Chamber and committees

A snap-shot of the number of vacancies, by local authority, is published each year in Teacher Vacancies and Probationer Allocations, which is available on the Scottish Government website using the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/PubTeacherVacancies.

The data relate to a set date in February. No information is collected on whether posts are full-time. Posts become vacant throughout the year.

A snap-shot of the number of vacancies, by local authority and subject, is published each year in the appendix of Teacher Vacancies and Probationer Allocations, which is available on the Scottish Government website using the following links:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/17090110/11

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/06/22095928/11

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/06/26092219/8.

The data relate to a set date in February. No information is collected on whether posts are full-time. Posts become vacant throughout the year.

The number of secondary school teachers is published each year in Teachers in Scotland, which is available on the Scottish Government website using the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/18093809/42.

Data for September 2008 is due to be published in March 2009.

Section 5 of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 requires Scottish ministers to keep the national care standards under review.

The National Care Standards Committee made recommendations to ministers on how best to review the national care standards. These have been considered and it has been agreed that a focussed review of the national care standards will take place.

Work on the review is expected to begin in 2009-2010. Public consultation will be carried out if any proposed changes to the standards are considered to be substantially different.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14094 on 23 June 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.

Special care is required when antipsychotic medication is used in frail elderly people. Doctors should only be using medication of any type after careful consideration of the risks and benefits for the patient. With regard to antipsychotic medication, the standards for integrated care pathways for dementia published by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland contain specific standards about use of medication, monitoring physical health and evaluating benefits of medication (Bib. number 44374). These standards are being implemented by NHS boards and will be accredited from 2008 onwards.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16028 on 12 September. 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.parliamanet.uk/webapp/wa.search.

We are completing consideration of research which was commissioned to provide an accurate picture of residential park and mobile homes in Scotland. This comprehensive study considered the extent to which any problems identified are addressed by the existing legislation, including Part 6 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 which introduced new protections for park home residents from May 2007. We expect to establish a programme of work soon to address some of the important issues identified. This is likely to include measures in relation to site management and conditions, residents'' rights and the provision of better factual information about the sector.

In the meantime, Scottish Government officials are continuing to work as necessary with local authorities to ensure improvements for residents of park and mobile homes within the existing legislative framework.

As far as we are aware there have been no arrests made for illegal snaring in the last year. It would be unusual for police to arrest a suspect for such an offence.

According to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service''s case management database four charges for snaring offences were prosecuted within the last year.