Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive has not set any intermediate targets for teachers' e-mail addresses.

Figures on how many full-time equivalent teachers were employed in publicly funded (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) special schools and (d) pre-school education in 1999 are not yet available. The most recent information is for 1998 and is available from SPICe.

Recruitment of teachers to posts in publicly funded schools is a matter for education authorities. The Scottish Executive actively promotes teaching as a career through a range of recruitment and publicity measures. At career events and on other occasions the Department takes every opportunity to encourage men to consider a career in pre-school education, primary and special schools. A recent video produced by the Department to promote teaching as a career includes interviews with a male primary school teacher and a male teacher working the special needs area in a primary school.

Promotion procedures for teaching staff are a matter for local authorities. In developing procedures they must take account of employment and equal opportunities legislation.

The Scottish Executive undertakes a wide range of recruitment publicity activities to attract new graduates into the profession.

Work currently undertaken by the Department to promote teaching as a career includes production of publicity material, attendance at career events and media advertising. There was an encouraging response to the most recent press and radio advertising campaign which took place in the latter part of last year. As a direct result of the campaign the Department received over 2,800 enquiries about entering teacher training.

The Department is now sponsoring jointly with the GTC a recruitment campaign specifically targeted at attracting graduates who may be eligible for entry to PGCE mathematics courses.

The McCrone Committee of Inquiry into professional conditions of service for teachers is looking at the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland. Our current activities to attract people into teacher training will be reviewed in light of the committee's report.

The latest information available from the 1998 School Census provides the following pupil:teacher ratios in publicly funded schools:

At September 1998:

(a) 19.4 in Primary Schools,

(b) 13.0 in Secondary Schools,

(c) 4.4 in Special Schools,

At February 1999:

(d) 29.2 in Pre-School Education Centres.

I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-5615.

Of the four NHS Trusts in Scotland delivering paediatric pathology services, all but Yorkhill NHS Trust included a statement in the post-mortem consent form covering the retention of organs or tissue for medical education or research.

The Scottish Executive Health Department has issued a Management Executive Letter (MEL(2000)21) dated 27 April 2000 which makes it clear that all Trusts in Scotland are expected to comply with the Royal College of Pathologists' "Guidelines for the retention of tissues and organs at post-mortem". In particular, they are expected to use the model form drawn up by the college for use when carrying out a post-mortem with the consent of relatives. That form contains specific questions about the retention of organs and their subsequent disposal. We have also drawn all Trusts' attention to the guidance published by the Medical Research Council on the use of samples of human tissue for research.

Yorkhill has considered very carefully, in conjunction with parents' representatives, whether it should inform parents that their children's organs have been retained without their consent. Parents' representatives took the view that a pro-active approach could be a distressing intrusion into the very different and highly personal ways in which parents and families cope with the loss of a child. The Trust has accepted that view, but will of course respond sensitively to any approaches it receives from parents.

The Trust is now undertaking a review over the next 6-12 months of the retained organs to identify those of particular and continuing educational value. All other organs would be disposed of with respect and dignity after allowing a suitable interval, possibly a year, for further parental inquiries.

The Scottish Executive is aware of the census of all hospital pathology departments in England being undertaken by the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health in England. He is expected to report in September, and consideration will be given to whether the recommendations he makes have any implications for the NHS in Scotland. We shall also consider whether any further action needs to be taken in the light of the recommendations of the interim report issued on 11 May by the public inquiry investigating paediatric cardiac surgery at Bristol Royal Infirmary.

I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-5615.

I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-5615.