Chamber and committees

Valuation reports prepared by the Government Actuarial Department (GAD) for the Scottish Teachers'' Superannuation Scheme for the period 2001 to 2005 and for the NHS Superannuation Scheme for Scotland for the period 1999 to 2004 have been laid before the Scottish Parliament today. Copies have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 47169 “NHS and 47170 - STSS).

The report on the NHS scheme concluded that a reduction in the employer contribution rate from 14% to 13.5% was appropriate from 1 April 2009.

The report on the teachers'' scheme concluded that an increase in the employer contribution rate from 13.5% to 14.9% was required from 1 April 2009. This is mainly as a result of increased longevity and an increase in the ill-health and early retirement numbers beyond previous actuarial assumptions.

Both valuations take account of recent changes to schemes which increase the pension age for new public servants from 60 to 65 and other miscellaneous changes to the benefits provided to members.

We are publishing today a policy statement on our plans for the next census, which we propose will be held on 27 March 2011. Census information is widely used by central and local government and others, in planning future policy and service delivery, as well as by businesses, academic researchers and community groups of many kinds. There is no other source of comparable information, particularly for small areas and population groups.

The Registrar General for Scotland is responsible, under the Census Act 1920, for taking the census in Scotland and plans are already well in hand, based on consultation with users of the statistics, community groups and others. There will be a rehearsal of these preparations in March 2009 in Lewis, Harris and West Edinburgh, following which Parliament''s approval of the proposals will be sought in early 2010.

The document has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47152).

The Scottish Government provides approximately £3.5 million of funding annually to over 30 national youth work organisations. They provide a wide range of support to promote positive lifestyles and encourage personal growth and good citizenship among young people.

We also provide assistance through the development of national policy on youth issues. Initiatives such as the Volunteering Action plan and the Youth Achievement Awards support Scotland''s young people to be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

NHS Tayside and thehealth care professionals providing services at the centre are responsible for determiningand arranging any follow-up action required on the basis of an assessment of individualpatients’ specific needs for care and treatment. Action will depend on the outcomeof each assessment – psychological therapies, drug treatment and discharge are amongthe options. Follow-up to resolve individual episodes of care can range from severalsessions to regular input over a number of years, depending on clinical need.

Waiting times in individualcases depend on the degree of urgency based on the clinical judgement of the healthcare professionals involved. Children whose needs are urgent will be seen quicklyand before those whose needs are more routine.

The management andrecording of waiting times for specific services is primarily a matter for NHS Tayside.

The Centre for ChildHealth does not normally refer children to educational psychology services. Theappropriate local authority education department is responsible for providing theseservices and referrals are normally from individual schools or parents.

Within the frameworkof national guidance, NHS Tayside is responsible for assessing local service needsand for providing services to meet these needs. I understand that children who havebeen diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and are on medicationare followed up routinely by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service withinthe Centre for Child Health. Medication is monitored in collaboration with the patient’sGP through a shared care protocol.

The health care professionalsinvolved in referring children to the Centre and those receiving referrals willtake into account a number of factors, including age, in determining priority inindividual cases. However, clinical need and the degree of risk is the overridingfactor.

Clinical need as assessedby the appropriate health care professionals involved is the main factor that determinespriorities. Children or young people at the highest clinical risk will have thehighest clinical priority. The centre will also take account of other risk factorsin assessing the urgency of the need for assessment or treatment.

The information requestedis not held centrally.

However, support andassistance for children with dyslexia is primarily provided through the school educationsystem. The provision of education in Scotland is the responsibility of the appropriatelocal authority and Angus Council and Dundee City Council, like all local authorities,are under a statutory duty to ensure that there is adequate and efficient provisionof school education made for their area. It is therefore a matter for Angus andDundee City to determine how the educational needs for children with dyslexia aremet.