Chamber and committees

The average weekly cost of treating a patient in a high-dependency bed in financial year 2006-07 was £4,563.

Source: Scottish Health Service Costs, ISD Scotland.

International comparable data on research and development spend does not include expenditure relating to innovation; however figures on gross research and development expenditure (GERD) as a percentage of GDP are available. Estimating the required investment to reach the top quartile in 2009-10 would require forecasts of all OECD countries'' expenditure and GDP; however these forecasts are currently not available and therefore figures will be based on the most recent data, which are for 2005.

In 2005 Scottish GERD was £1,582 million and represented 1.61% of GDP. In order to reach the top quartile of OECD countries GERD spend would have to increase to over 2.48% of GDP which would be equivalent to a GERD spend of £2,447 million. This would require a 55% increase in GERD spend from the 2005 levels. GERD comprises investment by government, higher education and businesses, and Scotland is currently in the top quartile for higher education and government research and development expenditure and in the third quartile for business research and development expenditure.

Research and development is measured using internationally agreed standards defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This approach is heavily focused on investment in scientific and technological invention and does not capture the broader innovation activity that takes place in many sectors of the Scottish economy. For example, the top four sectors in terms of business expenditure on research and development (BERD) account for 78 per cent of BERD in Scotland; however these industries only contribute around 3 per cent to Scotland''s GVA. Therefore, it is important to note that this excludes investment relating to innovation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15189 on 22 August 2008. My officials are continuing to discuss with the Scottish Funding Council and Universities Scotland the most robust basis on which to make international comparisons about the percentage of GDP invested in universities.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The deferring of £20 million from the Scottish Funding Council''s capital allocation from 2009-10 to 2010-11 will have no impact on capital projects within the university and college sector. The Scottish Funding Council''s capital investment projects will continue without delay in 2009-10 and the deferment will assist in the flexible management of phasing and cash flows over academic years.

Details of the capital projects currently being undertaken in the university and college sector are an operational matter for the Scottish Funding Council. I have asked the Scottish Funding Council to write to the member with this information.

Details of the capital projects to be undertaken in the university and college sector in the next three years are an operational matter for the Scottish Funding Council. I have asked the Scottish Funding Council to write to the member with this information.

These efficiency savings have not been changed.

Each year, SAAS produce forward estimates of potential bursary demand, primarily based on projected student numbers but also considering recent trends in uptake and likely eligibility for awards, to ensure that budgets are as close as possible to demand each year.

These budgets are monitored continually through the year and all efficiency plans are reviewed formally on a quarterly basis. We will be better placed to consider whether these plans need to change further when the final spend, earnings and inflation are known for financial year 2008-09.

The information requested is supplied in the following table.

Number and Percentage of Premature Babies by NHS Board of Residence - Year Ending 31 March:

	2003		2004		2005		2006P		2007P
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Scotland	3,976	7.8	4,348	8.2	4,179	7.8	4,328	8.2	4,233	7.6
Ayrshire and Arran	323	9.4	315	8.7	337	9.2	367	10.0	334	8.7
Borders	64	6.6	74	7.5	61	5.9	58	6.0	58	5.5
Dumfries and Galloway	107	8.1	95	7.2	104	7.5	122	8.8	135	9.3
Fife	270	7.7	273	7.5	239	6.4	254	6.8	274	7.0
Forth Valley	229	8.1	241	8.1	214	6.8	220	7.0	216	6.7
Grampian	484	9.1	434	8.4	440	8.2	459	8.5	482	8.2
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	1,014	8.1	1,158	9.0	1,143	8.7	1,156	8.9	1,028	7.8
Highland	177	6.6	208	7.4	203	7.2	233	8.2	205	7.4
Lanarkshire	375	6.3	474	7.8	453	7.3	464	7.9	457	7.2
Lothian	583	7.3	679	8.1	662	8.0	678	8.0	635	7.3
Orkney	5	3.0	23	14.5	16	8.8	9	4.9	15	7.4
Shetland	8	3.6	14	6.1	17	7.3	11	4.9	19	7.1
Tayside	283	7.6	330	8.2	234	6.5	266	7.2	322	8.0
Western Isles	10	4.1	10	4.1	19	8.6	12	5.4	20	7.2

Source: ISD Scotland (SMR02).

Note: Figures for 2006 and 2007 are provisional.

Flu vaccinations are provided free to all individuals who fall within the risk groups outlined in the Chief Professional Officers'' letter of September 2008. The total number of people who received flu vaccinations in each of the last three years is summarised in Table 1. This data is based on information provided by the Practitioner Services Division of National Services for Scotland.

Tables 2a-c set out the percentage of individuals in the age 65 and over category vaccinated in each of the last three years broken down by health board. Tables 3a-c provide statistics relating to the number of individuals vaccinated in the under 65 at risk category, broken down by eligible group and NHS board. The total number of at risk individuals under the age of 65 is unknown, therefore uptake rates for this category cannot be provided. Tables 1, 2a-c and 3a-c are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46885).

It is not possible at this stage to indicate the specific grant allocations for individual community justice authorities (CJAs) for the 2009-10 financial year in respect of the additional £1 million. Work is currently in progress on determining overall criminal justice social work services grant allocations for 2009-10 financial year of which the additional £1 million forms part. It is hoped to inform CJAs of their grant allocations for the next financial year by end December 2008.

CJAs have been advised in writing of the position.