Chamber and committees

The Executive has put in placea range of measures to address tooth decay in young children through An ActionPlan for improving oral health and modernising NHS Dental Services in Scotlandlaunched in March 2005.

Initiatives include: the distributionof preventive dental packs to every child under 12 months, to infants aged oneto three years in areas of deprivation and to every child starting nursery and primaryschool, and a programme of daily toothbrushing with a fluoride toothpaste in nurseriesand targeted primary schools.

We also support a range of healthyeating and healthy drinks initiatives targeted at children and parents.

These measures are further complementedby two national demonstration programmes in the East and West of Scotland, whichprovide more intensive support for children at highest risk of dental decay.

The creation of a new streetprostitution related offence is only one aspect of the Executive’s policy onstreet prostitution.

The new offence will focuson the nuisance or offence caused by street prostitution related activity,whether caused by the purchaser or the seller.

In addition, we havecommitted to produce guidance for local authorities and their communityplanning partners on how they should address street prostitution within thecontext of an overarching approach to tackling violence against women and ofbuilding safer stronger communities. The guidance will outline how they shouldtackle the demand for prostitution, prevent vulnerable individuals frombecoming involved in prostitution, reduce the harm to those who are involved,assist those ready to leave prostitution to do so, and ensure the safety oflocal communities.

I refer the member to thequestion S2W-23947, answered on 21 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to thequestion S2W-23947, answered on 21 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa/search.

I refer the member to thequestion S2W-23947, answered on 21 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The principal measure of economicgrowth is the Gross Value Added (Gross Domestic Product at basic prices) seriesfor Scotland published on a quarterly basis by the Scottish Executive.This publication provides measures of activity in real terms for the Scottish economyas a whole, presented as indices, in addition to a more detailed breakdown of theeconomic performance of industrial sectors within the Scottish economy. Economicgrowth is determined by calculating the rates of change of the activity indices.

The data sources used in thecompilation of the GDP series are varied. In the majority of cases, data collectedby the Office for National Statistics relating to the activities of a sample ofbusinesses located in Scotland are used. These data provide up to date measures of turnoverwhich are deflated (to remove the effect of price changes) and, in some cases, seasonallyadjusted to yield the true underlying growth rates.

For some industrial sectors,notably agriculture, electricity generation, banking and public administration,the estimates are based on information received directly from companies, industrybodies or other Government Departments.

Further information on the compilationof the quarterly GDP statistics is available on the Scottish Executive website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/18879/GDPCalc.

The music industry has no officialdefinition, but we take it to mean any activity which encourages involvement inmusic making across all age groups and music styles, and recognises and celebratesthe social, personal and economic value of music and music making.

This information is not routinelycollated nor centrally compiled. The most recent relevant data is contained in the2003 Mapping the Music Industry in Scotland report compiled independentlyon behalf of Scottish Enterprise. Economic and employment data for 2003 obtainedfor the report include the following: £106 million generated annually in sales andmusic services; the industry is made up of approximately 2,040 full-time employeesand 2003 part-time workers, and annual consumer spending of around £331 millionon musical instruments and live and recorded music.

I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.

The Scottish Executive uses arange of criteria including considering the effects on economic activity, measuredin terms of the impacts on the broader creative industries sector. The ScottishArts Council also measures audience participation figures for the music activitywhich it funds.