Chamber and committees

We provide supportto local authorities and other delivery bodies through the Strategic Waste Fundto increase recycling rates. Future funding for recycling is being considered aspart of the Spending Review and, in line with the commitment in our Its timeto look forward: The first 100 days of an SNP Government my officials recentlyheld a workshop with local authorities and other delivery partners to discuss futureplans for increasing recycling.

Research carried outby the Scottish Waste Awareness Group during 2005 and 2006 showed that 81% of ScottishHouseholders are now recycling at least some of their household waste. The latestrecycling results from the Scottish Household Survey, published in June 2007, alsoshow that 80% of householders are recycling at least one type of material.

Under the Education(Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2004, education authorities havea duty to identify, provide for and keep under review the additional support needsof each pupil for whose education they are responsible. This should ensure thatdyslexia is identified as early possible.

Significant funding is provided to education authoritiesto support the education of children with additional support needs including dyslexia.In 2007-08, this includes, £61.7 million for implementation of the Education (AdditionalSupport for Learning ) (Scotland) Act 2004, the inclusion of pupils with additionalsupport needs in mainstream schools, the training and development of school staffworking with pupils with additional support needs and accessibility to educationfor pupils with disabilities.

In addition, HM Inspectorateof Education is undertaking a specific evaluation of dyslexia over the period2007-08, which will provide a clear picture of identification, provision and practiceacross Scotland.

The information availableis given in the following table. It uses a definition of alcohol-related deathsagreed with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2006 following wide consultation.Figures only include cases where the selected causes were the main cause of death.

Information prior to 1979 is not available because theagreed definition does not cover the classification of causes of death used before1979.

Alcohol-Related Deaths¹, Scotland, 1979-2006

1979	641	1986	568	1993	633	2000	1,292
1980	595	1987	569	1994	741	2001	1,398
1981	611	1988	627	1995	832	2002	1,487
1982	582	1989	626	1996	983	2003	1,525
1983	574	1990	657	1997	1,061	2004	1,478
1984	572	1991	624	1998	1,127	2005	1,513
1985	600	1992	582	1999	1,249	2006	1,546

Source: General RegisterOffice for Scotland.

Notes:

1. 1979-99: ICD9codes: 291, 303, 305.0, 425.5, 571.0-571.5, 571.8-571.9, E860.

2. 2000-06: ICD10codes: F10, G31.2, G62.1, I42.6, K29.2, K70, K73, K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5),K86.0, X45, X65, Y15.

Information on theprevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is available at NHS board level from theannual Scottish Diabetes Survey. The Survey, which was first published in 2001,includes data from primary and secondary care and is currently the most comprehensivesource of information on diabetes in Scotland. The most recentreport (for 2005) is available at:http://www.diabetesinscotland.org/diabetes/MaintainPages/pdfFiles/SDS2005.pdf.

The Scottish PublicHealth Observatory (ScotPHO) website (www.scotpho.org.uk)provides a guide to further sources of information on diabetes in Scotland (under the Health, Wellbeing and Disease tab).

The Scottish DiabetesSurvey draws on data from primary and secondary care and currently represents themost comprehensive source of information on diabetes at Scotland level. The most recent report (2005) includes informationon the prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, nationally and at NHS board level.The report is available at:http://www.diabetesinscotland.org/diabetes/MaintainPages/pdfFiles/SDS2005.pdf.The Scottish PublicHealth Observatory (ScotPHO) website provides links to international sources ofinformation on diabetes, most commonly prevalence. Note however that variationsin the source of data and completeness of recording make these comparisons unreliable.These links can be accessed at http://www.scotpho.org.uk/web/site/home/Healthwell-beinganddisease/Diabetes/diabetes_usefullinks.asp.

International comparisonsof diabetes prevalence have been usefully reviewed by Wild et al (Wild S, Roglic G, Green A, Sicree R, King H. Global prevalenceof diabetes: estimates for the year 2000 and projections for 2030. Diabetes Care2004; 27:1047-53).

Because of definitionaldifficulties, no routine figures are prepared on smoking-related deaths. However,research studies have estimated that each year more than 13,000 people in Scotland die from smoking related diseases, including lung cancer, coronary heartdisease and stroke.The Atlas of Tobacco Smoking inScotland was published in July 2007 and drawn to the attention of all MSPs. It presents smokingprevalence estimates for NHS boards, councils, community health partnerships (CHPs)and Scottish parliamentary constituencies, and also for intermediate zones and postcodesectors. It also includes estimates of smoking-attributable deaths for individualNHS boards and CHPs. Thefull report can be viewed at: www.scotpho.org.uk/tobaccoatlas.

This study was basedon methodology developed for the report Mortality from smoking in developed countries1950-2002, which was published in June 2006 and included a section on Scotland.

http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/~tobacco/.

http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/~tobacco/scot.pdf.

Previous studies haveexamined deaths from conditions associated with exposure to tobacco smoke, but definitionsand methodologies vary. Please see the ASH Scotland website for information about these estimates http://www.ashscotland.org.uk/ash/3549.html.

Studies have alsoestimated the number of deaths from passive smoking. For example, please see thefollowing link for details of the estimates produced by one such study:

http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/448.aspx.

There are no plansto develop the Allandale rail station.

The STAG appraisal,submitted to Transport Scotland by consultants acting on behalf of FalkirkCouncil early in 2006, concluded that the development of an alternative park andride facility at Bannockburn would provide better value for money. It wasagreed in October 2006 that Bannockburn should be taken forward to a Design andAppraisal stage and that no furtherwork should be undertaken on Allandale.

I have asked MikeEwart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

Reception figures(2004) show that two out of three prisoners (66%) tested positive for all substancesof misuse on admission to prison.

Self-reported figuresfrom the SPS Prisoner Survey (2006) show that 23% of prisoners were worried thatalcohol would be a problem on release from prison, with 29% of prisoners reportingusing illegal drugs in the month immediately prior to survey completion.

Robust estimates of the size of Scottish drugs markets are not currently available. A research projectis currently in progress which is aiming to produce an initial estimate of the size/valueof illicit drug markets in Scotland, and of the economic and social costs associatedwith illicit drug use. This research is due to be completed in March 2008.