The health and safetystandards of decontamination in dental practice are presently being audited acrossScotland using an audit tool developed by Health ProtectionScotland (HPS). Within the last month we have instructed boards that funding willbe available to GDPs for such audits.

HPS is the ScottishGovernments source of advice and guidance on decontamination standards and is workingwith the dental profession.

The NHS Quality ImprovementScotland publication National Overview – January 2007 Maternity Services reportedthat following their review of their Clinical Standards for Maternity Services (carriedout between November 2005 and June 2006), 10 out of the then 15 NHS healthboards routinely carried out foetal anomaly scans at 18 to 22 weeks. Thosehealth boards were: NHS Argyll and Clyde, NHS Ayrshire andArran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Grampian, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, NHSTayside and NHS Western Isles.

A Framework forMaternity Services in Scotland published in February 2001 sets out clearly and explicitly the maternityservice which should be offered across Scotland. This includes details of the number and timing of ultrasound scans whichshould be offered during pregnancy.

The government isworking closely with NHSScotland to ensure that developments in screening duringpregnancy are introduced efficiently and effectively.

The current estimatesin the Highland Council’s Capital Investment Programme show a gross project costof £76.868 million. The Highland Council is working with HITRANS to secure fundingfor the Inverness Trunk Link Road, with a target completion of the eastern section,linking the A9 and A96, by 2011 and a target completion of the whole project by2015. The Convener of The Highland Council, Mr Sandy Park, has written to me thisweek regarding the Inverness Trunk Link Road and I shall give careful considerationto his request for financial support for the project.

Discussions areon-going with dental profession representatives about the possibility of introducingenhanced oral examinations for both children and adults.

A Framework forMaternity Services in Scotland, published in February 2001, sets out clearlyand explicitly the maternity service which should be offered across Scotland. This includes details of the number and timing of ultrasoundscans which should be offered during pregnancy.

The government isworking closely with NHSScotland to ensure that developments in screening duringpregnancy are introduced efficiently and effectively.

This information isnot held centrally.

The information requestedis not held centrally.

The Scottish Governmentis disappointed with the overall progress thus far and wants to see faster progressin the registration of private landlords across Scotland.

The following tableshows the number of applications for registration by private landlords and lettingagents received by each local authority and the number of applications approved,as at 18 June 2007. Landlords and agents are required to registerin each authority where they own or manage property, so these figures include multipleregistrations for some individuals or organisations.

Local Authority	Registrations Approved	Total Applications Received
Aberdeen City	1,453	7,483
Aberdeenshire	741	3,326
Angus	928	1,768
Argyll and Bute	745	1,845
Clackmannanshire	38	571
Dumfries and Galloway	2,381	2,705
Dundee City	1	3,152
East Ayrshire	205	1,350
East Dunbartonshire	304	836
East Lothian	551	1,686
East Renfrewshire	42	782
Edinburgh, City of	2,667	20,586
Eilean Siar	28	312
Falkirk	1,131	1,600
Fife	0	5,338
Glasgow City	463	11,536
Highland	83	4,034
Inverclyde	0	969
Midlothian	0	812
Moray	0	1,289
North Ayrshire	0	1,446
North Lanarkshire	930	2,154
Orkney Islands	715	773
Perth and Kinross	930	2,952
Renfrewshire	21	1,699
Scottish Borders	1,610	2,509
Shetland Islands	107	260
South Ayrshire	720	1,749
South Lanarkshire	2,466	2,923
Stirling	163	1,661
West Dunbartonshire	14	633
West Lothian	1,187	1,936
Scotland	20,624	92,675

 

Complete informationis not held in the form requested. Some information on the number of admissionsto residential accommodation is contained within Alcohol and Drug Action Team (ADAT)Corporate Action Plans. These can be accessed from the following website: http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/dat/cap/dat.htm.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-953 on 21 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.