Chamber and committees

Informationprior to 1997 and agency figures are not held centrally. The latest figure forlocal authority social workers is 4,017, whole-time equivalent, as at October2002, an increase of 21% over the 1997 total. Returns from an incompleteconsultation (29 local authorities) indicate the overall establishment of social worker posts increasing by nearly 4.4%between June and December 2003.

Table 1 shows the number oflive births in Scotland, babies discharged from neonatal units¹in Scotland and the percentage neonatal discharges from such aunit.

Table 1: Births^2,3and Percentage of Babies Discharged from Neonatal Units:1996-97 to 2001-02

Scotland4	Live Births	Neonatal Discharges	% Neonatal Discharges
1996-97	57,959	8,752	15.1
1997-98	58,088	8,348	14.4
1998-99	56,249	8,217	14.6
1999-2000	53,865	8,197	15.2
2000-01	52,233	7,765	14.9
2001-02	50,271	7,059	14.0

Source: SMR02 and SMR11.

Notes:

1. Includes neonatalintensive care.

2. Excludes home birthsand births at non-NHS hospitals.

3. From 1998, where fouror more babies are involved in a pregnancy, birth details are recorded for thefirst three babies. Prior to 1998, birth details were recorded only for thefirst two babies delivered.

4. Includes births wherehealth board of residence is unknown or outside Scotland.

We are encouraging andsupporting local agencies to improve planning and provision of services forchildren and young people. For example, the Changing Children’s Services Fundis providing £170 million over three years to help agencies better co-ordinatechildren’s services, in particular for those most in need of support. Inaddition the Anti Social Behaviour Bill contains measures to ensure compliance,through the courts if necessary, strengthening the statutory duty on localauthorities to implement supervision requirements.

The Scottish Executive has also had a programme of work to support the employers to boostsocial work numbers since shortages can contribute to problems in allocatingworkers and delivering services. The Scottish Executive published data at the end ofJune 2003 which showed there are 144 more social workers in children and familyservices nationally when compared with 2002. The position should be helpedfurther when 50 fast-track social work trainees start work, and 469 currentstudents enter the workforce this year.

It is up to each localauthority how it allocates its funding, taking account of local needs andpriorities as well as national priorities. Scottish local authorities havebenefited from above inflation increases in revenue grant this year and willbenefit from further above inflation increases over the next two years.

Responsibility for themaintenance of non-trunk roads lies with each council as the local roadsauthority for each area. The Executive has not made any estimate of the cost ofoutstanding works on local roads.

The M77 through Glasgow waspromoted by Strathclyde Regional Council. Neither they, nor subsequently the Scottish Office nor Scottish Executive who became responsible for the operation of the road,have monitored job or business creation specifically arising out of theconstruction of the M77.

The Scottish Executive does not hold this information centrally. However, since 1997, justafter the road opened, there has been an increase in employment by 23% (8,201jobs) in the Greater Pollok area and the south side of the city in general.

This information is not heldby the Scottish Executive.

As far as is possible todetermine, one business in namely Corkerhill Farm, closed as a direct result of the construction of the M77. The M77 corridor had been reserved for developmentsince the 1930s and the route was chosen with the specific aim of avoidingproperty and businesses and the associated disruption.

This is matter for GreaterGlasgow NHS Board. I understand that, in the absence of evidence ofdeterioration in air quality following the construction of the M77, the boardconcluded that there was no compelling case for active monitoring ofrespiratory illnesses in the area in question. Greater Glasgow NHS Board hashad no reports of increased illnesses from local GPs.