- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 8 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on national negotiations over GP involvement in delivering the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme.
Answer
The arrangements for contracting with GPs to deliver the HPV immunisation programme are being taken forward through local negotiations at NHS board level. On 16 July 2008, the Scottish Government circulated a model locally enhanced service for boards to use in local negotiations. This will remain the model on which the Scottish Government would recommend that local negotiations take place.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 8 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of GPs have agreed to take part in the Scottish Government's human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
Practice level data is not held centrally, but routine monitoring at board level suggests that an increasing number of GPs are participating in the HPV programme.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many student nurses have benefited from the one year job guarantee scheme.
Answer
Between 2002, when the initiative was introduced, and 29 September 2008, 53 full and part-time newly qualified nurses and midwives benefited from the one year job guarantee scheme. This is broken down as follows:
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 to date |
| 0 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 13 | 9 |
The number of students recruited to pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes is linked to the nursing and midwifery workforce planning process for Scotland. Most newly qualified nurses are therefore able to find employment through their own means, in their locality and area of expertise. The one year job guarantee is for the few students who, for some reason or another, are unable to secure employment in this manner.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 1 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-4193 by Stewart Stevenson on 18 September 2008, when it expects the feasibility study looking at the provision of traffic signals at Cadham junction to be completed.
Answer
I expect the traffic signal feasibility study at Cadham to be finalised by the end of October 2008.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 1 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-4193 by Stewart Stevenson on 18 September 2008, what it regards as low cost improvements and up to what value such improvements could reach.
Answer
Low cost improvements in this context would include measures aimed at improving the operation and safety at these junctions, for example signing, road markings, lighting, and visibility. I have asked the operating company, BEAR Scotland Ltd, to look at how both junctions operate and bring forward recommendations. It is not possible to estimate the cost until BEAR has concluded this study.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 1 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-4193 by Stewart Stevenson on 18 September 2008, when consideration of further possible low cost improvements in the vicinity of the Cadham and Tullis Russell junctions will be completed.
Answer
I have instructed the operating company, BEAR Scotland Ltd, to undertake this study, which will include consultation with the Glenrothes Area Futures Group. I expect the report to be concluded by mid-January 2009. In addition, the study will also consider the Balfarg junction.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on improvements to the Balfarg and Cadham junctions on the A92.
Answer
Improvements have already been carried out at these junctions and a feasibility study looking at the provision of traffic signals at Cadham is nearing completion. I have also asked my officials to consider further possible low cost improvements in the vicinity of the Cadham and Tullis Russell junctions.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of GDP is invested in universities; how much this is in cash terms, broken down by (a) government funding and (b) other funding, and how this compares with other OECD countries.
Answer
There are various methods to calculate what percentage of GDP is invested in universities and in particular how public and private spending is defined and what is included in the calculation. This means that results may differ and will not be directly comparable with other countries. My officials are in discussions with the Scottish Funding Council and Universities Scotland regarding this matter.
Using the latest data available, figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that higher education institutions (HEIs) in Scotland received monies from all sources totalling 拢2.26 billion in 2006-07. This was split by government-related funding of 拢1.47 billion, and other funding of 拢0.79 billion.
According to the Office for National Statistics, Scottish GDP (GVA at basic prices) in 2006 totalled 拢91.0 billion. Therefore, spending on this basis on Scottish HEIs was 2.50 per cent of GDP.
OECD data on a comparable basis are not currently available as their method for categorising different types of post-compulsory education is different to that used in Scotland. In addition, the methodology adopted by the OECD is unclear in terms of what they include as investment and how this is split between public and non-public.
Using the same HESA data, Scotland compares favourably on a UK basis, with England, Wales and Northern Ireland spending less as a proportion of GDP at 1.8 per cent, 2.3 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively. The data show that the comparable UK rate is 1.9 per cent.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the higher education participation rate would need to be to place Scotland in the top quartile internationally, as outlined as a challenge in New Horizons: responding to the challenges of the 21st century, the interim report of the joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities, and how many students this would represent in terms of (a) 2008 population and (b) population projections for 2028.
Answer
Each year the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publish international indicators on participation rates in tertiary education (degree level and above) in their publication Education at a Glance. The most recent figures, published in September 2007, relate to the academic year 2004-05.
These figures show the lowest participation rate within the top quartile belongs to Iceland at 74%; therefore the participation rate for Scotland would need to be 74% to place Scotland in the top quartile. For the academic year 2004-05 the participation rate for Scotland was 56%.
Assuming that the participation rate of all member countries remains the same the number of entrants to Scottish institutions would need to rise to 55,440 in 2008 and 50,165 in 2028 (increases of 14,180 and 8,905 respectively compared to聽 2004-05). The decreased figure for 2028 compared to 2008 is due to a projected decline in the Scottish population.
Sources: General Register Office for Scotland (GROS), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC).
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what activity the Scottish Funding Council carries out in its work to regulate universities.
Answer
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) does not regulate autonomous higher education institutions (HEIs). Rather, the SFC sets out its formal relationship with institutions through its Financial Memorandum.
Amongst the SFC''s roles, as set out in the memorandum, is the duty to monitor, evaluate and ensure accountability for the public funds distributed to universities.
The memorandum sets out the requirements which are a condition of the SFC''s funding. It also sets out the agreed expectations which the institution has a right to have of the SFC. Full details of the memorandum can be found on the SFC''s website:
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