Chamber and committees

Details of vacant medical posts are published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at www.isdscotland.org/workforce. The specific information requested is not available centrally. The vacancies table in the medical and dental section gives the number of vacancies by speciality and by NHS board area and year. The table also gives the number of posts which have been vacant for six months or more. Latest available data is at 30 September 2007.

The specific information requested is not centrally available. Details of Information on staff employed in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at >www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

Latest available data is at 30 September 2007.

Scottish ministers and officials continue to have constructive dialogue with representatives from the Scottish GP Committee of the British Medical Association (BMA).

The current offer to GP practices promotes flexible access for the people of Scotland while also offering a substantial increase in investment through the GP contract. If the offer is accepted, the average practice in Scotland that extends opening hours by 2.5 hours per week will receive new money worth £19,000.

The BMA have decided to poll GPs throughout the UK on the terms of the offer, including the Scottish elements. We believe that this offer is fair and hope that GPs will vote in favour of the present deal. We look forward to receiving the results early next month.

In the 2007-08 academic session, 462 students studying dentistry at Glasgow and Dundee dental schools are in receipt of the dental bursary and undertake to work in NHS dental services in Scotland for up to five years following qualification.

Yes. I announced on 19 February 2008 that the Scottish Government will meet the costs of the £1,775 per year tuition fees for the students studying at the new Aberdeen Dental School. These students will also be eligible to apply for the dental bursary.

Yes. The students studying at the new Aberdeen dental school will be eligible to apply for the dental bursary of £4,000 per year in return for an undertaking to work in NHS dental services in Scotland for a period of up to five years following qualification.

The latest available informationis shown in the table.

PrematureSingleton Live Births^1,2 by Gestation, Health Board of Residence^3;Year Ending 31 March

	Number of Premature Births (<37 Weeks Gestation)
	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Scotland 4	3,175	3,277	3,216	3,223	3,181	3,061	2,878	3,016	3,240	3,161
Ayrshire and Arran	220	248	217	217	233	235	209	249	237	255
Borders	76	63	58	49	53	58	44	50	56	42
Dumfries and Galloway	72	70	77	66	86	82	83	72	73	72
Fife	234	220	204	212	201	185	184	201	213	178
Forth Valley	133	136	137	167	183	159	177	178	195	156
Glasgow and Clyde	860	875	886	868	869	812	773	763	871	852
Grampian	307	301	326	333	313	302	273	347	303	328
Highland	131	160	158	183	176	179	124	142	140	161
Islands	33	32	25	34	31	27	27	20	30	38
Lanarkshire	328	380	346	366	318	304	291	278	354	323
Lothian	505	520	486	446	466	458	429	460	487	494
Tayside	248	242	265	251	211	213	227	220	245	230

 

	Rate of premature births per 1,000 live births
	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Scotland4	55.4	58.1	57.0	58.9	60.7	60.3	58.7	61.2	63.9	61.8
Ayrshire and Arran	55.0	62.4	55.5	55.8	65.3	66.2	60.9	75.2	67.9	72.5
Borders	67.8	59.0	57.5	50.2	54.4	61.0	43.7	53.5	58.2	43.1
Dumfries and Galloway	47.1	50.9	51.5	48.1	63.5	62.9	71.1	57.2	57.1	53.7
Fife	62.8	60.5	56.6	59.3	58.6	54.6	54.4	59.4	60.8	48.9
Forth Valley	44.7	47.3	44.8	55.0	64.2	57.0	66.7	64.9	67.8	51.5
Glasgow and Clyde	60.0	62.3	62.4	65.3	68.3	65.3	65.0	63.9	70.7	69.6
Grampian	52.0	51.9	56.0	58.4	56.7	59.1	55.9	68.2	61.0	63.1
Highland	40.7	50.8	49.8	59.0	62.5	63.4	47.7	55.0	52.0	60.5
Islands	41.4	46.6	36.4	48.2	45.9	47.6	46.8	32.6	49.8	62.5
Lanarkshire	51.1	60.0	54.5	58.8	53.5	52.3	51.1	48.7	61.3	54.9
Lothian	57.9	59.1	56.7	52.5	56.3	57.8	55.5	60.1	60.5	62.1
Tayside	60.0	57.2	63.5	63.7	55.1	57.5	62.5	61.2	65.1	62.6

Source: SMR02 (ISD).

Notes:

1. Excludes home births and birthsat non-NHS hospitals.

2. Where four or more babiesare involved in a pregnancy, birth details are recorded only for the first threebabies delivered.

3. Figures may differ slightlyfrom previously published data due to the use of a different postcode referencefile being used.

4. Includes births where NHSboard of residence is unknown or outside Scotland.

The information requested isshown in the table.

Number¹ of Still Birthsby NHS Board of Residence and Year of Registration

	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Scotland2	381	319	351	286	298	301	278	296	317	292	296
Ayrshire and Arran	28	32	14	20	16	25	19	16	21	18	21
Borders	**	**	8	**	11	*	*	**	*	**	*
Dumfries and Galloway	13	19	8	*	**	8	6	7	*	7	*
Fife	26	19	30	24	22	18	19	23	13	21	24
Forth Valley	18	13	14	8	15	13	11	17	20	22	16
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	96	67	91	72	97	85	82	83	105	83	73
Grampian	42	29	38	31	34	33	26	24	25	23	31
Highland	21	17	17	17	13	15	17	10	16	11	16
Islands	*	*	6	6	*	**	*	*	*	*	*
Lanarkshire	42	48	43	35	29	38	29	45	34	32	39
Lothian	51	40	49	46	33	39	42	42	54	44	43
Tayside	33	24	28	15	14	16	19	17	16	15	19

Source: Scottish Stillbirthand Infant Death Survey.

Notes:

1. Figures may differ slightlyfrom previously published data due to the use of a different postcode referencefile.

2. Includes births where NHSboard of residence is unknown or outside Scotland.

* Cell values of less than 5have been suppressed.

** Cell values of up to 10 havebeen suppressed where column totals would reveal the value of cell values of lessthan 5.

The Scottish Governmentprovides funding to Road Safety Scotland for the development of key road safetyeducation initiatives and publicity messages. Road Safety Scotland’s business planfor 2007-08 does not include plans for a campaign on the dangers caused by dieseland oil spills.

In deciding its prioritiesfor publicity campaigns, Road Safety Scotland concentrates on known major causesof road deaths and serious injuries, such as speeding, drink driving and seat beltuse.

Out of a total of13,109 injury accidents in Scotland in 2006, there were 81 accidents, includingone fatal, in which the presence of oil or diesel on the road was recorded. Thisrepresents 0.6% of injury accidents.

The Scottish Governmenthas no such plans as the enforcement of the legislation in respect of diesel andoil spills on roads is a matter for the police.