- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were born with HIV in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) broken down by NHS board area.
Answer
Between 1999 and 2003, three children, who were born in Scotland, were reported with a confirmed HIV infection, transmitted from mother to child. Two of these infections were reported in 2000 from NHS boards in the East of Scotland, while 1 was reported in 2003 from a West of Scotland NHS Board. To preserve patient confidentiality, the NHS boards concerned cannot be disclosed.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are guidelines regarding the number of emergency ambulances per head of the population and, if so, how often they are reviewed.
Answer
It is for the Scottish Ambulance Service to determine how best to deploy its ambulance resources to achieve the response time standards agreed with the Scottish Executive. The Ambulance Service constantly monitors its performance to ensure that resources meet demand.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what change there has been in the number of accident and emergency cases in NHS board areas where NHS 24 is in operation.
Answer
Evaluation results to date suggest no significant impact on accident and emergency cases in areas where NHS 24 is in operation.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 3 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children left school with no qualifications in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
Due to the volume of information requested, the table “Number and percentage of school pupils with no qualifications at Standard Grade (or equivalent) or better on leaving school” has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33501). The data used in this table relates to publicly funded schools only, including special schools.
An updated version of the table “Number and percentage of school pupils who have not attained English or Mathematics Standard Grades (or equivalent) on leaving school”, which was previously supplied in answer to S2W-9631 on 10 August 2004, has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre to allow direct comparison. 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/search_wa.The new methodology includes the small number of pupils with no candidate numbers who are assumed to have no qualifications.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 1 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what data it has on the number of sea trout in rivers; where such data can be accessed; whether trout stocks are falling, and, if so, in which rivers and what action is being taken to reverse this trend.
Answer
Catch statistics for salmon and sea trout are collected by the Scottish Executive’s Fisheries Research Services Freshwater Laboratory (FRSFL) in Montrose. Statistical bulletins are published annually in September. Copies of the bulletins are placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Sea trout numbers have been in decline in recent years, particularly on the west coast. The management of sea trout stocks is the responsibility of the District Salmon Fishery Boards. The boards, often in conjunction with Fisheries Trusts and FRSFL, are continuing to address the problems facing Scotland’s wild salmonid stocks.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-994 by Nicol Stephen on 21 July 2003, how many (a) enquiries have been received about and (b) cards have been issued for the Thistle Travel Card Scheme in each year since its launch and what guidelines have been provided for transport staff and companies on the scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not retain figures relating to the ENABLE Thistle Travel Card Scheme.
However, we have been informed by ENABLE that they receive approximately 20 to 30 enquiries per month from a range of potential transport users, transport centres and places like adult day centres, citizen advice bureaus and libraries. Some of these enquiries are requesting more Thistle Cards, others are to ask more about the scheme.
We do not have a record of the number of enquiries which are directed to transport operators or others about the scheme.
200,000 cards have been distributed to potential bus and train users since the launch in 2002. Staff guidelines and posters were distributed to transport operators throughout Scotland in September 2002.
The guidelines are aimed at all transport staff informing them of the needs of card holders and what staff can do to assist.
The Thistle Card Scheme is making a significant difference to the lives of many thousands of people throughout Scotland who are prevented from enjoying a full, active and independent life in their community.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it provides to ENABLE to assist with the Thistle Travel Card Scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has awarded ENABLE £21,557 for 2003-04 to assist them in producing further leaflets and promotional material for the Thistle Travel Card Scheme.
In December 2002, the Executive awarded ENABLE £50,000 to fund the start of the Scheme.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9383 by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 July 2004, how many hospital beds there were in each NHS board area per 1,000 head of population in each year since 1997.
Answer
NHSScotland - Average Available Staffed Beds, Rate Per 1,000 Population1,2; by Health Board Area: Years Ending 31 March
| | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004P |
| Scotland | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 5.9 |
| Argyll and Clyde | 8.1 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 6.5 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 6.1 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.6 |
| Borders | 7.4 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 6.1 |
| Dumfries and Galloway3 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.6 |
| Fife | 6.4 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 4.9 |
| Forth Valley | 8.2 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| Grampian3 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.0 |
| Greater Glasgow | 9.3 | 9.2 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 7.1 |
| Highland | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.1 |
| Lanarkshire | 7.0 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.4 |
| Lothian | 7.5 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.4 |
| Orkney | 7.8 | 7.4 | 6.7 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| Shetland | 5.6 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Tayside | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.4 |
| Western Isles | 8.1 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.7 |
PProvisional.
Source: ISD Scotland [Form ISD(S)1]; Registrar General for Scotland.
Notes:
1. Includes joint-user and contractual hospitals.
2. Crude rates per 1,000 ; mid year population at 30 June.
3. Some information for later years is estimated.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many locum consultant (a) doctors and (b) surgeons are working in the NHS, broken down by NHS board area and expressed also as a working-time equivalent (WTE) percentage of the total headcount.
Answer
Table 1 provides details of locum consultants employed in NHS Scotland at 30th September 2003 broken down by NHS board area and shows WTE as a percentage of headcount for each NHS board area.
Table 1: NHS Locum Consultants by NHS Board (Headcount, Whole-Time Equivalent and WTE % of Headcount at 30th September 2003)
| | Headcount | Whole-Time Equivalent | WTE % of Headcount |
| Total 1 | Surgical Specialties2 | All Other Specialties | Total1 | Surgical Specialties2 | All Other Specialties | Total1 | Surgical Specialties2 | All Other Specialties |
| Scotland | 127.0 | 24.0 | 103.0 | 90.2 | 19.2 | 71.0 | 71.0% | 79.9% | 69.0% |
| NHS Argyll and Clyde | 11.0 | - | 11.0 | 4.1 | - | 4.1 | 37.7% | x | 37.7% |
| NHS Ayrshire and Arran | 6.0 | - | 6.0 | 4.4 | - | 4.4 | 72.7% | x | 72.7% |
| NHS Borders | 2.0 | - | 2.0 | 2.0 | - | 2.0 | 100.0% | x | 100.0% |
| NHS Dumfries and Galloway | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| NHS Fife | 3.0 | - | 3.0 | 3.0 | - | 3.0 | 100.0% | x | 100.0% |
| NHS Forth Valley | 2.0 | - | 2.0 | 2.0 | - | 2.0 | 100.0% | x | 100.0% |
| NHS Grampian | 21.0 | 4.0 | 17.0 | 14.5 | 2.1 | 12.5 | 69.3% | 52.3% | 73.3% |
| NHS Greater Glasgow | 29.0 | 2.0 | 27.0 | 22.7 | 2.0 | 20.7 | 78.4% | 100.0% | 76.8% |
| NHS Highland | 4.0 | - | 4.0 | 3.3 | - | 3.3 | 81.8% | x | 81.8% |
| NHS Lanarkshire | 25.0 | 11.0 | 14.0 | 15.1 | 8.6 | 6.5 | 60.4% | 78.5% | 46.1% |
| NHS Lothian | 16.0 | 5.0 | 11.0 | 11.6 | 4.5 | 7.1 | 72.4% | 89.1% | 64.9% |
| NHS Orkney | - | - | - | - | - | - | x | x | x |
| NHS Shetland | - | - | - | - | - | - | x | x | x |
| State Hospital | 1.0 | - | 1.0 | 1.0 | - | 1.0 | 100.0% | x | 100.0% |
| NHS Tayside | 2.0 | - | 2.0 | 1.5 | - | 1.5 | 72.8% | x | 72.8% |
| NHS Western Isles | 3.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Source: ISD Scotland.
Notes:
1. Includes hospital and community medical specialties, hospital and community dental specialties and public health medicine.
2. Medical surgical specialties.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 30 August 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many crimes of assault (a) were reported, (b) were proceeded against and (c) had a charge proved in each of the last five years, broken down by police force area.
Answer
Information on crimes reported to (as opposed to recorded by) the police is not available centrally. The available information on the number of crimes of serious assault recorded by the police and on the number of persons proceeded against is given in the tables. 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 a crime may be recorded in one year and proceedings taken in a subsequent year. Charges recorded by the police may also be altered as a result of the judicial process.
Number of Crimes of Serious Assault1 Recorded by the Police, by Police Force Area, 1998-2003
| Police Force Area | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Central | 216 | 209 | 197 | 252 | 260 | 270 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 78 | 63 | 64 | 99 | 122 | 135 |
| Fife | 89 | 184 | 278 | 272 | 284 | 283 |
| Grampian | 337 | 414 | 388 | 301 | 311 | 352 |
| Lothian and Borders | 853 | 874 | 786 | 740 | 792 | 704 |
| Northern | 133 | 152 | 245 | 215 | 225 | 198 |
| Strathclyde | 3,874 | 4,154 | 4,056 | 4,371 | 4,472 | 4,571 |
| Tayside | 256 | 273 | 218 | 223 | 219 | 170 |
| Scotland | 5,836 | 6,323 | 6,232 | 6,473 | 6,685 | 6,683 |
Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Serious Assault1,2, 1998-2002
| Police Force Area | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 20024 |
| Total number proceeded against: | | | | | |
| Central | 73 | 88 | 87 | 83 | 108 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 42 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 49 |
| Fife | 80 | 76 | 67 | 98 | 118 |
| Grampian | 93 | 117 | 88 | 76 | 85 |
| Lothian and Borders | 177 | 195 | 197 | 224 | 293 |
| Northern | 47 | 43 | 58 | 47 | 46 |
| Strathclyde | 695 | 774 | 726 | 834 | 626 |
| Tayside | 124 | 123 | 153 | 143 | 152 |
| Scotland | 1,331 | 1,444 | 1,4073 | 1,533 | 1,477 |
| Police Force Area | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Number with charge proved: | | | | | |
| Central | 56 | 63 | 58 | 52 | 80 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 29 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 38 |
| Fife | 57 | 55 | 51 | 70 | 94 |
| Grampian | 72 | 90 | 66 | 62 | 71 |
| Lothian and Borders | 139 | 135 | 152 | 167 | 218 |
| Northern | 37 | 34 | 53 | 40 | 41 |
| Strathclyde | 498 | 544 | 486 | 548 | 559 |
| Tayside | 80 | 79 | 92 | 89 | 109 |
| Scotland | 968 | 1,026 | 9823 | 1,053 | 1,210 |
Notes:
1. Contraventions of Scottish criminal law are divided for statistical purposes into crimes and offences. The term "crime" is generally used for the more serious criminal acts; the less serious are termed "offences". An assault is classified as serious if the victim sustained an injury resulting in detention in hospital as an in-patient or any of the following injuries whether or not he was detained in hospital: fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crushing, severe cuts or lacerations or severe general shock requiring medical treatment. Incidents not satisfying this definition are classed as offences of petty assault and are not included in the tables.
2. Where main offence.
3 One case where the force is unknown included in total.
4. Figures may be underestimates due to time taken to record court disposals on SCRO.
