Chamber and committees

Information on the number of pupils with asthma or a severe allergy are not collected or held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15688 on 26 June 2013. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

172 Dental students graduated from Scottish dental schools this year.

153 dental graduates have secured vocational training places to date and we are confident that the remaining Scottish graduates will be placed.

The Scottish Government’s commitment is to match the number of dental Vocational Training (VT) places available in Scotland to the Scottish dental schools graduate output.

The 2013 Scottish dental schools graduate output is 172 and, as of today, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has secured 172 likely dental VT posts, a small number of which are still being assessed to ensure they meet the training criteria. NES continues to actively explore the potential for further dental VT places within the salaried and hospital dental services.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) first became aware of a need for additional dental Vocational Training (VT) places at the conclusion of its round one recruitment exercise at the end of January 2013.

In accordance with its procedures, following an evaluation of the outcome from round one recruitment, NES subsequently informed the Scottish Government of a need for additional VT places and of their intentions to instigate a round two recruitment exercise. The Scottish Government endorsed that approach, which commenced on 19 April 2013, while also requesting that NES explore whether training capacity existed within other areas of dental services in Scotland, such as within the Salaried and hospital dental services.

Following round two recruitment, which concluded end May 2013, an additional 32 places were identified as possible VT training posts, bringing the total number of likely VT places available in Scotland to 172.

Officials in policy teams across a number of areas in the Scottish Government are working on contributions which will be included in the White Paper.

The Scottish Government’s policy of no compulsory redundancies and pay restraint means we can provide staff with job security at an economically challenging time, while delivering the efficiency savings necessary to live within the tight financial settlement we have received from Westminster.

Scottish Government staff costs for each of the last five years are given in the following table:

Note: *Figures are for Scottish Government Core and Agency staff and include wages, salaries, national insurance and pension costs.

Costs in an independent Scotland would depend on the number of civil servants employed at the time.

In the event of a vote for independence in the 2014 referendum, Scotland would subsequently take responsibility for matters presently reserved to the UK Government. There would therefore be a continuing need for public services currently delivered by UK Government Departments and public bodies.

The Scottish Government would take responsibility for the direct delivery of some new functions in Scotland and is also open to the continued sharing of certain UK Government services and structures where that provides an effective solution for an independent Scotland and for the rest of the UK. Civil Service jobs would therefore continue on independence, and some new opportunities would be created, but political accountability and some delivery structures would change. Providing continuity of services, including any arrangements for the transfer of UK Government staff into the Scottish Government where and when that is appropriate, would be a key feature of independence negotiations between the Scottish and UK Governments in due course.

In the Edinburgh Agreement both the Scottish and UK Governments committed to continue to work together constructively in the light of the outcome of the referendum in the best interests of the people of Scotland and of the rest of the United Kingdom. Within that spirit, the Scottish Government would take a pragmatic and responsible approach to independence negotiations. Existing expertise in Scotland would be drawn upon as and when functions transfer to Scotland and there will be full consultation with the Civil Service unions as the Scottish Government develops its detailed plans for independence.

Civil servants currently employed by the Scottish Government would continue to be so on independence. Existing terms and conditions of employment, including pension rights, would not be affected.

Latest figures for Scottish public sector employment (Q1 2013), including Scottish Government civil servants, can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/06/9041

Unlike the UK Government, which cut 5,800 civil service jobs in Scotland between 2007 and 2013 – including 2,700 in MOD, 2,100 in HMRC and 1,200 in DWP – the Scottish Government has a strong record of valuing public services in Scotland and is operating a policy of no compulsory redundancies within the devolved public sector.

The number of civil servants required to administer the full range of policies and services that will become the responsibility of an independent Scotland will be dependent on a number of variables, including the overall public sector landscape that is inherited at the point of independence and the decisions taken by Scottish Ministers on the delivery, transition to and design of Scottish policies and services thereafter.

The Scottish Government’s plans for a constitutional platform to enable the transfer of sovereignty from Westminster to Scotland are set out in “Scotland’s Future: From the Referendum to Independence and a Written Constitution, available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/02/8079/3,

The constitutional platform would extend the powers of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government into all currently reserved policy areas, including matters relating to the civil service. It would also provide for legislation in all currently reserved areas, including any legislative provisions in respect of the civil service, to continue after independence with any necessary amendments.