Chamber and committees

Table 2 in question S1W-7086 showed the average number of patient episodes per consultant at each of the cancer centres and not the total number of episodes. The total number of oncology patient episodes at Ninewells Hospital for the year ending 31 March 2000 was 12,095, which is 11.25% of the 107,492 total recorded patient episodes for the five cancer centres. It should be noted that these figures are provisional.

Staffing data used in answer to question S1W-7086 was as at 30 September 1999 and does not necessarily reflect average staffing levels throughout the year. As the number and duration of visits by an individual patient varies according to the type and stage of the disease, and outreach patients are not included, the number of patient episodes does not show the total workload per consultant. The figures also give no indication to the variation between centres in the contribution made by medical staff other than consultants.

As part of the ongoing development of the Equality Strategy the Executive will be working together with the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and public sector interests to develop a national framework of guidance for the public sector on the provision of communication support which will include interpretation and translation services.

Capital resources of £6.7 million were made available for investment in the Tayside Health Board area in 1999-2000.In addition to £1 million of capital investment in the Tayside area in 1999-2000, £5.7million was transferred from capital to revenue budgets. A large element of the funds transferred were to fund schemes that, under accounting standards, do not add capital value to the NHSiS estate.I have tightened up the rules on capital to revenue transfers and from 2000-01, all capital funds must be spent on capital items.

The information requested is not currently available.

However, the Scottish Executive has recently introduced a new data collection from local authorities to obtain quarterly information on the numbers of households with children in temporary accommodation. The number of such households at the end of June 2000 will be available towards the end of the year. The figures will be available for each local authority area. They will include all households in temporary accommodation who have been placed there by the local authority under the homeless persons legislation, either pending enquiries under the legislation or as a final outcome of a homelessness application.

The total number of admissions to secure units for the last five years was as follows:

Year ended 31 March	Number of admissions*
1995	233
1996	225
1997	244
1998	264
1999	265

*Some children may have been admitted more than once in any one year.

The local authority breakdown is only available from the start of the current unitary authorities, from 1997, as shown in the table below.

Number of admissions* to secure accommodation in the year ended 31st March by child's home local authority
Child's home local authority	1999	1998	1997
No details available	16	3	6
Aberdeen City	19	16	9
Aberdeenshire	6	4	11
Angus	5	8	9
Argyll & Bute	1	1
Clackmannanshire		2	2
Dumfries & Galloway	3	1	4
Dundee City	13	14	18
East Ayrshire	9	6	4
East Dunbartonshire	1	1	1
East Lothian	1	2	5
East Renfrewshire	4	1
Edinburgh, City of	53	85	64
Falkirk	3	4	3
Fife	10	17	7
Glasgow City	51	33	31
Highland	4	4	3
Inverclyde	1	1	3
Midlothian	3	1	5
Moray		1	5
North Ayrshire	12	6	5
North Lanarkshire	6	6	4
Orkney Islands		2
Perth & Kinross	2	2	11
Renfrewshire	5	15	7
Scottish Borders	5	1	1
South Ayrshire	6	3	2
South Lanarkshire	3	4	4
Stirling	3		3
West Dunbartonshire	6	7	4
West Lothian	12	13	12
Outwith Scotland	2		1
TOTAL	265	264	244

*Some children may have been admitted more than once in any one year.

This information is not held centrally.

The number of secure units for young people in Scotland over the last five years was as follows:

Local Authority Area	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Angus Council1	1	1	1	1	1
City of Edinburgh	2	2	2	2	2
Dumfries and Galloway	1	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
East Dunbartonshire2	1	1	1	1	1
Fife Council
North Ayrshire3	1	1	1	1	1
TOTAL	7	6	6	6	5

Notes:

1. Rossie School, near Montrose is operated by an independent organisation.

2. St Mary's Kenmure, Bishopbriggs is operated by an independent organisation.

3. Kerelaw School, Stevenston is managed and operated by Glasgow City Council.

Although policy on consumer protection is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Executive has been closely involved with the work being carried out by the Department of Trade and Industry to develop a new high quality advice network. The Consumer Support Network (CSN), to be launched shortly, encourages existing local providers of consumer advice to join up to offer a quality service. Participating advice centres in Scotland will be badged so people will know where they can go for reliable advice on consumer matters.

Demand for secure places can exceed supply from time to time although that does not necessarily mean that provision overall is inadequate. I have asked the Secure Accommodation Advisory Group chaired by Sally Kuenssberg, Chairman of the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration, to consider supply and demand issues as part of its remit.

Police forces across Scotland worked closely with local authorities and other agencies to prepare for the possibility of incoming refugees from Kosovo in 1999. Key efforts by the police included the identification of suitable interpreters and the production of literature explaining the role of police officers in Scotland and the service they provide. While such activity was scaled down when the Kosovan Refugee Programme in Scotland focused on the Strathclyde area, plans remain in readiness across Scotland.