Thursday 19 April 2012 SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE Governance and Communities John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities are committed to paying a living wage. (S4O-0887) Derek Mackay: The current position in local authorities regarding implementation of the living wage is as follows: Five councils have confirmed that they already pay the current level of the living wage through their existing wage structures; Nine councils have introduced the living wage; Six councils have stated that they will implement a living wage during 2012-13, and Seven councils have indicated their intention to consider introducing a living wage. Marco Biagi (Edinburgh Central) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have applied for the flooding component of the General Capital Grant as per its letter of 5 December 2011; which projects it covered, and how much was sought in each case. (S4W-06436) Derek Mackay: As part of the 2011 Spending Review the Scottish Government and COSLA agreed to a new mechanism for funding major new flood protection schemes for the period 2012-15. The following table identifies the eligible bids considered by a joint Government – COSLA assessment panel. At this stage project costs are indicative, actual costs will be dependent on the outcome of work currently underway to secure tenders for these schemes. Grant will be provided for up to 80% of the actual project costs. Council Scheme Estimated costs (£ million) Highland River Ness (tidal section) 22.002 Moray Forres (Findhorn and Pilmuir) 44.198 Scottish Borders Galashiels (Plumtree, Wilderhaugh and 3.627 Netherdale) In addition, applications were made by Edinburgh and Renfrewshire Councils for additional support for flood prevention schemes which are already reflected in the distribution of General Capital Grant for 2008-14. Fife, North Ayrshire and Angus provided indications of projects which are likely to be brought forward under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. These were outside the scope agreed by COSLA and Ministers and were therefore not considered by the panel. Health and Social Care Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of the increase in VAT to 20% will be for the NHS in 2011-12, also broken down by NHS board. (S4W-06388) Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33760 on 21 May 2010. 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. Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to promote referral to cardiac rehabilitation in light of NHS Information Services Division statistics showing that less than 50% of relevant patients in NHS Grampian and NHS Highland were referred. (S4W-06429) Michael Matheson: Improving access to cardiac rehabilitation is a priority action within the Better Heart Disease and Stroke Care Action Plan. A 2007 audit suggested that 45% of people who had suffered a heart attack, undergone a coronary artery bypass or percutanous coronary intervention had access to cardiac rehabilitation. The interim results of the latest audit published in 13 March 2012, show that NHSScotland has substantially increased access to cardiac rehabilitation services for people within the clinical priority group. The report suggests the level of provision has now risen to almost 70%. We accept however that there is more to do. The National Advisory Committee on Heart Disease will review the outcomes from the full audit, when it is published in May and agree with NHS boards’ cardiac managed clinical networks (MCNs), including those in NHS Grampian and NHS Highland, any action that needs to be taken to help ensure people who need access, can access cardiac rehabilitation services. We are also working with the British Heart Foundation and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland on how we can further improve access to cardiac rehabilitation. Drew Smith (Glasgow) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive how many inpatient beds there have been for mental health patients in each of the last five years, broken down by health board area. (S4W-06454) Michael Matheson: Information on both quarterly and annual available staffed beds split by specialty and NHS board of treatment is published by Information Services Division (ISD) and is available at the link http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Hospital-Care/. Annual data is available from 2001-02 to 2010-11. Information for 2011-12 will be published at the end of September 2012. Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have died as a result of contracting influenza after being admitted to hospital in each of the last three years. (S4W-06528) Michael Matheson: This specific information is not available. Whilst central health records collect information on the clinical diagnosis of patients admitted to hospital, it cannot identify when those patients contracted an infectious disease, such as influenza. Jackson Carlaw (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current number of doctors trained and being trained in community sexual and reproductive health will be sufficient to deliver on its Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Outcome Framework 2011-2015. (S4W-06541) Jackson Carlaw (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether current NHS staffing levels, composition and geographic dispersion will be sufficient to deliver on its Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework 2011-2015 and beyond in all parts of Scotland. (S4W-06542) Michael Matheson: The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework is outcomes focussed. It does not seek to mandate how NHS boards and others should deliver outcomes, and does not set expectations on staffing levels within NHS boards. The framework encourages local needs- assessments to be undertaken to establish what resources are required to deliver on framework outcomes. Staffing levels are therefore entirely a matter for NHS boards. We are not aware of any staffing issues that will compromise delivery of the framework. The government undertakes annual local area visits to monitor progress of the framework outcomes. These visits will involve detailed discussion on issues of concern in each area and this will provide an opportunity for any staffing issues to be raised. These visits are commencing this month. Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of dentists is registering new NHS patients, broken down by NHS board. (S4W-06564) Michael Matheson: The information requested is not held centrally. The majority of dentists are independent contractors and are not obliged under their NHS terms of service to advise NHS boards if they are registering new NHS patients. NHS boards will hold information on the percentage of their salaried dentists registering new NHS patients. Learning and Justice Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged between 20 and 24 are unemployed. (S4O-0888) Angela Constance: Unemployment levels for 16 to 24 year olds in Scotland are published by the Office for National Statistics on a monthly basis, covering rolling quarters. The latest monthly figures were published on 18 April covering the period December to February 2012. Estimates for 20 to 24 year olds are only available on a quarterly basis from the disaggregated Labour Force Survey (LFS) datasets. Based on the latest available quarterly LFS data covering October to December 2011, it is estimated that 56,000 people aged 20 to 24 were unemployed in Scotland. Drew Smith (Glasgow) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers the impact will be of the proposed changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme on victims of crime in Scotland. (S4W-06507) Kenny MacAskill: The proposals from the UK Government are currently subject to consultation and no final decisions have been made. The proposed changes are expected to result in a reduction of around £5 million per annum in the value of compensation to victims in Scotland. Strategy and External Affairs David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive what agreement it has reached with the UK Government regarding the provisions in the Scotland Bill for the future of the Crown Estate. (S4W-06386) Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4O-00855 on 29 March 2012. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the official report can be viewed at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=6941&mode=html#iob_6320 0. David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking with the UK Government to implement the findings of the Scottish Affairs Committee in relation to the devolution of the Crown Estate and what powers the Secretary of State for Scotland will have in this regard after the passage of the Scotland Bill. (S4W-06387) Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4O-00855 on 29 March 2012. The