Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive has no plans to establish a national service for people diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. The provision of services to meet the health and social care needs of people diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders is a matter for local health and social care organisations.We have asked local authorities and NHS boards to conduct a joint audit of existing health, social care and children's services. Responses are due by the end of April and an analysis of the returns will inform the next steps for developing services.

The content of antenatal programmes in Scotland varies across NHS boards and the Executive does not hold information on whether first aid is a part of these. The Health Education Board for Scotland is undertaking a mapping exercise of current antenatal activity.

The information requested is given in the following table.Deaths Under Five Years of Age, by NHS Board Area, 1998-2001

NHS Board Area	1998	1999	2000	2001	20021
Argyll and Clyde	35	29	30	30	32
Ayrshire and Arran	26	26	36	38	24
Borders	9	4	3	4	9
Dumfries and Galloway	9	8	7	11	11
Fife	22	20	14	17	34
Forth Valley	26	18	14	23	14
Grampian	34	33	29	35	22
Greater Glasgow	81	63	87	58	76
Highland	16	10	14	12	10
Lanarkshire	36	31	51	31	30
Lothian	62	61	56	40	48
Orkney	-	1	-	1	-
Shetland	1	2	-	-	-
Tayside	24	26	17	29	26
Western Isles	2	1	-	3	1

Note:1. Figures for 2002 are provisional.

The total cost of the consultation seminars on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill will be, approximately, £15,500.

The total cost of printing the consultation document on the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill and distributing it with the accompanying framework document, Moving Forward! Additional Support for Learning, was £24,379.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34097 today. 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/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34097 today. 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/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34097 today. 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/webapp/search_wa.

The draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Bill was published for consultation on 17 January 2003. The consultation runs until 28 March 2003 and responses can be sent in writing or by e-mail. Over 7,000 copies of the draft bill have been distributed to education authorities, social work services, health officials, head teachers, parents, voluntary and other organisations. It is also available on the internet, including Parentzone, the website for parents of school age children. In addition, the Scottish Executive is running a programme of 14 seminars across Scotland, with 1,800 places, to further encourage responses to the consultation. Focus groups are being arranged with specific interests groups and children are also being consulted.

This is still under consideration by the Executive.