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Dr. Pusztai
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what employment procedures were followed during the recent dismissal of Dr Pusztai from the Rowett Institute. [71952]
Mr. Macdonald: Following his formal retirement from the Rowett Research Institute in 1990, at the age of 60, Dr. Pusztai was engaged as a consultant and Senior Research Fellow on a year-to-year contract, while drawing full pension. The Director of the Rowett Research Institute informed him in August 1998, in writing, that his existing contract would not be renewed when it ended on 31 December 1998.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Scottish Parliament
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he has given to businesses in central Edinburgh on the potential impact of (a) the interim location of the Scottish Parliament in the Assembly Rooms, (b) the new parliament building at Holyrood on its completion, (c) the estimated completion date of the new building and (d) the estimated date of transfer of the parliament from the Assembly Rooms to Holyrood; how often he gives local business such guidance; and if he will make a statement. [72299]
Mr. Dewar:
My Ministerial colleagues and I meet regularly with a wide variety of representatives of the Edinburgh business community and other local organisations. Views are exchanged on the impact of the new Parliament in both of the proposed locations.
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The Scottish Office, the City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd. are joint sponsors of a study on "The Scottish Parliament: Maximising Local Economic Benefit through Area Regeneration". The study team has consulted with all identified interested parties, including representatives of local commerce and industry. The final report is expected shortly.
The estimated completion date of the new Parliament building at Holyrood is autumn 2001; the transfer date will be a matter for Members of the new Scottish Parliament to decide.
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many caesarean sections took place in Scotland in each of the last five years; and what they were in each year as a percentage of all deliveries. [72534]
| Caesarean sections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year ending 31 March | Maternities | Number | Percentage |
| 1994 | 61,954 | 9,716 | 15.7 |
| 1995 | 59,862 | 9,688 | 16.2 |
| 1996 | 58,478 | 9,604 | 16.4 |
| 1997 | 57,499 | 9,802 | 17.0 |
| 1998(11) | 57,478 | 10,386 | 18.1 |
(11) Provisional data
Notes:
1. The information shown in the table has been extracted from the Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR02)--Maternity discharge.
2. Maternities are defined as a pregnancy which results in a live or stillbirth, multiple pregnancies being counted only once.
3. In multiple deliveries individual babies may have different modes of delivery.
4. The data exclude maternities delivered at home.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many health authorities in Scotland, and in which ones, the rate of caesarean section exceeds the WHO recommended rate. [72533]
Mr. Galbraith:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) does not make specific recommendations about rates of caesarean delivery which will inevitably vary from place to place and will reflect the health and nutritional status of pregnant women and the level of maternity care provision. The rate of caesarean section for each Health Board in Scotland is as follows:
Notes:
1. The information shown in the table has been extracted from the Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR02)--Maternity discharge.
2. Maternities are defined as a pregnancy which results in a live or stillbirth, multiple pregnancies being counted only once.
3. In multiple deliveries individual babies may have different modes of delivery.
4. The data exclude maternities delivered at home.
5. The data provided are provisional.
1 Mar 1999 : Column: 552
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Rowett Institute
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the annual reports of the Rowett Institute for the years 1997 and 1998. [71953]
Mr. Macdonald: The Rowett Research Institute's Annual Report for 1997-98 should be available in March-April 1999. The Report for 1998-99 should be available at the same time next year.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make publicly available all the research documentation concerning the experiments carried out with genetically modified potatoes at the Rowett Institute. [71954]
Mr. Macdonald:
Copies of the Audit Committee Report and the accompanying Press Release issued by the Rowett Research Institute on 28 October 1998; Dr. Pusztai's Report in response to the Audit Committee's Report; the Audit Committee's further response to Dr. Pusztai's Report and the accompanying Press Release by the Rowett Research Institute on 16 February 1999, have been placed in the House of Commons Library. These reports cover all the relevant experiments carried out at the Rowett Research Institute.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Worthington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) solemn and (b) summary, (i) civil and (ii) criminal cases which have been adjudicated upon at the Sheriff Court in Dumbarton in each of the past five years. [72884]
1 Mar 1999 : Column: 553
Mr. McLeish:
The information requested is given in the following table:
| Cases Concluded | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal | |||||
| Summary Cases | 2,775 | 2,584 | 2,646 | 2,654 | 2,419 |
| Solemn Cases | 92 | 80 | 72 | 76 | 90 |
| Civil(12) | |||||
| Ordinary Actions | 1,000 | 1,038 | 967 | 895 | 1,052 |
| Summary Cause | 2,544 | 2,150 | 1,996 | 2,040 | 2,042 |
(12) Civil does not include miscellaneous civil proceedings e.g. adoptions, simplified divorces, sequestrations etc.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Social Exclusion
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress made by the Government in tackling social exclusion in Scotland. [74118]
Mr. Dewar: Social exclusion is a pernicious phenomenon and we have made clear our determination to confront it. Since coming into office we have put in place a wide-ranging and well resourced programme of action. We have today published a social inclusion strategy for Scotland, which has been developed and endorsed by the Scottish Social Inclusion Network, chaired by my noble Friend Lord Sewel. The strategy aims to ensure that action already underway achieves the greatest possible impact, and that future action to promote social inclusion is integrated, evaluated and informed by new ideas and existing best practice.
A statement of the Government's programme of action is set out in a companion document to the strategy, also published today. Copies of both documents are available from the House Library.
From 1 July 1999 action taken forward under the social inclusion strategy will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Russell Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to respond to the report of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care of the Elderly. [74394]
Mr. Dewar:
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has indicated today, we have just received the Royal Commission's very full and detailed report. I join my right hon. Friend in his tribute to the work of the Commission, under the chairmanship of Sir Stewart Sutherland. We are grateful to all the Commission members, including the other Scottish-based member, Professor Mary Marshall of the Dementia Services Development Centre at the University of Stirling.
The report's recommendations are important and wide ranging. They will require very careful consideration. Some relate to matters such as social security and pensions which are to be reserved to Westminster. Scottish Ministers and officials will play a full part in inter-departmental discussions on these matters, both now and, I am sure, after devolution. Other recommendations
1 Mar 1999 : Column: 554
relate to matters such as social work, health and housing, which will be devolved. From 1 July 1999 these will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament and the response to the recommendations will be for the Scottish Executive and Parliament to take forward in the light of the informed debate which the Commission hopes to see, and our proposals for modernising social work services which will be set out in a White Paper later this month.
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