisations. In the light of recent experience around the industrial dispute at the Grangemouth oil refinery, we will be considering whether any additional arrangements may be necessary.

Ferry Services

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce public service obligations on (a) mainland-to-island, (b) mainland-to-mainland and (c) inter-island ferry routes.

Stewart Stevenson: Public service contracts (PSCs) are in place for the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services. The Scottish Government considers that these contracts are compliant with the European Commission’s State Aid rules and maritime law. Provision for PSCs is made in Article 4.1 of the European Commission’s Maritime Cabotage Regulation. These PSCs impose a number of obligations on the ferry operators providing these ferry services. Consequently, the Scottish Government has no plans to introduce public service obligations on these services.

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to vary the frequency restriction on Caledonian MacBrayne in respect of the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service.

Stewart Stevenson: Scottish ministers are currently examining the options available for taking the Gourock to Dunoon route forward. Until such time as a decision has been reached, The Scottish Government has no plans to vary the frequency restrictions on this route.

Freedom of Information

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister of Parliamentary Business were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days, (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister for Schools and Skills were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister for Children and Early Years were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister for Public Health were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister for Communities and Sport were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister for Community Safety were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests made to the Minister for Environment were (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days, (b) not answered and (c) answered citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2002 as a reason not to provide the requested information since May 2007.

Bruce Crawford: The Scottish Government inherited a system from the previous administration the did not uniformly record requests centrally. As a result we inherited a review of the system as of 1 January 2008, the Scottish Government put in place a new database to improve the data held by us regarding the handling of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

In respect of the period January 2008 to 23 April 2008, we have collated the information requested and that information is set out in table A below. We do not record the number of FOI requests made to specific ministers, but we have set out the information according to particular topic areas as this is possible from the information held on the new database. We have provided information on cases which are still in progress where clarification of the information requested has been sought and not yet received or where a response has not yet been issued.

Prior to January 2008, information collated in relation to our handling of FOI requests was not uniformly recorded centrally. We have collated the information requested from the limited information available from the previous centrally held records in respect of the period from 3 May 2007 to 31 December 2007 and that information is set out in table B. We do not hold information on the number of FOI requests made to specific ministers, but we have set out the information according to particular topic areas. We have provided information on cases which are still in progress where clarification of the information requested has been sought and not yet received, where a response has not yet been issued and where there is no information centrally held on whether a response has been issued.

Table A

1 January 2008 to 23 April 2008

Table B

3 May 2007 to 31 December 2007

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests have been received by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission since the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into force.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission had received a total of 32 such requests by 31 March 2008.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests received by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) since the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into force have been (a) disclosed in the first instance, (b) refused in the first instance, (c) disclosed after review and (d) refused after review.

Kenny MacAskill: Nineteen requests for information, made under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, have resulted in information being released, while eight have been refused. Two requests resulted in partial disclosure. To date, four requests for review have been received and, in each case, the original decision to withhold information was found to have been correct.

In addition, in one case the SCCRC did not hold the information requested and, in another, the information requested was obtained from another source.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests received by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission since the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into force have been referred to the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Kenny MacAskill: One such request had been referred to the Scottish Information Commissioner by 31 March 2008.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests received by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission since the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into force and referred to the Scottish Information Commissioner have been disclosed.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Information Commissioner has never instructed the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to disclose information in relation to any case referred to him.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freedom of information requests received by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission since the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 came into force, referred to the Scottish Information Commissioner and ordered to be disclosed have been appealed by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Information Commissioner has never instructed the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to disclose information, therefore no such appeals have ever been made.

Freight

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the decision was taken to reallocate the Freight Facilities Grant of £5.2 million, originally awarded in January 2006 towards the construction of a new railhead at Barrhill, South Ayrshire, to other projects.

Stewart Stevenson: JST Services formally intimated on 2 November 2007 that they would not be taking forward the Barrhill project. This triggered the lifting of the allocation of funds within the freight grant budget to this project.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who took the decision to reallocate the Freight Facilities Grant of £5.2 million, originally awarded in January 2006 towards the construction of a new railhead at Barrhill, South Ayrshire, to other projects.

Stewart Stevenson: Officials followed standard operating procedures for the grant scheme. In these particular circumstances funds remain within the national freight grant budget for use by other eligible projects.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was undertaken with local communities prior to the decision to reallocate the Freight Facilities Grant of £5.2 million, originally awarded in January 2006 towards the construction of a new railhead at Barrhill, South Ayrshire, to other projects.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was undertaken with Network Rail prior to the decision to reallocate the Freight Facilities Grant of £5.2 million, originally awarded in January 2006 towards the construction of a new railhead at Barrhill, South Ayrshire, to other projects.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was undertaken with South Ayrshire Council prior to the decision to reallocate the Freight Facilities Grant of £5.2 million, originally awarded in January 2006 towards the construction of a new railhead at Barrhill, South Ayrshire, to other projects.

Stewart Stevenson: JST Services, the grant holder, decided not to proceed with the Barrhill rail project and withdrew their application for Freight Facilities Grant.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was undertaken with Forestry Commission Scotland prior to the decision to reallocate the Freight Facilities Grant of £5.2 million, originally awarded in January 2006 towards the construction of a new railhead at Barrhill, South Ayrshire, to other projects.

Stewart Stevenson: My officials discussed issues linked to the Barrhill project with Forestry Commission Scotland, both prior to the award of grant and during the period between the award of grant and JST Services’ final decision to withdraw from the project. These discussions did not cover the reallocation of grant subsequent to the withdrawal.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was undertaken with Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire prior to the decision to reallocate the Freight Facilities Grant of £5.2 million, originally awarded in January 2006 towards the construction of a new railhead at Barrhill, South Ayrshire, to other projects.

Stewart Stevenson: None. JST Services, the grant holder, decided not to proceed with the Barrhill rail project and withdrew their application for Freight Facilities Grant.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which projects have been funded by the reallocation of the Freight Facilities Grant of £5.2 million, originally awarded in January 2006 towards the construction of a new railhead at Barrhill, South Ayrshire.

Stewart Stevenson: At the time of the decision by JST Services to withdraw from the Barrhill project on 2 November 2007 the planned payment period of the grant covered three financial years: 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10. The allocation of funds from within the Freight Facilities Grant budget will depend on the eligibility of current and future applications.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be available for freight facilities grants in each of the next three years.

Stewart Stevenson: The budget to support the freight industry, including freight facilities grants, is £14.9 million in each of the next three years.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been made for freight facilities grants since May 2007.

Stewart Stevenson: We have received a total of seven formal applications for freight facilities grant since May 2007.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many freight facilities grants have been awarded since May 2007 and what the value has been of each award.

Stewart Stevenson: We have made two awards of freight facilities grant since May 2007: £192,285 to CSP Forestry and £58,600 to UPM Tillhill for a jointly operated line-side loading project at Rannoch for the transport of timber by rail to Irvine.

General Practitioners

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals are in place to develop chronic disease management in GP surgeries.

Shona Robison: The essential services element of the GP contract includes the on-going management of the long-term conditions, while the quality and outcomes framework targets a specific range of chronic medical conditions as does the Scottish enhanced services programme for primary care.

Any future changes to chronic disease management under the GP contract will largely be determined by clinical research evidence.

Health

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals over 40 have received a Life Begins health check.

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of individuals have received their Life Begins health check at a (a) GP surgery and (b) health centre.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-6793 on 4 December 2007. 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.

At present work is currently on-going to design a programme of cost effective health checks in Scotland.

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11935 by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 April 2008 and in accordance with good practice, whether it will make available the detailed reports on the outcomes of the consultations that took place with national organisations representing disabled people and ethnic minorities on the closure of the Fair for All - Disability and Fair for All - Race projects before the establishment of the new Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland.

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11936 by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 April 2008 and in accordance with good practice, whether it will make available the detailed reports on the outcomes of the consultations that took place with national organisations representing disabled people and ethnic minorities on involving them in the detail of how the new Directorate of Equalities and Planning of NHS Health Scotland will work with NHS boards.

Nicola Sturgeon: The reports on the consultation processes around the implementation of the decision to establish a directorate of equalities and planning to support NHS health boards with the equalities and planning agenda are not held centrally and should be sought directly from NHS Health Scotland.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment and audit has been made of the contribution by dispensing opticians in providing quality and accessible eye care to patients.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognise the positive contribution made by dispensing opticians to the provision of eye care in the community. However, no formal assessment and audit has been undertaken.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the eligibility criteria are for payment of (a) travel and (b) accommodation costs for patients to attend hospital appointments as out-patients or in-patients.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are currently two patients’ travelling expenses schemes A non-means tested Highlands and Islands Scheme for patients resident or working in the former Highlands and Islands Development Board area and a means tested scheme covering the rest of the country. Under the schemes eligible patients and, where considered medically necessary, their escorts, travelling to hospital for treatment, are reimbursed, either fully or partially, their travelling expenses. In addition, the cost of overnight expenses can be reimbursed if it is considered that an overnight stay is, in practice, unavoidable.

The Highlands and Islands Scheme provides for the reimbursement of travelling expenses in excess of £10. Eligible patients are those who are resident or working in the former Highlands and Islands Development Board area. The distance travelled from the patient’s home (or place of residence) to hospital must be 30 miles or more or involve a journey by sea of more than five miles. Patients in receipt of income support, income-based job seekers’ allowance, pension credit guarantee credit, are entitled to, or are named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate or who are assessed as eligible on low income grounds, may not be required to meet any of the costs.

Eligible patients under the means tested scheme are those who are in receipt of Income Support, Income-based Job-seekers’ Allowance, Pension Credit guarantee credit, are entitled to, or are named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate or who are assessed as eligible on low income grounds.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that all hospital patients are aware of their eligibility for repayment of travel and accommodation costs.

Nicola Sturgeon: Current guidance to NHS boards draws their attention to the need to ensure information is widely available about the options available to patients for reimbursement of travelling expenses.

In particular, boards are advised to arrange for notices providing information about the schemes to be displayed in all patient areas and to include details of the schemes and local transport and concessionary fares arrangements with appointment or admission letters.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people died from thrombosis in each of the last five years.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is shown in the following table:

Source: General Register Office for Scotland.

The figures provided for 2007 are provisional, pending the publication of the Registrar General’s Annual Report in August. The table uses groups of causes of death which are defined in terms of the tenth revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). In the case of some of the groups, it is thought that all the deaths from those causes are due to the specified type of thrombosis. In the case of the other groups, it is thought that most of the deaths from those causes are due to the specified type of thrombosis.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was to the NHS for the treatment of thrombosis-related diseases in each of the last five years.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are affected by thrombophilia.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering screening for thrombophilia in individuals before they take contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy, or in any other at risk groups.

Nicola Sturgeon: We agree with the conclusions of the UK National Screening Committee that it would be inappropriate to introduce population screening for Venous Thromboembolism (VTE). The UK National Screening Committee considers each proposal for screening on its merits and will keep the issue of Factor V Leiden screening under review.

It is however now fairly commonplace for people at risk of a predisposition to thrombosis, including relatives of patients who have Factor V Leiden (and other similar genetic conditions) to be offered screening.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to develop osteoporosis care in GPs’ surgeries.

Shona Robison: We currently have in place an enhanced service for falls prevention and bone health as part of the Scottish enhanced services programme for primary and community care. This service will provide the opportunity to build on in the future.

Housing

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence is available to suggest that a concentration of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) would have a negative impact on local amenities.

Stewart Stevenson: We have received a number of representations on the issue of HMO concentrations. Research on the effect of student HMOs on the housing market in St Andrews has been conducted on behalf of the University of St Andrews. Universities UK has published research on the potential effects of high concentrations of HMOs. The research suggests ways in which HMO concentrations may be managed. This information is given in Studentification: A Guide to Opportunities, Challenges and Practice, published by Universities UK in 2006, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45556). Copies of responses to the consultative draft of Scottish Planning Policy 3 – Planning for Housing will be made available shortly, and a full analysis report will be published in due course.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding was allocated for the Mortgage to Rent scheme in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06.

Stewart Maxwell: The Mortgage to Rent scheme is demand-led. The level of funding allocated to the scheme in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06 was as follows:

Justice

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was available from seized assets in 2006-07.

Kenny MacAskill: The amount of money transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund via the Proceeds of Crime Act in 2006-07 was £4.412 million.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against convictions have been received by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission in each year since 1999, broken down by grounds for appeal.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is set out in the following table.

Number of applications received by the SCCRC, broken down by main grounds of review - 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2008

It should be noted that other grounds of review may subsequently be identified. However the commission’s system records only the main ground in the first instance.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against convictions have been referred to the high court in each year since 1999, broken down by grounds of appeal.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is provided in the following table.

Conviction Referrals from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2008

It should be noted that there may be other grounds of review. The commission’s system records only the main ground in the first instance.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what constitutes defective representation by solicitors.

Kenny MacAskill: The approach to be taken by the courts in cases in which there is an allegation of defective representation is defined in Anderson vs H.M. Advocate (1996 SCCR 114). The then Lord Justice General stated that the conduct of the defence by the accused’s legal representative can only provide a ground for appeal if it deprives the accused of a fair trial. He further stated that this can only have occurred where the conduct was such that the accused’s defence was not presented to the court.

This may be because the accused was deprived of the opportunity to present his defence; or because his legal representative acted contrary to his instructions as to the defence he wished to be put forward; or because of other conduct which, because his defence had not been put, had the effect of denying him a fair trial.

In considering applications for review based on defective representation, the SCCRC applies the above approach.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action can be taken against solicitors referred to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission for defective representation.

Kenny MacAskill: Solicitors are not referred to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. Where the Commission refers a case to the High Court, and the court overturns a conviction on the grounds of defective representation, it may be possible for disciplinary proceedings to be taken against the legal representative concerned. The Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates are responsible for investigating complaints against solicitors and advocates respectively.

The Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman (SLSO) looks into complaints about how the professional bodies handle complaints against legal practitioners. Under the terms of the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007, the SLSO will be replaced by the Scottish Legal Complaints Commissioner (SLCC). The SLCC will receive complaints about legal practitioners where local resolution between the practitioner and client has been attempted but has proven unsuccessful. The SLCC will investigate complaints about service while the professional bodies will continue to address concerns relating to conduct. We anticipate that the new body will become operational in late 2008.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it to be in the public interest to disclose the names of solicitors referred to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission for defective representation.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the disclosure of the names of solicitors referred to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission for defective representation would contravene section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Kenny MacAskill: Solicitors are not referred to the SCCRC. Once an application has been reviewed by the SCCRC it can be referred to the High Court.

When the court considers a case, the details of that case (including the names of any solicitors or other legal representatives involved) will be contained in any published opinion and will be a matter of public record.

Section 194J of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 makes it an offence for any member or employee of the SCCRC to disclose information obtained by the SCCRC in the exercise of any of its functions. The possibility of information provided by applicants, witnesses and/or victims subsequently being disclosed, other than in court, could undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system, including the work of the SCCRC. Witnesses and/or people under investigation should not be inhibited or deterred from co-operating in investigations by the possibility that information provided may be disclosed or that their identity is revealed to the public, outwith the protection of the court. Accordingly, such information is not normally made available.

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission holds records of the names of individual solicitors referred to the commission on grounds of defective representation.

Kenny MacAskill: Individual applications from members of the public and/or their legal representatives will include the names of solicitors involved in a case, as will the Statement of Reasons that the Commission provides in relation to each application.

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what bye-laws have been put in place by each local authority to prevent begging in public places.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no byelaws in place to prevent begging in public places in any local authority area in Scotland.

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers in respect of bye-laws to prevent begging in public places have been given to or removed from local authorities.

Kenny MacAskill: Local authorities can submit proposals for byelaws to prevent begging in public places to the Scottish Government for consideration. No detailed submissions have been received by the Scottish Government.

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to local authorities to prevent begging in public places.

Kenny MacAskill: Local authorities already have powers under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, such as antisocial behaviour orders, to prevent aggressive begging. They can also submit proposals for begging related byelaws to the Scottish Government for consideration.

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop a national strategy to prevent begging in public places.

Kenny MacAskill: Aggressive begging can already be dealt with under the criminal law, through the common law offence of breach of the peace, and statutory measures under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. We have no plans to develop a national strategy on begging.

Language Training

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions there are for free English language teaching for migrants and what plans it has to develop such teaching.

Maureen Watt: Publicly funded ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes are provided in Scotland’s colleges, Community Learning and Development (CLD) partnerships and Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALN) partnerships, and by a small number of voluntary providers. The vast majority of these classes are free to learners.

In March 2007, we launched an adult ESOL Strategy for Scotland to help all Scottish residents for whom English is not a first language. Additional funding of £5 million was made available to support the strategy in 2007-08 and a further £9 million available over the three year period 2008-11.

Local Government Finance

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-32685 by Tom McCabe on 30 March 2007, what level of funding was provided to each local authority from 1999-2000 to 2006-07 showing average percentage changes over the whole period, also expressed on per capita basis and as national averages, alongside the figures for each local authority for 2007-08 and the projected figures for 2008-09 and 2009-10.

John Swinney: The information requested is shown in the following table.

Notes:

1. The Aggregate External Finance and Total Revenue Funding figures given above are as announced in the annual Local Government Finance settlements and have not been adjusted for any subsequent transfers of responsibility. Therefore, comparison between individual years should be treated with caution. This is particularly relevant for the comparison between 2007-08 and 2008-09 as the basis of local government funding changed with effect from 1 April 2008. The Total Revenue Funding figures include ring-fenced funding which was previously outwith Aggregate External Finance.

2. The figures for 1999-2007 are exactly as published in the answer to the question S2W-32685. The 2007-09 figures are as contained in the relevant Finance Circulars and the 2009-10 figures are necessarily provisional and include the funding that will be paid assuming each local authority freezes its council tax levels in 2009-10.

3. The population figures used to calculate the per capita figures are the General Register Office of Scotland’s mid year estimates for the year in question or the most recent available.

Meat Industry

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has proposed a pig compensation scheme to the European Commission.

Richard Lochhead: No.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment felt unable to attempt to construct a successful case for headage payments for the pig sector.

Richard Lochhead: The problems facing the pig sector are Europe-wide and therefore it is difficult to offer specific support in Scotland that is within state aid rules. However, the pig industry task force is looking further at this issue.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2007 caused a welfare issue for the pig sector in respect of cull sows.

Richard Lochhead: The foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in 2007 resulted in culls sows remaining on-farm for longer than usual due to the temporary closure of the export market which meant there was no market for sow meat. This had an economic impact as owners had a responsibility to safeguard the welfare of animals under their care even if this might result in extra feed costs. Scottish Government monitored the situation closely and frequently took veterinary advice which consistently identified the extra time cull sows remained on-farm as having an economic impact rather than being a welfare issue.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what study it has made of the French Government’s support package for pig farmers.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the breakdown of the French Government’s support package for pig farmers.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how much of the French Government’s support package for pig farmers will be available to individual farmers.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what indirect action measures to assist the pig industry will be examined by the short-life task force on the industry.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the short-life task force on the pig industry will be guided by the example of the French Government’s support package for pig farmers and the feasibility of introducing a similar measure in Scotland.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the short-life task force on the pig industry.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the short-life task force on the pig industry to report.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how soon it expects to act on the recommendations of the short-life task force on the pig industry.

Richard Lochhead: We understand that the French government is offering tax rebates and help with interest payments on loans. In order to comply with State aid de minimis rules, support for individual enterprises is limited to 7,500 euros over a three year period. I am asking the Pig Industry Task Force to consider the implications of the French initiative for Scotland, recognising that taxation is a reserved matter.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has noted the conclusion of Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel that the French Government’s support package for pig farmers appears valid under the "de minimis" rule.

Richard Lochhead: Yes.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is scope for direct action to provide practical assistance to the Scottish pig industry.

Richard Lochhead: This is one of the issues that we have asked the Pig Industry Task Force to consider.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the possibility of introducing a soft loans scheme for Scottish pig farmers.

Richard Lochhead: This will be considered by the Pig Industry Task Force.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what direct action measures to assist the pig industry will be examined by the short-life task force on the industry.

Richard Lochhead: The terms of reference of the Pig Industry Task Force are:

(i) To consider actions to assist the pig sector, for example as identified in recent discussions between industry and government, and to determine which action may be suitable for implementation provided resources are available and state aids allow.

(ii) To provide a progress report for Cabinet Secretary, to allow him to update the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee by 21 May.

(iii) To provide final recommendations to Cabinet Secretary by no later than 13 June.

At the initial meeting of the task force, held on 23 April 2008, the following suggestions were considered:

(i) Vaccination programme for pig wasting disease.

(ii) Audit of standards, transparency and labelling of imported pork.

(iii) Improved food labelling.

(iv) Support scheme for producers continuing in business.

(v) Pig sustainability meeting with retailers (and others).

(vi) UK support to sector.

(vii) GM issues.

(viii) nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ) issues.

(ix) Strategic review of sector.

(x) Added value red meat project (fifth quarter).

(xi) Post-FMD compensation scheme.

(xii) Release of SAC study on pig chain vulnerability.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the short-life task force on the pig industry will assess the feasibility of introducing a new on-goers scheme, with possible restructuring of the scheme’s definitions to circumvent the 10-year condition of the previous scheme, as referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment in evidence to the Rural Affairs and Environment committee on 16 April 2008.

Richard Lochhead: Yes, but in agreeing to the previous UK pig industry restructuring scheme (2000) EU state aid approval was granted, partly, on the basis of the following criterion:

The UK authorities also confirm that the scheme is a one-off aid scheme, which fully respects the one-time, last-time requirements of the restructuring guidelines. It has been made clear to the industry that no other request for restructuring the UK pig sector can be countenanced for at least the next 10 years.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recommendations of the short-life task force on the pig industry will be made public.

Richard Lochhead: Yes.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which stakeholders were invited to contribute to the short-life task force on the pig industry.

Richard Lochhead: Attending the initial meeting of the Pig Industry Task Force were: Gordon McKen, Managing Director of Scottish Pig Producers; Brian McMonagle, Managing Director of Hall’s of Broxburn; Robin Traquair, Pig Producer and NFU Scotland’s Pig Committee Chairman, and Stuart Ashworth, Senior Business Analyst for Quality Meat Scotland. Scottish Government officials were also present.

The task force agreed to invite the following to join and attend future meetings: Philip Sleigh, pig producer and Chairman of NFU Scotland’s North East Regional Board, andrew Peddie, pig producer and Chairman of Scotlean Pigs, and Sandy Howie, pig producer and Chairman of Scottish Pig Producers.

Both Mr McKen and Mr Peddie are also non-executive Directors of Quality Meat Scotland.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it decided which stakeholders were invited to contribute to the short-life task force on the pig industry.

Richard Lochhead: The initial composition of the Pig Industry Task Force was decided following discussion with those invited to present evidence to the Rural Affairs and the Environment Committee on 16 April 2008; this included NFU Scotland and Quality Meat Scotland.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned a long-term review from the Farmed Animal Welfare Council into whether pig produce from abroad meets the same welfare standards as Scottish pig produce, as referred to by the Cabinet Secretary in evidence to the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee on 16 April 2008.

Richard Lochhead: We have commissioned an advisory letter from the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) and we expect them to be in a position to reply within about four weeks. Once we have this information then we shall be in a position to decide whether it will be necessary to commission an opinion. This is a much more detailed process and could take up to a year. If we were to commission an opinion it would be necessary to revisit the FAWC present work programme and agree with the other UK agriculture departments what item of work should be postponed.

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how the review from the Farmed Animal Welfare Council into whether pig produce from abroad meets the same welfare standards as Scottish pig produce will contribute to the National Food Policy.

Richard Lochhead: Accurate information from the Farm Animal Welfare Council about the amount of imported pig meat and the welfare conditions under which these pigs are raised will assist retailers, processors, manufactures, caterers and consumers make an informed choice about purchasing a product which meets the high standards of pig welfare by Scottish pig producers. The development of the national food policy will take careful consideration of all responses received from the national discussion phase, along with all relevant analytical evidence.

Mental Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time-equivalent staff with training or qualifications in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or similar treatments are (a) employed in and (b) delivering cognitive behaviour therapy or similar treatments in each NHS board, also showing the number of weekly sessions such staff deliver.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.

Information available centrally is only for cognitive behavioural therapists employed/managed in psychology services in each NHS Board in NHSScotland.

This information is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5381.html. Latest available data are at 30 September 2007.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that health professionals who have already undertaken training or achieved qualifications in delivering cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or similar treatments since 1999 are given the opportunity to undertake work involving CBT.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11606 on 18 April 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.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of trained health professionals to provide cognitive behaviour therapy and similar treatments.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11972 on 25 April 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.

Ministerial Meetings

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any meetings between ministers and representatives of Morston Assets included the Joint Founder of Morston.

Stewart Stevenson: No such meetings have taken place since 3 May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place between ministers and representatives of Morton Assets at (a) Straiton Business Park, (b) Manuel Works, Linlithgow and (c) Mortonhall, Edinburgh and who represented Morston Assets at each of these meetings.

Stewart Stevenson: No such meetings have taken place since 3 May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the First Minister will meet the chief executives of the UK’s main supermarket chains; where the meeting will take place, and who will be present.

Richard Lochhead: Supermarket Chief Executives have agreed in principle to attend a Supermarket Summit in Edinburgh later in the year. The First Minister has written to the Chief Executives of Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Tesco, The Co-op and Waitrose to canvass for a suitable date.

Ministerial Visits

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which child contact centres ministers have visited.

Adam Ingram: Ministers have not yet had the opportunity to visit a child contact centre but discussions are on-going with Relationship Scotland to arrange a visit to their Eliburn centre in the near future.

NHS Hospitals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-766 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, whether it will provide updated details of the budget allocated for the (a) building and (b) running of the new community hospital in Girvan, indicating whether the previously estimated costs have increased and, if so, by how much.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information from NHS Ayrshire and Arran is that the budget for the Girvan Community Hospital remains unchanged from that given in my answer on 18 June 2007. The capital budget is around £20 million and annual running costs £3.65 million.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-765 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, when it now believes that the new community hospital in Girvan will be completed.

Nicola Sturgeon: Work on the new community hospital should be completed at the end of October 2009.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-764 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, when it now believes that building work will commence on the new community hospital in Girvan.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Ayrshire and Arran anticipate that, subject to obtaining the Building Warrant and favourable tenders, site preparation work will begin in July 2008.

National Conversation

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11948 by Nicola Sturgeon on 30 April 2008, what it understands "blogging convention" to be.

Nicola Sturgeon: Blogging conventions are standard practices which have developed across a variety of sites using new social media of this kind. The approach taken to the National Conversation website is designed to maximise access and participation.

Ophthalmic Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that dispensing opticians are involved in designing eye care services in local NHS boards to meet the needs of patients.

Shona Robison: While appreciating the contribution which dispensing opticians make to eye care, NHS boards are under no statutory duty to include dispensing opticians in any discussion regarding eye care, as they are not one of the groups with whom boards make arrangements for the provision of NHS services. NHS boards can, however, decide locally to include such groups in any discussions.

Planning

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place between ministers and representatives of Morston Assets regarding the planning application for a sustainable community in Whitecross and the alteration of the Falkirk Structure Plan.

Stewart Stevenson: No such meetings have taken place since 3 May 2007.

Police

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has to determine what is defined as an operational matter for chief constables.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12400 on 8 May 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.

Prison Service

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio of prisoners to staff is in (a) Shotts, (b) Glenochil and (c) Kilmarnock prisons.

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

The following table illustrates the prisoner to staff ratios in HM Prison Shotts and HM Prison Glenochil.

Note: 1. Information about staffing levels at HM Prison Kilmarnock is not collected by SPS. Specific staffing levels are not set in the terms of the contract. It is a matter for Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited, as contractor, to determine how to meet the contractual requirements to deliver services.

Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the provisions of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 in relation to the streamlining of the disclosure process will come into force.

Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11587 on 21 April 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.

Public Transport

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what topics it expects to discuss at its next meeting with Passengers’ View Scotland; when the discussions will be held; who will be involved, and what format the discussions will take.

Stewart Stevenson: Passengers’ View Scotland (PVS) meets regularly to discuss matters relating to the interests of public transport users. A special joint meeting was held with the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) on 20 March. More recently, a meeting of the PVS Committee was held on 8 May at which it also discussed the amalgamation with MACS.

Minutes of regular meetings can be found on the Passengers’ View Scotland website.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how Passengers’ View Scotland will be involved in the delivery of the National Transport Strategy.

Stewart Stevenson: We are developing a Delivery Plan to drive forward the commitments of the National Transport Strategy.

A Stakeholder Group will be established to oversee the Delivery Plan. We expect the Convener of Passengers’ View Scotland to be a member of that group.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how public transport users can access the work of Passengers’ View Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: It is for Passengers’ View Scotland (PVS) to determine how public transport users can access its work. However, information is available through the PVS website.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution has been made by Passengers’ View Scotland to the development of public transport policy since its inception in April 2007.

Stewart Stevenson: The PVS Annual Report is due to be published in the near future and will give information on its work since April 2007.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions took place with stakeholders, showing the dates on which these discussions took place, prior to the announcement that the ScotRail franchise with FirstGroup plc would be extended until 2014.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11683 on 23 April 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.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the interests and concerns of disabled people in the formulation of transport policy will be addressed following the closure of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: The Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland is being amalgamated with the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland (PTUC) as part of the Effective Government initiative, to remove duplication in the responsibilities of both bodies.

It will be for the PTUC, which operates under the name of Passengers’ View Scotland, to determine how best it can organise its operational duties to meet the interests and concerns of disabled people in the formulation of transport policy. The enlarged PTUC will represent the interests of all transport users in Scotland and will mainstream disability and accessibility issues.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation has taken place with disabled people regarding the performance of the current ScotRail franchise.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive carried out open consultation in 2000 in advance of the current ScotRail Franchise. This informed the direction and guidance given by the Scottish Executive to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) which was responsible for awarding the franchise.

In addition Transport Scotland established the Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum in 2006. This brings together the rail industry and disability organisations and groups. Matters relating to the ScotRail franchise can be raised and discussed at these meetings.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements of particular interest to disabled people have been secured under the agreement to extend the ScotRail franchise.

Stewart Stevenson: The information requested is given in the ScotRail Franchise Amendment Agreement, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45544).

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the work of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland will be recorded and followed through when the committee ceases to function.

Stewart Stevenson: The work of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) is available through their website.

It is the intention that once the proposed amalgamation with the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland (PTUC) has taken place, the MACS website will continue to be available through a link in the PTUC website.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Passengers’ View Scotland is expected to take over the remit of statutory adviser to Scottish ministers on the incorporation of the interests of disabled people into transport policy and whether its remit will include all elements of the remit formerly fulfilled by the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: Yes. Passengers’ View Scotland represents the interests of all transport users.

In keeping with the principles of efficient government, the remit of Passengers’ View Scotland is continually under review.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the remit of Passengers’ View Scotland includes advising ministers on (a) disability badge schemes, (b) taxicard schemes for disabled people and (c) non-scheduled services used by disabled people

Stewart Stevenson: The Mobility and Accessibility Committee for Scotland (MACS) currently advises on these issues. Following amalgamation, Passengers’ View Scotland will provide advice to ministers on the broad range of issues which affect disabled travellers.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which statutory body will advise ministers on demand responsive transport for disabled people following the proposed closure of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: The Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland (PTUC), which operates under the name of Passengers’ View Scotland (PVS), is the statutory body which represents the interests of all transport users in Scotland. It will advise ministers on all mobility and accessibility issues relating to public transport.

It will be for the PTUC to decide whether it wishes to focus on demand responsive transport now that the responsibility for delivery of demand responsive transport lies with local authorities.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which statutory body will advise ministers on community transport for disabled people following the proposed closure of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: The Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland (PTUC), which operates under the name of Passengers’ View Scotland, is the statutory body which represents the interests of all transport users in Scotland. It will advise ministers on all mobility and accessibility issues relating to public transport.

It will be for the PTUC to prioritise the issues on which it wishes to focus.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which statutory body will advise ministers on policy interventions to assist in enhancing mobility for people with disabilities following the proposed closure of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: The Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland which operates under the name of Passengers’ View Scotland (PVS), is the statutory body which represents the interests of all transport users in Scotland. It will advise ministers on all mobility and accessibility issues relating to public transport.

It will be for PVS to prioritise the issues on which it wishes to focus.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the research budgets were for the (a) Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland and (b) Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland in 2007-08 and what research budget has been set aside for Passengers’ View Scotland in 2008-09.

Stewart Stevenson: There is no individual research budget for the Public Transport Users’ Committee (PTUC). It is for the PTUC to determine its research needs and submit a business case for research on an individual basis. Each case will be assessed on its merits and considered in the broader Scottish Government research programme.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the remit proposed for Passengers’ View Scotland will include all the responsibilities previously undertaken by the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland.

Stewart Stevenson: Yes. The enlarged Passengers’ Views Scotland will act in the interests and concerns of disabled people. It will represent the interests of all public transport users in Scotland and will mainstream disability and accessibility issues.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways the proposed change involving the closure of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland will lead to improvements in mobility for disabled people.

Stewart Stevenson: Bringing together the Public Transport Users’ Committee for Scotland and the Mobility Access Committee for Scotland into a high-level single body will mainstream disability and accessibility issues. This move will reinforce positively the ability of disabled persons to raise accessibility and mobility issues through a single, integrated body, resulting in a stronger voice.

Rail Network

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the relevant data about passenger numbers and target revenue will be published to allow the proposition that the extension of the ScotRail franchise is a good deal for passengers to be tested.

Stewart Stevenson: The information requested is given in the ScotRail Franchise Amendment Agreement, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45544).

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all the background information, not covered by the restriction under freedom of information legislation in respect of the provision of advice to ministers, produced by officials on the financial and transport issues involved in the decision to extend the ScotRail franchise.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all documents relating to the ScotRail franchise extension by placing them in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Stewart Stevenson: Information relative to the extension of the ScotRail franchise, except that which is considered exempt under Freedom of Information legislation, will be published on the Transport Scotland website in due course.

In addition, the information requested is given in the ScotRail Franchise Amendment Agreement, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45544).

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis and with what justification the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth took the decision to extend the ScotRail franchise without consultation because of the potential damage that might have been caused to FirstGroup plc’s share price.

Stewart Stevenson: The extension of the ScotRail franchise was the activation of a contractual provision which has existed since the franchise was let and was not in any way related to potential damage to FirstGroup plc’s share price.

The agreement was price sensitive in that its signature required to be announced by FirstGroup plc officers to the Stock Exchange.

Regeneration

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether approval has been given to the alteration of the Falkirk Structure Plan to allow the new Whitecross sustainable community to go ahead.

Stewart Stevenson: The Falkirk Council Structure Plan 2007 was approved by the Scottish ministers in January 2007. The plan identifies the former Manuel works at Whitecross as a strategic development opportunity where there will be housing-led regeneration.

Regional Selective Assistance

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement on grants to aid sustainable development by the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism on 30 April 2008, whether it will list the 24 companies that received Regional Selective Assistance in the last quarter, also showing how much each company received.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Executive has, since April 2002, routinely published information on Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) recoveries, payments and accepted offers. Details of the 24 accepted offers published in the latest RSA quarterly report can be found in the report section of the innovation and investment grants website at www.scottishbusinessgrants.gov.uk.

Rural Affairs

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what subsidies were granted to shooting estates from 2005 to 2007 and for what purposes.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not subsidise commercial or private game shooting. If estates also undertake appropriate agricultural or environmental measures, they may be supported if the eligibility conditions, which apply to all farmers and crofters, are met. However, it may be helpful to know that all payments issued under the following subsidy schemes from 2005 to 2007 are published online at a business level:

Single Farm Payment Scheme (SFPS);

Scottish Beef Calf Scheme (SBCS);

Energy Crop Scheme (ECS);

Protein Crop Premium Scheme (PCP);

Nuts Aid Scheme, and

Land Management Contract Menu Scheme (LMCMU).

These details can be accessed using the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Agriculture/grants/LatestPayments/Introduction.

School Meals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for products used in school meals in respect of meeting the standards of recognised farm-assured schemes.

Adam Ingram: We have not set any targets for the use of products meeting the standards of recognised farm-assured schemes in school meals. As of 4 August 2008, under the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007, education authorities and managers of grant-aided schools will have a duty to have regard to guidance issued by Scottish ministers on the application of the principles of sustainable development when providing food or drink or catering services in schools.

The existing guidance, Integrating sustainable development into procurement of food and catering services, is available on the Scottish Government website at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Procurement/PublicProcurement/ProcurementPolicy/coporate-responsibility/Integrationofsusdevinfood.

The guidance contains advice on various sustainable development issues and how to pursue these various issues whilst staying within EU procurement law. This includes advice that, wherever possible, public bodies should specify food which has been produced in accordance with the standards laid down in recognised assurance schemes. We are currently refreshing the guidance and intend to reissue it during the summer.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for products used in school meals in respect of meeting the standards of recognised organic schemes.

Adam Ingram: We have not set any targets for the use of products meeting the standards of recognised organic schemes in school meals. As of 4 August 2008, under the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007, education authorities and managers of grant-aided schools will have a duty to have regard to guidance issued by Scottish ministers on the application of the principles of sustainable development when providing food or drink or catering services in schools.

The existing guidance, Integrating sustainable development into procurement of food and catering services, is available on the Scottish Government website at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Procurement/PublicProcurement/ProcurementPolicy/coporate-responsibility/Integrationofsusdevinfood.

The guidance contains advice on various sustainable development issues, including organic food, and how to pursue these various issues whilst staying within EU procurement law. We are currently refreshing the guidance and intend to reissue it during the summer.

Schools

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which schools contained in the previous administration’s proposed school building plan it proposes to deliver, showing the (a) approximate timescale and (b) funding method for each.

Maureen Watt: The previous Scottish Executive did not hold a definitive list of proposed new school buildings because it is local authorities who are responsible for strategic and future school estate plans and funding methods for capital investment in school buildings.

For the record, the previous administration proposed to enable the building of schools with government financial support for public private partnership and non-profit distributing projects for which the full baseline funding had not been identified. For example, forecast requirements of government funding for 2010-11 for all 30 such projects whether or not they had reached financial close, exceeded the available baseline funding by more than £60 million. This government has had to address that baseline shortfall, while at the same time demonstrating its commitment to allow projects to proceed by signing off, since May 2007, another seven of the 30 projects, involving renewal of a further 45 schools. Over the four year parliamentary period we expect 250 schools to be built, funded or under construction through various funding mechanisms.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11720 on 9 May 2008, which sets out the position on Scottish Government financial support.

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.

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which schools, other than those contained in the previous administration’s proposed school building plan, it proposes to deliver, showing the (a) approximate timescale and (b) funding method for each.

Maureen Watt: The previous Scottish Executive did not hold a definitive list of proposed new school buildings because it is local authorities who are responsible for strategic and future school estate plans and funding methods for capital investment in school buildings.

For the record, the previous administration proposed to enable the building of schools with government financial support for Public Private Partnership and Non-Profit Distributing projects for which the full baseline funding had not been identified. For example, forecast requirements of government funding for 2010-11 for all 30 such projects whether or not they had reached financial close, exceeded the available baseline funding by more than £60 million. This government has had to address that baseline shortfall, while at the same time demonstrating its commitment to allow projects to proceed by signing off, since May 2007, another seven of the 30 projects, involving renewal of a further 45 schools. Over the four year parliamentary period we expect 250 schools to be built, funded or under construction through various funding mechanisms.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11720 on 9 May 2008, which sets out the position on Scottish Government financial support.

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.

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its total investment in the school building programme will be over the current spending review period, broken down by funding method.

Maureen Watt: Local authorities are responsible for the detail of decisions on capital investment in school buildings, as was the case under previous administrations. Scottish Government financial support for local authorities is an important contributor to the totality of local authority capital investment in school buildings, but authorities also make use of resources from other sources.

The local government settlement for 2008-11 provides for significant growth in the capital resources being made available to local authorities. There is almost £3 billion over three years to secure investment in school and other local authority infrastructure, including an extra £115 million in 2008-09 which can be invested in schools if authorities so choose. The local government capital budget represents an average increase of 15% in each year of the settlement compared to 2007-08 figures. Allocations of these resources are set out in Annex F of Finance Circular 1/2008, which can be accessed on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/local-government/17999/11203.

The Scottish Government also provides significant revenue support for school PPP and NPD projects as part of the overall local government settlement. For the current round of projects, annual support will exceed £100 million by the next financial year.

Vaccinations

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in immunising older people with pneumococcal vaccine, in particular high-risk groups such as people who suffer from asplenia.

Shona Robison: In the winter of 2000-01, 5.9% of those aged 65 years and over had received pneumococcal vaccination. This rose to 19.4% before the 2003-04 vaccination programme and to 67.7% at the end of the first year of the programme. By 2005-06 73.0% had received the pneumococcal vaccination.

In relation to splenic dysfunction (a broad category which includes asplenia), 0.02% of those aged 65 years and over had this as a diagnosis as at March 2006. 85.7% of this group had apparently received pneumococcal vaccine, but there is a caveat with these particular figures as the numbers are small and it is possible that some of the individuals had previously received pneumococcal vaccine either in hospital post splenectomy or in general practice.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what stockpiles of pneumococcal vaccine exist in Scotland to prevent the spread of secondary respiratory infection in the event of a pandemic.

Shona Robison: We are not currently stockpiling pneumococcal vaccines to prevent the spread of secondary respiratory infection in the event of a pandemic. Pneumococcal vaccination for children is currently provided as part of the existing childhood vaccination schedule and those over the age of 65 are also offered the vaccination along with the seasonal flu vaccination every year.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recently considered the need for a wider pneumococcal vaccination programme for an influenza pandemic. While supportive of the current pneumococcal vaccination programme, they concluded that the evidence of additional benefit from a wider programme in the event of a pandemic was not sufficient to support action, such as stockpiling of vaccines. They will continue to consider any evidence that emerges.

The following questions were given holding answers:

S3W-11741

S3W-12239

S3W-12240

S3W-12241

S3W-12242

S3W-12258

S3W-12276

S3W-12277

S3W-12278

S3W-12281

S3W-12285

S3W-12286