Chamber and committees

I refer the member to thequestion S2W-27084, answered on 24 July 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

I refer the member to thequestion S2W-27084, answered on 24 July 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

Such acts are normallyreported to the police but no consistent record is maintained, nor is SPSroutinely notified of the outcome by the police or the Crown.

The Scottish Executive doesnot approve or contract directly with independent sector providers for thetreatment of NHS patients. Precise contract details are negotiated and held atlocal NHS board level and are not held centrally.

Fair to All, Personal toEach, published in December 2004, pledged£45 million over three years to negotiate contracts with the independenthealthcare sector to enable NHS patients to receive their operations morequickly. The Executive, through the National Waiting Times Unit, has allocatedthis funding to NHS boards on an Arbuthnott formula basis, to purchaseadditional capacity from the independent sector.

The Scottish Executive doesnot contract directly with independent healthcare sector providers for thetreatment of NHS patients. Precise contract details are negotiated and held atlocal NHS board level and are not held centrally.

Table 1 shows the estimatednumber of employee jobs earning exactly the National Minimum Wage (NMW) by agegroup for Scotland. The NMW was extended to cover those under 18 inOctober 2004, ASHE results are for April each year, and therefore 16 to 17 yearolds earning the NMW are only considered for the 2005 ASHE results.

The estimates in the tableare based on a sample survey, and as such, are subject to sampling error anddisclosure control. Estimates which are disclosive (based on less than threeemployees) have been suppressed. Estimates are not available by local authorityarea due to the small sample sizes involved.

Table 1 Number of employeejobs earning the National Minimum Wage, Scotland

Source: Annual Survey ofHours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

x – Estimate is disclosive

Notes:

1. The estimates are basedon the hourly pay excluding overtime and shift premium payments.

2. The estimates are based on asample survey, and as such, are subject to sampling error.

3. To improve coverage andhence make the survey more representative, supplementary information wascollected from the 2004 ASHE survey onwards. The 2004 and 2005 ASHE results aretherefore discontinuous with the results for 2003 and previous years, for whichno supplementary information was collected.

The information coversspecialist staff employed by media and communications (M&C) Division. “Communications”data covers staff previously known as “Press” officers. The figures include anyexternal secondees from the roster agencies working directly with M&C. Thereare currently five in Marketing and Public Relations. The secondment programmecommenced in autumn 2003.

Staff in post figures areshown as a 1 January snapshot each year and also include the position as at 1 July 2006.

All prisons allow prisonersto appropriately secure out-of-doors exercise areas, in accordance with Rule 89of the Prisons & Young Offenders Institution (Scotland)Rules 2006.