Chamber and committees

The table reports the percentage of the working population employed in the public sector broken down by (a) local government, (b) the NHS, (c) the fire service, (d) the police, and (c) other public sector employment. The figures are sourced from The Joint Staffing Watch Survey (September 2004), Office for National Statistics (2004), the Information and Statistics Division (ISD) of the Common Service Agency (2004), and the Labour Force Survey (LFS) (2004).

Table 1 Public Sector Employment as a Share of all Employment

	Level	As a Proportion of Total Employment (%)
Total employment1	2,446,000
Total employment public sector	570,000	23.3%
NHS2	144,000	5.9%
Local Government3	315,000	12.9%
Of which:
Police	23,000	0.9%
Fire4	6,000	0.2%
Other Public Sector5	110,000	4.5%

Source(s):

1. Labour Force Survey (LFS) (September to November 2004).

2. Information and Statistics Division (ISD) of the Common Service Agency (2004).

3. Joint Staffing Watch Survey (September 2004).

4. Figures for fire service exclude volunteer and retained firefighters.

5. Office of National Statistics (ONS).

I refer the member to the answer to question S2O-5625 on 3 March 2005, which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/sch/search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14212, answered on 1 March 2005 which is available onthe Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/sch/search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14212, answered on 1 March 2005, which is available onthe Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/sch/search.

Lymphoedema is recognised bythe Scottish Executive as a condition. Treatment for lymphoedema may vary inindividual cases. Lymphoedema services are mainly based in hospices althoughthey may also be available in some cancer centres, physiotherapy clinics andother hospital settings.

In January this, year £6billion was allocated to NHS boards for 2005-06. It is a matter for NHS boardsto decide where this money is directed to meet the healthcare needs of theirlocal populations. Each NHS board publishes a local health plan annually thatsets out the broad strategic direction for public health and healthcare servicesin their area.

Further information may beobtained directly from NHS board chief executives, whose contact details can beaccessed on the SHOW website at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk.

The Scottish Executive does not hold this information. Pay-as-you-earn is a matter for Inland Revenue.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.

Putting in place the new arrangements for providing primary care out-of-hours services across Scotland has been a major and challenging task for the NHS and its staff. However, I am satisfied that NHS boards and their partners across Scotland have undertaken a thorough and robust process in developing these arrangements.

All of the major stakeholders, including GPs, NHS 24 and the ambulance service, have been closely involved to develop the new arrangements and public consultation has played a key role in shaping the plans.

All providers of out-of-hours primary medical services, including NHS boards, were required from 1 January 2005 to meet the quality standards set out in guidance issued to NHS boards by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will undertake a programme of visits to NHS boards to review local arrangements for ensuring the safe and effective provision of out-of-hours services.

We aim to publish a white paper on all aspects of reforming the planning system in the spring.