Chamber and committees

The information requested is not available.

The number of optical vouchers for bifocal spectacles paid in respect of Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board area for the financial years 1996 to 2003 is shown in table 1. The number of optical vouchers for bifocal spectacles paid in respect of each ophthalmic dispenser in the board's area for the year 2003 is shown in table 2. Information for previous years is not available.Table 1

Year	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Number of Optical Vouchers for Bifocals Paid	8183	8071	7831	8403	6710	6926	7611	6867

Note:For year ending 31 March.Table 2

Ophthalmic Dispenser	Number of Optical Vouchers for Bifocals Paid
1	10
2	238
3	110
4	30
5	244
6	41
7	50
8	99
9	107
10	105
11	49
12	85
13	44
14	102
15	52
16	74
17	2
18	91
19	42
20	94
21	63
22	40
23	122
24	48
25	163
26	28
27	53
28	76
29	96
30	171
31	150
32	66
33	194
34	127
35	299
36	Nil
37	87
38	100
39	436
40	682
41	366
42	303
43	104
44	161
45	60
46	249
47	38
48	49
49	7
50	184
51	2
52	116
53	97
54	3
55	38
56	197
57	98
58	82
59	15
60	2
61	26
Total	6867

Notes:For year ending 31 March 2003.In line with data protection principles, the data have been anonymised.

Statistics on manufacturing output are not available on a monthly basis. The following table details the quarterly index of Gross Value Added (GVA) in the manufacturing sector between 1996 and 2002. Statistics on the cash value of manufacturing output are not available on a quarterly basis. The latest available estimate is from the Scottish Production Database and is for 2000. According to this source, gross value added in the manufacturing sector was £11.2 billion and turnover was £41.1 billion. Scottish Manufacturing Gross Value Added at Basic Prices (1995=100)

Year	Quarter	Index
1996	Q1	100.9
	Q2	102.1
	Q3	103.0
	Q4	105.3
1997	Q1	105.7
	Q2	109.0
	Q3	108.6
	Q4	111.3
1998	Q1	111.9
	Q2	110.9
	Q3	110.8
	Q4	112.1
1999	Q1	112.7
	Q2	114.0
	Q3	115.4
	Q4	115.5
2000	Q1	116.6
	Q2	116.2
	Q3	115.4
	Q4	114.3
2001	Q1	110.5
	Q2	109.3
	Q3	104.3
	Q4	99.3
2002	Q1	95.0
	Q2	94.3
	Q3	92.7
	Q4	91.2

Note: Index is in constant 1995 prices.

The number of optical voucher supplements for tints paid in respect of Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board area for the financial years 1996 to 2003 is shown in table 1. The number of optical voucher supplements for tints paid in respect of each ophthlamic dispenser in the board's area in 2003 is shown in table 2. Information for previous years is not available.Table 1

Year	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Number of Tint Supplements Paid	6,535	5,212	4,616	4,886	3,230	2,787	2,074	1,472

Note:For year ended 31 March.Table 2

Ophthalmic Dispenser	Number of Tint Supplements Paid
1	1
2	52
3	21
4	9
5	54
6	4
7	18
8	9
9	11
10	43
11	26
12	42
13	4
14	30
15	12
16	5
17	Nil
18	3
19	1
20	19
21	Nil
22	Nil
23	50
24	20
25	27
26	7
27	18
28	23
29	50
30	14
31	6
32	8
33	16
34	12
35	14
36	1
37	4
38	43
39	130
40	221
41	125
42	55
43	31
44	14
45	36
46	36
47	10
48	6
49	Nil
50	26
51	Nil
52	46
53	23
54	Nil
55	6
56	9
57	3
58	12
59	6
60	Nil
61	Nil
Total	1,472

Notes:For year ending 31 March 2003.In line with data protection principles, the data have been anonymised.

The current General Agreement on Trade in Services negotiations, which are due to end on 1 January 2005, are aimed at improving market access for exporters of services and should therefore have a positive impact on businesses. Exports of Scottish services, which rose by 13% in 2001, have the potential to play a significant role in increasing the levels of outward trade. The Scottish Executive therefore considers that these negotiations are important and is continuing to work closely with the UK Government on this matter.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-142 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.

This is a matter for Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board as the information requested is not held centrally. However, the Chief Executive of Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board has agreed to write to you on these matters.

The Scottish Executive is committed to ensuring that government in Scotland is efficient and decentralised, as part of a wider vision of more accessible, open and responsive government. We are committed to examining opportunities as they arise and on a case by case basis. In this context, no areas of the country are targeted and equally none are ruled out. If proposals are received to locate jobs in Edinburgh, these will be considered individually on their merits.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-6539 on 27 February 2003, which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/search.htm. It is anticipated that a contract for the construction and operation of the new motorway and Glasgow Southern Orbital road will be signed once the contractor satisfactorily completes his preparations to secure private sector funding to service the cash needs of the contracts.