Chamber and committees

The percentage of people most at risk in Scotland who received flu vaccination in each of the last three years is set out in the following table. Information is provided broken down by all NHS board areas and for those aged 65 and over (over 65s) as well as for those under the age of 65 who are at risk due to certain long-term medical conditions (at risk). Figures reflect uptake of flu vaccine to the end of December each year:

Health Board	2006-07		2007-08		2008-09
	Over 65s	At Risk	Over 65s	At Risk	Over 65s	At Risk
Ayrshire and Arran	67.8%	35.6%	70%	41.1%	72.3%	43.8%
Borders	67.3%	34.5%	67.7%	49.4 %	76.2 %	49.6%
Dumfries and Galloway	63.9%	35.6%	68.4%	41.3%	71.3%	43.5%
Fife	71%	37.8%	58.8%	41.5%	73%	41.2%
Forth Valley	69.7%	41.4%	72.6%	49.2%	73.6%	48.4%
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	65.1%	34.5%	63.6%	44.4%	72.1%	44.4%
Grampian	64.6%	41.2%	69.5%	43%	71.7%	43.7%
Highland	61.3%	31.3%	63.9%	43.6%	69.2%	43.2%
Lanarkshire	64.8%	34.6%	67%	39.8%	68.5%	45.2%
Lothian	66%	32.2%	70.5%	42.6%	74.5%	45%
Orkney	76.9%	67.5%	75.5%	53.1%	77.3%	58.6%
Shetland	66.6%	36.4%	68%	49.1%	73.6%	44%
Tayside	66.4%	34.5%	63.6%	42.6%	63.2%	38.1%
Western Isles	53.1%	41.1%	57.1%	41.9%	56.9%	35.5%
Scotland	65.9%	35.3%	67%	42.9%	71.3%	44%

 

This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0115-01.htm

This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0108-01.htm

The Home Report publicity campaign is intended to reach people currently involved in the house buying and selling process, rather than the whole population of Scotland. It is based on consumer research and research with property professionals and comprises advertising and editorials in the national, local and property press, radio advertisements, billboards and online advertisements. Phase 1 of the campaign started in mid-October 2008 prior to the launch of the Home Report and runs until mid-December. Phase 2 of the campaign starts in mid-January and runs until the end of February 2009. The total budget for both phases of the campaign is £677,975.00, including VAT.

The Scottish Government will receive consequential funding of £5.4 million in 2008-09, £5.7 million in 2009-10 and £0.2 million in 2010-11. In addition, we have the opportunity to bring forward up to £260 million of capital expenditure in 2008-09 and 2009-10 (£33.4 million and £226.6 million respectively). This funding will be offset by a corresponding reduction in expenditure in 2010-11.

Projections of local income tax revenue as set out in the Scottish Government''s explanatory paper Abolition of Council Tax and Introduction of Local Income Tax: Revenue Projections are currently being revised to take into account the measures introduced in the pre-Budget report and will be published early next year.

The decision by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer to increase employers'' national insurance contributions by half a percentage point from 2011-12 will impact on the public sector in Scotland by increasing employment costs.

We are unable at this stage to provide detailed estimates of the total impact across the public sector in Scotland. The increase in costs will depend on a number of factors including the level of the secondary income threshold in 2011-12 (currently £105 per week) above which NI contributions become payable; the weekly earnings of employees; and the relative number of employees contracted in or out from the second state pension.

What is clear is that the cost of delivering public services will rise and that additional income will accrue to the Treasury.

No increase in funding has been announced by the UK Government to cover the increased burden on the public sector.

The following table shows those local authority areas which saw an increase in the number of children referred between 2006-07 and 2007-08:

Local Authority Area	Number of Children Referred in 2007-08	Percentage of Children Referred	Number of Children Referred in 2006-07	Percentage of Children Referred
Aberdeenshire	1,351	2.9%	1,306	2.8%
Dumfries and Galloway*	1,573	6.2%	1,541	6.0%
East Dunbartonshire	685	3.5%	684	3.4%
Eileen Siar	229	5.0%	202	4.3%
Fife	3,068	4.7%	2,920	4.5%

Note: *South of Scotland.

There are a variety of factors than can affect referral rates, such as pre-referral screening. Different local authorities are taking different approaches and it is for each local authority to decide what is most appropriate for their local area. Work with all relevant partner agencies is continuing, thus ensuring, as far as possible, that the right children - those who require compulsory measures of supervision - are referred to the reporter.

It is encouraging to note that nationally there has been a 10.5% decrease in the number of children referred to the reporter in 2007-08 when compared to 2006-07.

Our proposals for defining residence in relation to local income tax were set out in paragraph 19 of A Fairer Local Tax for Scotland and relate to utilisation of the current definition of a Scottish taxpayer as set out in the Scotland Act 1998. As we progress our proposals we shall consider whether this approach remains appropriate, including in relation to local authority areas.

As with the council tax system there will require to be a procedure in the local income tax system to account for people moving in and out of local authority areas. We will bring forward detail on this as we progress our proposals.