Chamber and committees

Two hundred and seventy-six femalecouncillors were elected in 1999, which constituted 22.6% of the total number ofcouncillors. Following the 2003 elections, these figure decreased to 266 and 21.8%respectively.

The gender breakdown of localauthority councillors after the 2003 election is shown as a percentage in the followingtable 1.

Table 1: Gender Profile ofScotland’s Councillors 2003

Council	Total Councillors	Percent Male	Percent Female
Aberdeen	43	67	33
Aberdeenshire	68	74	26
Angus	29	76	24
Argyll and Bute	36	86	14
Clackmannanshire	18	89	11
Dumfries and Galloway	47	79	21
Dundee	29	76	24
East Ayrshire	32	81	19
East Dunbartonshire	24	67	33
East Lothian	23	83	17
East Renfrewshire	20	85	15
Edinburgh	58	81	19
Eilean Siar	31	90	10
Falkirk	32	84	16
Fife	78	73	27
Glasgow	79	71	29
Highland	80	74	26
Inverclyde	20	95	5
Midlothian	18	83	17
Moray	26	85	15
North Ayrshire	30	70	30
North Lanarkshire	70	87	13
Orkney Islands	21	90	10
Perth and Kinross	41	76	24
Renfrewshire	40	75	25
Scottish Borders	34	74	26
Shetland Islands	22	86	14
South Ayrshire	30	80	20
South Lanarkshire	67	78	22
Stirling	22	82	18
West Dunbartonshire	22	73	27
West Lothian	32	84	16

 

We do not hold centrally annualhistorical records of the number of female councillors in Scotland as awhole, nor broken down by local authority area.

Details about the number of modernapprentices (MAs) broken down by framework and gender since 2001 is an operationalmater for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The information is not held centrally.

However, Scottish Enterprisehave published MA figures for males and females in the top 12 frameworks since 1998-99,as well as the gender split for each framework by age groups 16 to 24 and over 25sfor the year ending 31 March 2005.

These tables are available onthe Scottish Enterprise website www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/training-providers-top/training-providers/performance-and-reports.htm?siblingtoggle=1.

Details about the number of modernapprentices (MAs), broken down by framework and gender since 2001, is an operationalmater for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The information is not held centrally.

However, Scottish Enterprisehave published MA figures for males and females in the top 12 frameworks since 1998-99,as well as the gender split for each framework by age groups 16 to 24 and over 25sfor the year ending 31 March 2005.

These tables are available onthe Scottish Enterprise website:

www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/training-providers-top/training-providers/performance-and-reports.htm?siblingtoggle=1.

There are currently six femalecouncil leaders at Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, Fife and HighlandCouncils. That is 18.75% of all council leaders. Historical records of such dataare not held centrally.

The Executive’s Equality Unithas developed an Equality Strategy with the aim of mainstreaming equality throughoutthe policy making process. This provides a means by which effective action can beput in place by strategic collaborative partnership working, without the need todevelop individual strategies to tackle specific areas of policy. Also, one of themain drivers in our Diversity Policy is a commitment by ministers to put the promotionof equality at the heart of all policy making.

Officials were involved in theEqual Opportunities Commissions (EOC) External Advisory Group as part of their researchinto occupation segregation. I have met with the EOC since the launch of their investigative report into occupational segregation inMAs, Jobs for the boys and the girls. We will continue to work with them, and others, in tacklingissues through collaborative partnership working.

We have also, through the ModernApprenticeship Implementation Group (MAIG), encouraged changes to the role of thegroup, the way it operates and also the process that MA frameworks are approved.The process is now more robust and through Sector Skills Agreements we can encourageemployers to become more proactive in tackling occupational segregation and sharebest practice.

Details about the number of modernapprentices (MAs) broken down by framework and gender since 2001 is an operationalmater for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The information is not held centrally.

However, Scottish Enterprisehave published MA figures for males and females in the top 12 frameworks since 1998-99,as well as the gender split for each framework by age groups 16 to 24 and over 25sfor the year ending 31 March 2005.

These tables are available onthe Scottish Enterprise website:

www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/training-providers-top/training-providers/performance-and-reports.htm?siblingtoggle=1.

The specific information requestedis not held centrally.

None. The issuing of advice to the public in the event of an incident at an oil installation is a matter for the site operator and the responding emergency services: in the case of evacuation, this advice will primarily be given by the police acting on information drawn from a number of sources (e.g. Fire and Rescue, site operator, health professionals and the Health and Safety Executive.) Under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations, 1999, site operators and local authorities are required to draw up plans to manage a major incident including arrangements for warning and informing the public.

No immediate plans. The issuing of advice to the public in the event of an incident at an oil installation is a matter for the site operator and the responding emergency services: in the case of evacuation, this advice will primarily be given by the police acting on information drawn from a number of sources (e.g. Fire and Rescue, site operator, health professionals and the Health and Safety Executive.) Under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations, 1999, site operators and local authorities are required to draw up plans to manage a major incident including arrangements for warning and informing the public.

The oil incident at Hemel Hempstead is currently being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Scottish Executive will consider any relevant recommendations which emerge from the investigation should they apply to Scotland.

This information is not held centrally. The assessment of risks associated with oil installations across Scotland is primarily a matter for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations in close liaison with the site operator and Category 1 responders such as the police and fire service.