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The Scottish Ambulance Service takes patients, or groups of patients, who have a medical need for transport to and from appointments. The service tries to ensure that resources are used in the most cost effective and efficient way possible. This means that, where possible, routes are planned to allow groups of patients to travel in one vehicle whilst at the same time trying to balance the length of time individual patients have to spend in the vehicle.

Transport services will vary within each NHS board area across Scotland. Community and Demand Responsive Transport services play a vital role in providing access to NHS facilities in areas where public transport services are limited.

Under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2004, Regional Transport Partnerships have a legal requirement to develop Access to Healthcare Strategies and address the issues for their areas. Regional Transport Partnerships continue to work with local authorities and health boards to mainstream travel plans and work with local partners to promote more active and sustainable travel.

The Scottish Government is providing local government with record levels of funding over the period 2008-11. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it (including those provided under the Enhanced Demand Responsive Transport Initiative) on the basis of local needs and priorities.

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) have a clear policy on relative or carer eligibility for travel with patients. A relative or a carer will be able to escort a patient where the patient is a child or if the patient''s clinical condition is such that they require constant attention. Should a patient require an escort to travel with them and if they fit this criteria, which will be established following a medical assessment, then the ambulance service will make every effort to accommodate the request.

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) Patient Transport Service will take patients to their appointments wherever they are being held. This will include clinics held outwith hospital premises.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23342 on 7 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .

The information requested is set out in the following table:

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Aberdeen	1,015	992	951
Glasgow	656	697	779

Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The information requested is set out in the following table:

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Glasgow	696	786	1,121
Inverness	643	674	766

Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Ambulance Service can be contacted at:

Scottish Ambulance Service

National Headquarters

Tipperlinn Road

Edinburgh

EH10 5UU.

The proposals for a Scottish quota management and licensing system would apply to all Scottish vessels and quota holders as defined in the consultation document Safeguarding Our Fishing Rights: The Future of Quota Management and Licensing in Scotland - Interim outcome of consultation report.

The Getting it Right for Every Child programme is a long-term transformational change programme across services'' culture, systems and practice to improve outcomes for children and young people across Scotland. It is being developed through pathfinder projects and learning partnerships rather than legislation and thus does not impose any statutory obligations although the relevant police forces are key partners in these projects.