Chamber and committees

Extensive research undertaken by our labour market intelligence unit, Futureskills Scotland, has consistently shown that skills shortages are not a major issue in the Scottish labour market. The most recent Employer Skills Survey, which was published on 27 January, presents the results from interviews with over 7,500 employers in Scotland, and shows again that attracting appropriately skilled staff is a mid ranking challenge facing Scottish businesses. The number of skills shortage vacancies in Scotland is small - equivalent to less than 1% of all employees and affecting 5% of establishments.

That said, some sectors do have issues with hard-to-fill vacancies and there is continuing demand in areas of our public sector, we are taking steps to address these. We are also putting in place now steps to address our longer term demographic projections of a declining and aging population through our Fresh Talent Initiative, which aims to ensure we have the skills and talent to enable our economy to continue to grow.

Scotland already benefits from the diverse listing of skills and specialists included under the UK’s Shortage Occupations Scheme, and we will continue to discuss with the Home Office opportunities open to Scotland under the existing immigration rules, including the Shortage Occupation Scheme, to ensure maximum advantage for Scotland.

Patient safety is of paramount importance and no NHS employee should be working when they are overtired. That is why implementation of the working time regulations is a key element in our work to improve patient care. By far the most significant impact of the working time regulations is among junior doctors because of the historically long hours they worked. The Executive wants all doctors in training to enjoy safer working conditions and provide the highest quality of patient care. Since the introduction of the New Deal Contract, junior doctors’ hours have been cut significantly, and around 97% of doctors in training in Scotland are now working for 56 hours a week or less.

Data on the total weekly hours available from doctors in training from 1993 to 2009, showing the impact of the Working Time Regulations, are provided at chart 17 in chapter 4 of the Scottish Health Workforce Plan–2004 Baseline, published by the Scottish Executive in 2004. A copy of this is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32656).

This shows that available hours from doctors in training across Scotland increased between 1993 and 2000 and then remained stable between 2001 and 2003 (the latest year for which data are available). This was due to an increase in the number of doctors in training over the same period, as shown at chart 19 of the same publication.

The Scottish Executive believes that specialisation across various disciplines can improve outcomes for patients.

Trained surgeons are listed on the General Medical Council Specialist Register as having completed training in the relevant specialty, while trainee surgeons learn and perfect surgical procedures under the supervision of a consultant surgeon. Judging when a surgeon is able to undertake specific operations is a matter for agreement between the surgeon and the employing NHS board.

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has devised generic clinical governance standards to ensure that clinical practice is audited systematically. These include questions that patients may wish to ask about any surgical procedure they may undergo. The Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality is one example of this type of audit, which assists surgeons to reflect on their practice. Clinical audit is key in terms of monitoring clinical performance.

The publication of the final report of the Atkinson Review on 31 January was an important and welcome development. The report will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to the measurement of public sector output and productivity in the UK.

The Scottish Executive has been working closely with Sir Tony and his team throughout the whole review process and this features in his final report.

The review has important implications for Scotland. The Executive will be producing a Scottish-based strategy in the spring which is consistent with International Standards (as detailed in the review), while over the next few months we shall focus our efforts on the National Statistician’s nine priority recommendations and attempt to provide data for Scotland for inclusion in the UK National Accounts – for publication in the 2005 Blue Book in June.

In November 2003 the Executive awarded £0.5 million to Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) to undertake a feasibility study into their Crossrail proposals. In November 2004 SPT appointed the consultants Scott Wilson to carry out the study. Its findings are expected in mid-June.

Greater Glasgow Health Board has in place a range of measures to improve the oral health of children, including schemes to distribute free toothbrushes and paste to infants and to encourage toothbrushing skills in young children attending nurseries throughout the city. This work is further complemented by multi-professional locality based oral health action teams established to encourage a range of professional interests to work together to tackle the causes of dental disease. Though the Executive has stated that existing legislation on water fluoridation will not be amended in this Parliament, the Water (Fluoridation) Act 1985, which sets the framework for the introduction of fluoridation schemes, remains in force.

Under the Act Scottish Water may fluoridate the public water supply when an NHS board so applies, following local consultation.

The Scottish Executive has made available an additional £17 million of central funding to NHS boards for audiology services over the period 2003-04 to 2006-07. Additionally, recurring funding of £5.5 million has been committed to audiology services from 2006-07 onwards. The Executive is closely monitoring the development of the modernisation project and we are considering innovative ways to continue to reduce waiting times as a matter of urgency. This includes looking at partnerships between NHS boards and the private sector.

In 2004-05, NHS Greater Glasgow was allocated £1,176,540 from the Audiology Modernisation Project Board funds for staffing, accommodation upgrades and digital hearing aids and to support the waiting list initiative.

The following table details the full cost of those projects of £3 million or more directly funded in full or in part by the then Scottish Office. Although there was no West of Scotland European Parliament constituency in practice, the Boundary Commission proposed in 1995 to establish such a constituency, and the table below reflects that. Where a scheme crosses a constituency boundary this is indicated by an asterisk. In such a case, no apportionment has been attempted, and the full cost is shown.

Glasgow
M74 Maryville Advance Works	£10 million
M80 Stepps Bypass	£44 million
M74 Maryville to Fullarton Road	£37 million
*M77 Ayr Road Route	£55 million
West of Scotland (as proposed)
A82 Camus nan Clais to Hollybank	£10 million
A82 Luss to Camus nan Clais	£15 million
A82 Luss Bypass	£13 million
M8 St James Interchange	£33 million
*M77 Ayr Road Route	£55 million
MV Caledonian Isles (Ardrossan-Brodick)	£11.1 million
Lothians
A7 North Middleton Bypass	£3 million
A7 Dalkeith Bypass	£12 million
M8 Edinburgh - Newbridge	£57 million

 

In addition, a number of projects were completed by SPT. Several of these projects involved EU and UK Government funding, but details are not held centrally.

Funding was also provided for the following rolling stock in the Strathclyde Passenger Transport area:

Class 156s for the East Kilbride, Cumbernauld, Barrhead, Kilmarnock and Paisley Lines (22).

Class 320s for the North Electric lines (22).

The following table details the full cost of those projects of £3 million or more directly funded in full or in part by the then Scottish Office or the ScottishExecutive. Although there was no West of Scotland European Parliament constituency in practice, the Boundary Commission proposed in 1995 to establish such a constituency, and the table below reflects that. Where a scheme crosses a constituency boundary this is indicated by an asterisk. In such a case, no apportionment has been attempted, and the full cost is shown.

Glasgow
A8 Baillieston - Newhouse (Refurbishment)	£31 million
Kingston Bridge Complex (since 1996)	£72 million
*Larkhall-Milngavie	£34.5 million
West of Scotland (as proposed)
*A78 Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston Bypass	£40 million
*M77 Fenwick-Malletsheugh / Glasgow Southern Orbital	£132 million
*Larkhall-Milngavie	£34.5 million
MV Coruisk (Upper Clyde)	£7.15 million
MV Bute (Wemyss Bay-Rothesay No1)	£8.5 million
New Vessel (Wemyss Bay-Rothesay No2)	£9.65 million
New Vessel (Largs-Cumbrae)	£5.62 million
Brodick Linkspan	£4.38 million
Lothians
M8 Newbridge Interchange	£8 million
Edinburgh City Bypass Phase 1 (Refurbishment)	£7 million
Edinburgh City Bypass Phase 2 (Refurbishment)	£8 million
Edinburgh Crossrail	£11 million
West Edinburgh Bus Scheme	£10 million

 

In addition, the Scottish Executive: funded the procurement of 29 new trains at a cost of £100 million which will benefit the Glasgow and Lothians constituencies; committed £7.4 million for platform extensions which will benefit the Glasgow constituency, and committed £14 million towards depot enhancements which will benefit the Glasgow and Lothians constituencies.

In addition a number of projects were completed by SPT. Several of these projects involved EU and UK Government funding, but details are not held centrally.

Class 334s for Ayrshire routes - part provided under the franchise and two procured by SPT for Larkhall (40).

Class 170s for Glasgow Croy - compensation units for late delivery of 334s (2).

The Executive has no current plans to publish operator specific estimates.