The cost of providing for employer’sNational Insurance contributions per NHS board area is shown in the followingtable.Employers National InsuranceContributions per NHS Board Area Board Area 1998-99 (£000) 1999-2000 (£000) 2000-01 (£000) 2001-02 (£000) 2002-03 (£000) Argyll and Clyde 10,642 10,868 12,312 13,496 13,938 Ayrshire and Arran 8,740 9,099 9,943 10,439 10,887 Borders 2,728 2,946 3,192 3,486 3,635 Dumfries and Galloway 4,029 4,245 4,553 4,710 4,747 Fife 7,217 8,025 8,843 9,094 9,387 Forth Valley 6,354 6,862 7,342 7,566 7,565 Grampian 13,011 13,360 15,342 15,870 16,441 Greater Glasgow 32,565 33,482 35,540 37,797 40,325 Highland 5,826 5,964 6,610 6,992 7,393 Lanarkshire 12,184 12,811 13,755 14,279 14,766 Lothian 22,031 23,333 25,663 27,236 28,274 Orkney 507 507 551 577 642 Shetland 583 598 640 662 694 Tayside 13,620 13,797 14,427 14,880 15,405 Western Isles 971 1,004 1,119 1,170 1,271 Total 141,008 146,901 159,832 168,254 175,370 Notes:1...