Chamber and committees

As at 28 January 2002, there were 12 beds in the Young People's Unit in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Of these, nine are currently occupied (five by patients from NHS Lothian's area, three from NHS Forth Valley and one from NHS Borders). The beds are allocated on the basis of clinical need and priority. Funding for the unit is contributed on the basis of NHS Lothian having access to six beds, and NHS Forth Valley and NHS Borders having access to two beds each. The additional two beds are for the use of all Scottish NHS Boards, and give added flexibility to meet need.

The information requested is not held centrally. Information on vacancies for consultant and staff grade posts is collected at board and trust level only.

There are 88 young people currently on the Young People's Unit waiting list.

Public Services in the Scottish Borders are subject to scrutiny throughinspection and audit and other performance review mechanisms. The Executive has not been invited to date to take any actions with regard to any public service failures but will consider any recommendations it receives as a result of statutory review processes.

It is a matter for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) to determine the timing of inspections, including the inspection of the education functions of local councils. HMIE notified Scottish Borders Council on 28 January that it would be conducting an inspection of the education functions of the council. The main inspection activity will take place between late March and early May, with a report of the findings to be published in June 2002.

All of this funding has now been allocated. A significant proportion of EYF funding comprised a managed underspend to be set against the additional costs to local authorities arising from the teachers' pay and conditions settlement. Substantial additional resources have also been allocated to schools for use directly at school level. Funding has also been made available to authorities for increasing the number of three-year-olds in pre-school education, provision of Pupil Support Bases and ICT associated initiatives. Further EYF funding has been allocated to Social Justice projects aimed at improving the education of looked after children.Where resources have been allocated through specific grant mechanisms requiring application by education authorities, this process has been completed and all local authorities have received their appropriate allocation.

All of this funding has been allocated, as indicated in the answer given to question S1W-21939.

I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The valuation was provided to SPS by the Valuation Office Agency on a confidential basis. The Scottish Executive does not publish valuation data. The sale price was £450,000 and was recorded with the title deeds in the Land Register.

I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The valuation was provided to SPS by the Valuation Office Agency on a confidential basis, as were the offers. The Scottish Executive does not publish valuation data. The sale price was £275,000 and was recorded with the title deeds in the Land Register.

The Manpower Call Centre at Claridge Mill currently employs 37 people. As stated in the news release, the company expects to create around 200 jobs at the facility. This figure is based on projections made by the company.