Chamber and committees

The Westminster Government consultation on this GB instrument may result in revocation of the Regulations as they apply in England but this would require agreement by both DEFRA and Department of Health Ministers. The Regulations would continue unchanged as they apply to Scotland (and Wales).

The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 legally require all white and brown flour produced in Great Britain to be fortified with four specific minerals and vitamins (i.e. calcium, iron, thiamine and niacin) at specified levels.

Since the majority of the current 56 mills in the UK are based in England, any change there is likely to have a direct effect on the other countries in the UK to whom they supply flour. Thus many bread and other flour based products on sale in Scotland may be affected by the outcome of the UK Government consultation and any subsequent actions.

The new food body will be established in primary legislation. The date of establishment is dependent on the timetable for Parliamentary business.

The Scottish Ambulance Service Patient Transport Service provides a vital service across Scotland. It enables patients who have a medical or mobility need for the support of an ambulance crew to get to and from healthcare facilities for their appointments. In 2011-12 the Patient Transport Service undertook nearly 1.3 million patient journeys.

The Scottish Ambulance Service are taking forward an extensive improvement programme for the Patient Transport Service. The first phase of this work has delivered:

three regional booking centres to co-ordinate requests for ambulance transport;

a single national booking number to facilitate direct patient access;

revised pre-appointment information, developed in partnership with NHS boards, to better support patients to access transport appropriate to their needs;

a clinical needs assessment tool to ensure the service consistently provides transport that is person centred;

mobile data technology across the patient transport fleet, allowing for dynamic real time management of vehicles and improved communication with crews.

The key focus in the next phase of the improvement programme will be on maximising the use of the new technology, ensuring consistency and improvement in the quality of service delivery across the country, and delivering a service that is more demand responsive and more person centred.

Following the severe weather in December, potential claims for assistance under the Bellwin Scheme were notified to the Scottish Government by Aberdeenshire, Moray, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Highland and Angus councils.

From the date of the emergency incident, local authorities have four months to submit formal interim claims for assistance and eight months to submit final audited claims. On receipt of the interim claim, the Scottish Government will make payment of 90% of eligible expenditure above the Bellwin threshold (0.2% of the council’s total net revenue budget) with the remaining 10% paid on receipt of the final audited claim. At this stage we have not received any interim claims and so do not have any details of the amounts local authorities may claim.

In addition to the December 2012 incidents the Bellwin Scheme was triggered earlier this financial year for various flooding incidents across Scotland. As a result we were notified of potential claims from East Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute, Scottish Borders and Perth and Kinross councils but to date no eligible claims have been received.

The total funding allocated to local government by way of capital consequentials arising from the 2012 Autumn Statement is £46.2 million. Local authorities have the lead for flood risk management in their respective areas and the capital consequentials will be distributed between all local authorities according to an agreed formula share. The funding will be spread over two years with £1.3 million allocated for 2012-13 and £44.9 million allocated for 2013-14.

The additional funding will support those capital projects that are ready to be delivered and additional to current local government investment plans.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08723 on 20 August 2012. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Scottish Government does not run a formal internship programme. We have previously participated in two schemes which could be considered similar to internships in nature. These were:

Between 2002 and 2009 the Scottish Government offered summer diversity placements through an outreach programme with Scottish colleges and universities offering a six week work placement within the organisation - these were funded opportunities. Between 15 and 25 placements were offered each year.

As a government department, we participated in the UK Civil Service Fast Stream Summer Diversity Internship scheme between 2008 and 2011, offering two places per year (eight in total).

Although we don't run a formal scheme, we do offer informal student placements to both graduates and undergraduates in response to approaches from students and colleges/universities seeking opportunities within the Scottish Government, these can be both paid and unpaid placements. Details of these placements are reported in the answer referenced above for the period April 2008 to March 2012.

With regards to work experience opportunities, the Scottish Government offers informal school age work experience placements, details of which are reported in the answer referenced for the period April 2008 to March 2012.

For both categories, data for earlier years are not held centrally. Data for the current year has not yet been collated.

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN ANSWER

25 January 2013

Index Heading: Enterprise & Environment

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much Marine Scotland has spent on (a) staff redundancies, (b) staff costs and (c) research in each year since its establishment.

(S4W-12020)

Richard Lochhead: The amount spent by Marine Scotland on staff redundancies, staff costs and research since its establishment are outlined in the following table:-

The research figures relate to pure research projects and do not include spend incurred carrying out statutory and regulatory functions and other operational science activities.

In total Marine Scotland spends around £18 million annually on science related activity which includes the operation of two research vessels at a cost of £5 million per annum. In addition significant work has been undertaken enhancing scientific research capacity and capability through large scale capital investment, including the building of a replacement fisheries veterinary aquarium, the Ellis building, at a cost of £15 million.

Marine Scotland’s planned staff budget and staff complement in each year since its establishment are listed in the following tables:-

Notes:

1. The 2009-10 figure is the March 2010 headcount figure. 2009-10 was a year of transition as the resources and functions of predecessor bodies were being integrated throughout the year.

2. In 2010-11 the staff complement was increased temporarily to take account of revised marine crewing arrangements resulting from a restructuring of marine vessel management.