Chamber and committees

I refer the member to answer to question S3W-22116 on 30 March 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is working with Scottish Government to identify a range of ways to help businesses in the current economic climate. This work includes waiving SEPA''s application charges; working with Scottish Enterprise and others to develop environmental and clean technologies, and improving SEPA''s engagement in the planning process. We will continue to work with SEPA to identify further action it can take to contribute to Scotland''s economic recovery.

In the quarter October to December 2008, 9,629 letters were received by ministers and 96 % received a reply within our target of 20 working days.

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are partly funded by UK Government and their primary role is to articulate employer skills needs through employer engagement and the production on Labour Market Intelligence.

Our skills body, Skills Development Scotland, is working with SSCs (including People 1st who represent the hospitality and tourism sector), industry bodies and training providers to develop public skills interventions which better meet the needs of individuals and employers in Scotland.

In response to the issues regarding qualifications highlighted in the Enterprise, Economy and Tourism Committee report, Growing Pains “ can we achieve a 50% growth in tourist revenue by 2015 the Scottish Government set up a short life Education and Training Tourism task group to establish sector needs and recommend a way forward. Membership is drawn from industry, training providers, national agencies and the Scottish Government. The task group will examine the issue of proliferation of qualifications, the purpose of hotel schools and will explain the role of public sector bodies in the education and training system.

The information requested is shown in the following table.

Ratio of Dentist Providing NHS General Dental Services to Registered NHS Patients by Local Authority Area, in the Years Ending 31 March 1999-2008^{1, 2, 3}

Local Authority Area	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Scotland	1:1369	1:1398	1:1377	1:1336	1:1305	1:1276	1:1235	1:1138	1:1055	1:1147
Aberdeen City	1:1423	1:1475	1:1434	1:1377	1:1190	1:1130	1:1058	1:860	1:686	1:612
Aberdeenshire	1:1529	1:1517	1:1623	1:1594	1:1632	1:1509	1:1362	1:1250	1:1107	1:1285
Angus	1:1133	1:1269	1:1202	1:1292	1:1274	1:1384	1:1475	1:1253	1:1134	1:1104
Argyll and Bute	1:1266	1:1250	1:1198	1:1199	1:1113	1:1075	1:1042	1:916	1:851	1:845
Scottish Borders	1:1483	1:1551	1:1498	1:1434	1:1483	1:1354	1:1253	1:1151	1:988	1:971
Clackmannanshire	1:1308	1:1339	1:1204	1:1230	1:1245	1:1394	1:1618	1:1331	1:1408	1:1468
West Dunbartonshire	1:1252	1:1388	1:1470	1:1456	1:1498	1:1457	1:1484	1:1369	1:1307	1:1509
Dumfries and Galloway	1:1679	1:1604	1:1755	1:1791	1:1683	1:1537	1:1455	1:1222	1:1070	1:1120
Dundee City	1:1215	1:1291	1:1296	1:1266	1:1216	1:1152	1:1099	1:1010	1:864	1:1124
East Ayrshire	1:1222	1:1363	1:1435	1:1574	1:1372	1:1204	1:1143	1:1099	1:838	1:1020
East Dunbartonshire	1:1013	1:1007	1:1006	1:963	1:907	1:838	1:833	1:820	1:848	1:988
East Lothian	1:1125	1:1173	1:1296	1:1211	1:1178	1:1068	1:1042	1:1026	1:917	1:867
East Renfrewshire	1:1127	1:1192	1:1168	1:1171	1:1170	1:1173	1:1058	1:1027	1:1012	1:1166
City of Edinburgh	1:1022	1:1049	1:1021	1:993	1:979	1:989	1:1005	1:944	1:887	1:934
Falkirk	1:1336	1:1456	1:1351	1:1373	1:1412	1:1469	1:1339	1:1287	1:1085	1:1119
Fife	1:1327	1:1378	1:1323	1:1335	1:1308	1:1371	1:1290	1:1017	1:904	1:965
Glasgow City	1:1150	1:1173	1:1171	1:1122	1:1100	1:1102	1:1024	1:1023	1:1009	1:1088
Highland	1:1130	1:1171	1:1150	1:1002	1:1007	1:924	1:797	1:693	1:586	1:656
Inverclyde	1:1448	1:1440	1:1294	1:1290	1:1434	1:1303	1:1320	1:1177	1:1095	1:1144
Midlothian	1:1363	1:1413	1:1490	1:1470	1:1416	1:1551	1:1595	1:1461	1:1273	1:1530
Moray	1:1821	1:1782	1:1733	1:1603	1:1377	1:1015	1:835	1:794	1:665	1:725
North Ayrshire	1:1414	1:1512	1:1498	1:1455	1:1450	1:1476	1:1501	1:1538	1:1488	1:1632
North Lanarkshire	1:1409	1:1468	1:1444	1:1381	1:1364	1:1285	1:1242	1:1333	1:1327	1:1483
Orkney Islands	1:2070	1:1506	1:1429	1:1186	1:1086	1:621	1:840	1:485	1:537	1:738
Perth and Kinross	1:1396	1:1377	1:1290	1:1199	1:1057	1:1187	1:1110	1:806	1:737	1:767
Renfrewshire	1:1136	1:1160	1:1098	1:1054	1:1084	1:1072	1:1141	1:1062	1:1069	1:1145
Shetland Islands	1:1057	1:944	1:1085	1:683	1:896	1:928	1:939	1:807	1:617	1:666
South Ayrshire	1:1427	1:1569	1:1570	1:1505	1:1588	1:1461	1:1474	1:1501	1:1503	1:1323
South Lanarkshire	1:1178	1:1174	1:1214	1:1171	1:1151	1:1150	1:1168	!:1121	1:1197	1:1230
Stirling	1:1427	1:1357	1:1387	1:1259	1:1263	1:1277	1:1208	1:1004	1:1321	1:1343
West Lothian	1:1062	1:1071	1:1164	1:1210	1:1230	1:1246	1:1202	1:1162	1:1127	1:1238
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	1:986	1:1017	1:1016	1:1646	1:1053	1:1219	1:746	1:608	1:718	1:872

Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

Notes:

1. The ratio is calculated by dividing the number (head count) of NHS salaried and non-salaried dentists by the number of registered NHS patients as at 31 March 1999-2008.

2. Local authority area is defined using the postcode of the dental practice where the patient is registered, not the postcode of the patient.

3. A dentist may enter into more than one arrangement with an NHS board if he/she has more than one practice in the area, or enter into an arrangement with more than one NHS board if he/she practises in more than one NHS board area. As a result, the sum of the number of dentists in each NHS board area, and therefore in each local authority area, exceeds the number of dentists practising in Scotland.

No target has been set for the number of jobs created or secured from Homecoming events in 2009. However, based on the target to deliver an additional £40 million in tourism revenue and using the Scottish Government''s Input-Output Model for 2004, analysis indicates that this expenditure on tourism would normally equate to the development of approximately 1,000 jobs across all sectors.

Recent investment by Transport Scotland across road and rail - either in long term maintenance or specific infrastructure construction - has supported nearly 13,000 jobs and over £2.5 billion will be invested in Scotland''s strategic transport network over the next three years, supporting the economy through the efficient movement of goods and people.

The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) has recommended 29 nationally strategic transport schemes over the next 20 years that will let us plan for the delivery of an efficient, integrated transport network fit for the 21st century.

A significant number of jobs will therefore be created or secured in delivering these schemes. These will include employing people to take forward the detailed design and development work associated with each scheme and then undertake the necessary construction work to complete each scheme.

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Tourism is one pathway within the hospitality modern apprenticeship framework.

The numbers starting the hospitality modern apprenticeship framework for the last five years are as follows:

2004-05	1,670
2005-06	1,416
2006-07	1,096
2007-08	1,015
2008-09 (to end January 2009)	271

 

Tourism is one pathway within the Hospitality Modern Apprenticeship framework.

The numbers of adults (aged 20 and above) completing the Hospitality Modern Apprenticeship framework for the last five years are as follows:

2004-05	452
2005-06	567
2006-07	638
2007-08	615
2008-09 (to end January 2009)	328

 

Tourism is one pathway within the hospitality modern apprenticeship framework.

The numbers of adults (aged 20 and above) starting the hospitality modern apprenticeship framework for the last five years are as follows:

2004-05	1,234
2005-06	1,079
2006-07	851
2007-08	735
2008-09 (to end January 2009)	0