Chamber and committees

Ministers have not yet approvedall NHS board schemes of establishment for Community Health Partnerships (CHPs)and therefore cannot confirm the total number of CHPs across Scotland. Asof 18 April 2005, nine NHS boards have received approval for their schemesof establishment and the Scottish Executive Health Department has written to NHSboard chairs requesting the estimated financial cost of the establishment of CHPcommittees, taking into account the dissolution of Primary Care Divisions and LocalHealth Care Co-operatives.

Guidance issued by the ScottishExecutive Health Department in April 2005 to NHS boards highlighted the requirementfor NHS board chairs to ensure that these new partnership arrangements are affordablewithin current budgets. This information will be summarised and made available inJune 2005.

E.coli O157 can be a serious infection and, in addition to causing gastroenteritis, is the most common cause of kidney failure in children in Scotland. Infections occur as either outbreaks, where a general outbreak is defined as involving members of more than one household or as sporadic cases where only 1 individual or household is affected with no apparent links to known outbreaks.

Health Protection Scotland conducted a national case-control study of sporadic cases of E.coli O157 in Scotland from 1996 to 1999. This study found that contact with the faeces of animals found on farms or smallholdings emerged as the strongest single risk factor for E.coli O157 infection. This type of contact was most common amongst children aged four to seven.

Between 1996 and 2003, in cases where the source of infection could be established, Health Protection Scotland identified;

eight outbreaks of E.coli O157 located on farm premises, in which 20 children under 16 were infected.

An additional 40 children were infected with E.coli O157 after camping on ground used for pasture, which was contaminated with farm animal faeces. 

A further 11 children were infected with E.coli O157 in outbreaks where the evidence suggested that water supplies were contaminated by farm animal faeces.

In 1999, 29 children were infected with E.coli O157 infection in a single outbreak, after eating homemade goat’s milk cheese prepared on a smallholding.

In March 2005 the Scottish Executive launched a campaign to raise awareness of the risk of contracting E.coli O157 from animals/animal pasture and to advise of simple precautions which can be take to reduce this risk.

More information is available on the internet at www.handsclean.info.

The E.coli O157 public information campaign has an advertising allocation of £98,477.00 for the financial year 2004-05. Spend to date is £87,209.00, although this may not be the definitive spend figure for this financial year. In addition to this, the campaign has received marketing support costs of £12,644.00. Reconciled figures will not be available until July 2005.

This information is not held by the Scottish Executive. Prior to 1 April 1999, the budget for support of asylum seekers was split between the then Department of Social Security and the Department of Health.

The quality of climate and relationships in schools is regarded by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education as one crucial aspect of school discipline. “Climate and Relationships” are evaluated in every primary and secondary school inspection using the four point scale of “fair”, “satisfactory”, “good” or “very good”. This scale is used along with others to describe the effectiveness of the whole school. This approach allows for the wide range of factors which contribute to school discipline, in addition to the recommendations of Better Behaviour – Better Learning, to be assessed and understood, including effective teaching and learning and strong leadership.

The findings of school inspection reports are collated to inform thematic reports such as A Climate for Learning (2005), which reported on progress of implementation of Better Behaviour – Better Learning (BB-BL). Through thematic inspections and in all school and education authority inspections Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education will continue to monitor progress with implementation of the recommendations in the BB-BL report.

This information is not held centrally, but is being collected from 2004-05.

The information is not held centrally, but is being collected from 2004-05.

The information is not held centrally, but is being collected from 2004-05.

The National Asylum Support Service was not established until 1999, therefore, it is not possible to provide this information.

The Scottish Executive does not hold centrally information on the destination of teachers working in special schools which have been closed or the reasons for school closure. Local authorities have not advised the Scottish Executive of any of its special schools having been closed as a result of the mainstreaming policy. The Scottish Executive will continue to fund the seven grant-aided special schools until, at least, 2008.