Chamber and committees

The information requested is not held centrally as this is a matter for individual GP contractors as employers. GP practices are mostly all independent contractors who are free to decide (within the context of the services they must provide under contract with boards) exactly how they set up their operations in terms of employing staff whilst how NHS boards organise the provision of GP services is an operational matter for the board to determine, based on an assessment of local needs.

The Primary Care Workforce Survey 2013, a survey of Scottish general practices and GP Out of Hours Services was published on 24 September 2013 and provides a “snapshot” of vacancies. The report is available on the Information Services Division (ISD) of National Services Scotland website at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/General-Practice/Publications/2013-09-24/2013-09-24-PCWS-Report.pdf.

The Scottish Government continues to promote a range of initiatives to support GPs working in remote and rural areas. These include the Remote and Rural Fellowship Scheme for newly qualified GPs and the Remote and Rural Healthcare Educational Alliance.

The Scottish Government is also supporting NHS Highland to develop and test a range of innovative ways of delivering healthcare in rural areas of Scotland. This will involve exploring approaches to building sustainable health and care services with all key stakeholders including local communities.

Transport Scotland are hosting public exhibitions at nine venues along the A96 between 12 and 29 November allowing landowners, householders, farmers and communities the opportunity view and comment on the early stages of the design work on the Scottish Government’s ambitious plans to dual the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen by 2030. The exhibitions also invite the public to comment on the route options under consideration for the section of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn, including a Nairn Bypass.

The work to dual the A96 will include a rolling programme of regular engagement with stakeholders, starting with these exhibitions. All landowners whose land may be directly affected by the various options under consideration for the Inverness to Nairn, including Nairn Bypass, section were advised in writing of the public exhibitions. Further engagement with landowners on this section of the A96 will be undertaken once a preferred route has been identified.

All of the materials on display at the exhibitions, including a feedback form, are available online at Transport Scotland’s website:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/a96dualling.

None. The Scottish Government opposed this unnecessary move imposed upon Scotland. However, through the post 16 Education (Scotland) Act 2013, and previous legislation, we have established a relationship with colleges commensurate with the level and proportion of our public investment and that will continue.

The review of the National Care Standards will take account of the recommendations in a wide range of strategies, including the play strategy action plan. The Scottish Government will consult on the content of new standards in 2014.

Information from SEPA indicates that the number of sites with analysis results demonstrating a failure to meet the relevant environmental quality standards in each year since 2007 is as follows:

2007: none

2008: none

2009: none

2010: none

2011: one

2012: six

2013: four.

There are a number of licenced sea lice medicines available to the industry: the usage of teflobenzuron was relatively low between 2007 and 2010.

This is an operational matter for Police Scotland.

Police Scotland is committed to working in partnership with other agencies and public sector bodies where appropriate to provide effective and efficient public counter facilities.

There are a number of existing shared local services where police public counters currently operate and where local authorities provide a “signposting” service for Police Scotland where a police officer will attend if requested.

Police officers also often conduct community surgeries in libraries, schools and other public buildings, and local commanders are currently discussing with local authorities how to increase the number of shared service facilities in Scotland.

Postgraduate students are more likely to undertake their studies in universities rather than colleges, often straight after completing their undergraduate degrees.

While higher education courses are delivered by colleges, unless the student articulates to university the resulting qualification is usually a HNC or HND rather than a degrees.

Most college courses are classed as further education which does not lead directly to postgraduate study.

The information is contained in the following table:

Source : Scottish Funding Council, March 2013

Scottish Ministers announced on 20 October 2013 new support for post-graduate students. Scottish domiciled postgraduates undertaking eligible supported courses will be able to apply for a loan of up to £4,500 a year to help with living costs from 2015-16. This is in addition to the current loan available as a contribution towards the cost of tuition.

A total of 273 salmon farms in Scotland are licensed for the potential use of teflubenzuron (Calicide).

Each local authority is responsible for the care, safety and welfare of pupils in school in their area and they are expected to make arrangements to ensure that schools take reasonable care of all children under their charge.

Regulation 3(a) of the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 places a duty upon local authorities to take reasonable care for the safety of pupils when under their charge. In the case of a primary school with 50 or more pupils or a special school, regulation 3(b) of the same Regulations provides that local authorities have a duty to ensure that pupils are supervised by at least one adult during any break taken between classes in the course of a school day, including lunch break.