Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10400 on 4 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Information on the cost of using agency nurses in NHSScotland since May 2007 is not yet available. Latest available data is at 31 March 2007.

The table Agency Nurse Usage by NHS Board and Speciality “ Hours, WTE and Costs in the nursing and midwifery section of the website shows costs information for years 2001 to 2007.

Information on agency nurses is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at www.isdscotland.org/workforce in the nursing and midwifery section of the website.

Health care, including dentistry, for serving armed forces personnel is provided by Medical Defence Services. On leaving the Service, they are entitled to register with a GP in the same way as the general population. The extension of priority treatment for veterans guidance, which issued to NHS Scotland on 13 February 2008, also includes guidance for GPs obtaining the medical records of ex-servicemen and women from the Ministry of Defence.

The Scottish Government wishes to improve access to NHS dentistry for everyone and is:

increasing the number of dental students to help meet the demand for dental care. Bursaries are available for students on the understanding that they work for a period of time in the NHS after qualification;

opening a new dental school in Aberdeen, planned for October 2008, which will add to the number of dentists in Scotland;

making grants available through the Scottish dental access initiative for practitioners to expand their NHS practice or to open a new practice and there are allowances to encourage dentists to set up in rural and remote areas, and

increasing the number of therapist training places, enabling 40 dental therapists to qualify per annum.

The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available.

The Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990-2005 (www.naei.org.uk/reports.php) provide estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from a range of sectors. In the case of the residential sector the figures in the inventory are calculated on the basis of actual fuel consumption and do not relate to building standards.

Also in connection with the residential sector, the Scottish House Condition Survey provides estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from the Scottish housing stock (www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/12/18132350/0).

These figures are based on the energy efficiency of households across Scotland which is determined using the National Home Energy Rating scheme (www.nher.co.uk).

Fairtrade Fortnight 2008 began on 25 February and concludes on 9 March.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2007 took place from 26 February to 11 March. The then Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport undertook a number of events in support of this. These were:

Date	Event
2 March 2007	Addressed the Fair Trade Summit of Scottish Local Authorities
3 March 2007	Welcomed a large Fair Trade procession and gave an address at the Glasgow Fair Trade Experience
3 March 2007	Attended the Fairtrade Funky event hosted by Kenneth MacIntosh MSP and announced news of East Renfrewshire becoming a Fair Trade Local Authority
8 March 2007	Responded for the government at a members debate on Fair Trade
8 March 2007	Met with two Malawian producers and two representatives from TWIN Trading
8 March 2007	Hosted a Fair Trade Reception

 

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9298 on 12 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Information on the cost of using agency nurses in NHSScotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

The table Agency nurse usage by NHS board and speciality “ Hours, WTE and Costs in the Nursing and Midwifery section of the website shows costs information for years 2001 to 2007. Latest available data is at 31 March 2007.

Each Cabinet Secretary and Minister's Private Office have the following numbers of staff:

Office	Number of Staff
First Minister	10
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture	2.6*
Minister for Parliamentary Business	4
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth	5
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change	2
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism	3
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing	4
Minister for Public Health	2
Minister for Communities and Sport	2
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning	4
Minister for Schools and Skills	2.1*
Minister for Children and Early Years	2
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment	4
Minister for Environment	2
Cabinet Secretary for Justice	4
Minister for Community Safety	2
Lord Advocate and Solicitor General	4

Note: *There are three part-time members of staff employed within the Ministerial Private Offices.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 7 February 2008 to express his disappointment that the 2007 Pre-Budget Report (PBR) did not contain any measures to reduce the tax burden on the spirits industry in Scotland.