Chamber and committees

The information, relating to financial years, is shown in the following tables.Recruitment of Special Constables1999-2000

Force	Total	Female	Ethnic Minority
Central	8	3	0
Dumfries & Galloway	12	6	1
Fife	11	5	0
Grampian	19	7	0
Lothian & Borders	23	8	1
Northern	24	13	1
Strathclyde	89	27	3
Tayside	10	4	0
Total	196	73	6
2000-01
Force	Total	Female	Ethnic Minority
Central	7	1	0
Dumfries & Galloway	10	5	0
Fife	20	7	1
Grampian	12	6	0
Lothian & Borders	19	5	3
Northern	10	5	1
Strathclyde	54	18	1
Tayside	13	6	0
Total	145	53	6
Recruitment of Special Constables
2001-02
Force	Total	Female	Ethnic Minority
Central	26	13	0
Dumfries & Galloway	7	3	1
Fife	7	2	0
Grampian	12	3	1
Lothian & Borders	0	0	0
Northern	8	3	0
Strathclyde	32	17	1
Tayside	14	5	1
Total	106	46	4

Source: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Annual Statistical Return for 2001-02.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26834.

The Housing Benefit (Withholding of Payment) Bill proposes that, in certain circumstances, there should be a change in entitlement to housing benefit, which is a reserved matter. The Department for Work and Pensions is currently considering the amendments it wishes to propose to the bill and I and my officials are in active discussion with the department with the aim of ensuring that the bill in its final form will be consistent with the approach in Scotland on any devolved matters which may be affected by the implementation of the bill.

The percentages of female special constables in each police force at 31 March 2002 are shown in the following table.

Force	Percentage of Female Special Constables
Central	29%
Dumfries & Galloway	39%
Fife	28%
Grampian	21%
Lothian & Borders	27%
Northern	30%
Strathclyde	25%
Tayside	25%
Total	27%

The percentages of special constables from ethnic minority groups in each police force at 31 March 2002 are shown in the following table.

Force	Percentage of Special Constables from Ethnic Minority Groups
Central	0%
Dumfries & Galloway	2%
Fife	2%
Grampian	1%
Lothian & Borders	2%
Northern	0%
Strathclyde	3%
Tayside	0%
Total	1.3%

The median waiting times for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in ophthalmology, following referral by a General Medical Practitioner, by NHS board of residence, in the year ended 31 December 2001, is given in the following table. The target waiting time for a first out-patient appointment with a Consultant, following referral by a General Medical Practitioner or General Dental Practitioner, is nine weeks.NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times for a First Out-patient Appointment with a Consultant in Ophthalmology, Following Referral by a General Medical Practitioner, by NHS Board of Residence. Year Ending 31 December 2001^P.

NHS Board	Median WaitP
Argyll and Clyde	55 days
Ayrshire and Arran	58 days
Borders	45 days
Dumfries and Galloway	71 days
Fife	67 days
Forth Valley	62 days
Grampian	89 days
Greater Glasgow	102 days
Highland	77 days
Lanarkshire	87 days
Lothian	47 days
Orkney	86 days
Shetland	22 days
Tayside	39 days
Western Isles	95 days
Scotland	66 days

Source: ISD Scotland, SMR00.^PProvisional.

The information requested is shown in the following table. There were no female chief constables. The Scottish Crime Squad was replaced by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) on 1 April 2001.Percentage of Female Strength by Rank at 31 March 2002

Force	Assistant Chief Constable	Superintendent	Chief Inspector	Inspector
Central	-	-	6.7%	4.8%
Dumfries and Galloway	-	-	-	8.7%
Fife	-	-	7.1%	2.7%
Grampian	-	5.6%	-	3.4%
Lothian and Borders	-	9.4%	6.8%	6.3%
Northern	-	-	-	3.1%
Strathclyde	16.7%	4.9%	8.5%	5.7%
Tayside	-	8.3%	11.8%	3.8%
Total	5.3%	5.2%	7.2%	5.5%
Secondment to SDEA	-	-	-	-

Force	Sergeant	Constable
Central	7.8%	17.1%
Dumfries and Galloway	6.8%	23.7%
Fife	3.3%	21.2%
Grampian	10.9%	22.1%
Lothian and Borders	8.4%	20.1%
Northern	6.6%	20.6%
Strathclyde	8.2%	17.8%
Tayside	23.9%	20.4%
Total	8.7%	26.4%
Secondment to SDEA	8.3%	13.4%

The information requested is shown in the following table. There were no officers from ethnic minority groups above Chief Inspector. The Scottish Crime Squad was replaced by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) on 1 April 2001.Percentage of Officers from Ethnic Minority Groups by Rank

	Chief Inspector	Inspector	Sergeant	Constable
Central	-	-	0.9%	0.2%
Dumfries and Galloway	-	-	-	0.3%
Fife	-	-	-	0.4%
Grampian	-	-	-	0.5%
Lothian and Borders	2.3%	0.7%	0.3%	0.9%
Northern	-	-	-	0.4%
Strathclyde	-	-	0.2%	0.9%
Tayside	-	-	-	0.4%
Total	0.4%	0.1%	0.2%	0.7%
Secondment to SDEA	-	-	-	1.0%

From April 2001 to March 2002 there were nine officers in total from ethnic minority groups recruited to Scottish police forces - three to Lothian and Borders and six to Strathclyde. Information by rank is not held centrally.The Scottish Crime Squad was replaced by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) on 1 April 2001. Officers are not recruited directly to the SDEA but are seconded from forces. No secondments of officers from ethnic minority groups took place between April 2001 and March 2002.

The number of female officers recruited to each police force from April 2001 to March 2002 is shown in the following table. Information by rank is not held centrally.

Force	Number of Female Officers Recruited
Central	3
Dumfries and Galloway	3
Fife	24
Grampian	12
Lothian and Borders	42
Northern	8
Strathclyde	95
Tayside	25
Total	212

The Scottish Crime Squad was replaced by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) on 1 April 2001. Officers are not recruited directly to the SDEA but are seconded from forces. Between April 2001 to March 2002, nine secondments of female officers took place - one sergeant from Grampian, four constables from Strathclyde, two constables from Grampian and one constable each from Fife and Lothian and Borders.