Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40156 on 16 March 2011. 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 information requested is not centrally available. Information detailing the costs of these biopsies for treatment of cervical cancer may be available at NHS board level.

This information is not collected centrally. Information detailing the number of colposcopy''s undertaken and the associated costs may be available at NHS board level.

I have made an announcement on 4 March 2011 to extend the current support provisions in line with the recently published Contaminated Blood Review report, to:

Introduce an annual payment of £12,800 for those living with hepatitis C who qualify for Stage 2 payments from the Skipton Fund;

Allow posthumous clams for support to be made on behalf of people who died before 29 August 2003;

Increase the one-off payment made to those who qualify for Stage 2 payments from £25,000 to £50,000 (whether the patient is alive or dead);

Give access to discretionary fund for patients and/or their dependants suffering financial hardship;

Relevant patients who develop hepatitis C-related B cell lymphoma to be eligible to claim for Stage 2 payment; and

Increase the annual payment for those with hepatitis C/HIV in line with the consumer price index.

I understand that patient representatives believe that payments to those in Stage 1 of the illness should also be increased. I am also therefore announcing that this issue, and the implementation of the measures confirmed today, will be reviewed when we consider the final report (and any recommendations) of the Penrose Inquiry.

The cost of these new provisions is estimated to be around £18 million over the next
five years. Funding for the first year has been earmarked from the health budget for 2011-12 and, thereafter, funding will be provided through future health budgets.

After consultation with Lord Penrose, I have decided to amend the terms of reference on the basis of new evidence that has come to light in the form of medical reports which do not support a link between Mr Neil Mullen''s death and any treatment received by the NHS.

The revised term of reference 6 will be amended to read:

To investigate the deaths of Reverend David Black, Mrs Eileen O''Hara, Alexander Black Laing and Victor Tamburrini, with particular reference to the circumstances in which they became infected with the hepatitis C virus, HIV or both.

The Scottish Government (SG) has been very proactive in overcoming delays to wind farm developments due to radar issues. The SG formed the South West Scotland Aviation Solution Group in March 2009 which has met seven times and brings together all the relevant stakeholders. Developments in this forum led to the publication of the SG''s Feasibility Report which described the potential for finding solutions to radar issues and is the foundation upon which much of the progress made to date has been built. SG is also member of the Aviation Management Board which brings stakeholders together at UK level, including to support the development of new technological solutions.

The work is ongoing and covers a multitude of developments requiring different solutions, including some at pre-planning stage, so it is not possible to apply any timescales for completion.

Further information on the issue and the feasibility report can be obtained on the SG website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Infrastructure/Energy-Consents/Guidance.

The Scottish Government welcomes the report and notes how such a fund could help deliver its objectives for increased local ownership of energy by communities and rural enterprises. Proposals for funding a community renewables loan scheme are included in the Budget Bill and we are currently considering how the scheme might be extended to provide access to land managers.

	Number	Whole Time Equivalent
Aberdeen City	520	153
Aberdeenshire	313	214
Angus	247	177
Argyll and Bute	298	228
Clackmannashire	85	57
Dumfries and Galloway	0	0
Dundee City	188	159
East Ayrshire	59	52
East Dunbartonshire	0	0
East Lothian	209	128
East Renfrewshire	83	68
Edinburgh, City of	562	442
Eilean Siar	228	162
Falkirk	229	192
Fife	479	419
Glasgow	655	552
Highland	495	395
Inverclyde	30	23
Midlothian	156	115
Moray	17	8
North Ayrshire	151	128
North Lanarkshire	285	230
Orkney Islands	260	206
Perth and Kinross	161	127
Renfrewshire	239	186
Scottish Borders	296	196
Shetland Islands	356	234
South Ayrshire	128	70
South Lanarkshire	499	409
Stirling	130	111
West Dunbartonshire	267	222
West Lothian	300	223
Scotland	7925	5885

Note: The figures provided are for staff who are specifically identified as working in services for older people and are employed by the local authority. There will be others who work with all client groups as part of their duties, including older people.

Source: Local Authority Social Work Services Staffing Census 2009.

The figures do not include staff who work in the private and voluntary sectors as they are not included in this census.

NHS workforce data is published by National Services Scotland Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland annually, as at 30 September 2009 and is available at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=Overall%20staff%202009_vt.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment.

The total costs to healthcare services in Scotland of alcohol misuse was estimated by the York Health Economics Consortium, University of York, to be £267.8 million (mid-point) in 2007, however, this figure is not broken down by NHS board.

 

The following is the original answer (published on 23 September 2010); see below.

 

The total costs to healthcare services in Scotland of alcohol misuse was estimated by the York Health Economics Consortium, University of York, to be £268.8 million (mid-point) in 2007, however, this figure is not broken down by NHS board.