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Maternity Services
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost of providing NHS maternity services in Scotland for each of the last five years. [79584]
Mr. Galbraith: The information requested is as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 168.6 |
| 1995-96 | 173.0 |
| 1996-97 | 177.5 |
| 1997-98 | 181.9 |
| 1998-99 | Not yet available |
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Caesarean Sections
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the cost to the NHS of a Caesarean section in Scotland; [79585]
- (2) what is the cost to the Scottish NHS of a 1 per cent. increase in the annual rate of Caesarean sections. [79586]
Mr. Galbraith: This information is not collected centrally.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 194
Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial provision has been made for the promotion of breast feeding in each of the last three years in Scotland. [79587]
Mr. Galbraith:
The figures in the table show the financial provision directly related to the promotion of breastfeeding in the last three years. They include expenditure in relation to the National Breastfeeding Adviser in Scotland, who provides training, advice and support to NHS personnel and lay workers and acts as a facilitator to local breastfeeding initiatives.
These figures represent only a small part of our investment to promote breastfeeding, which is increasingly being integrated with mainstream health education campaigns. For example, a major publication on pregnancy and early childrearing 'Ready, Steady, Baby' produced and widely distributed by the Health Education Board for Scotland in 1998-99 included a section on breastfeeding; and a recent edition of O 2 Magazine--which is sent to all S1 and S2 school pupils--featured breastfeeding in relation environmental, social and health issues. Breastfeeding is also linked with the criteria for eating establishments to achieve a 'Healthy Choices Award' and is identified as a workplace issue, with employers encouraged to provide appropriate facilities within 'Scotland's Health At Work' award scheme. A dedicated website on breastfeeding to provide information for both public and professional use has also been set up.
The Government are fully committed to the promotion of breastfeeding, which is universally accepted as the best form of nutrition for infants. Our recent White Paper "Towards a Healthier Scotland" identified the health of
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children as a key area for action. It recognised that breastfeeding and good care in early life can significantly improve a child's chances in life; and it set out proposals for a health demonstration project to focus on the promotion of health from birth and throughout the first 5 years of childhood. One of the potential aims of this project will be to encourage good nutrition through breastfeeding.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 75,000 |
| 1997-98 | 76,000 |
| 1998-99 | 60,000 |
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Environmental Appraisals
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what environmental appraisals of policy his Department has (a) completed, (b) started and (c) planned. [79625]
Mr. Macdonald: The available information is currently being collected by Departments in response to the Environmental Audit Committee's request for information on environmental appraisals as part of its second inquiry into the Greening Government Initiative.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Green Belt Land
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the green belt land in each local authority area. [79850]
Mr. Macdonald: 1. There are currently 6 areas in Scotland designated as greenbelt land. These are shown in table 1.
| Greenbelt | Area (to nearest ha) |
|---|---|
| Edinburgh | 15,869 |
| Glasgow | 109,917 |
| Falkirk and Grangemouth | 3,803 |
| Ayr, Prestwick and Troon | 3,024 |
| Aberdeen | 23,039 |
| Clackmannan | 981 |
| Total | 156,633 |
2. Greenbelt areas broken down by local authority are contained in table 2.
Note:
As at March 1999--The Scottish Office Geographic Information Service
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The boundaries of individual greenbelts are defined in the relevant local authorities' local plans which can be viewed at the offices of the authority concerned.
The figures given are based on the geographical overlay of two datasets from different sources held by the Scottish Office Geographical Information Service (SOGIS). The different scales of these two datasets cause very small differences in the figures for greenbelt areas, known as "slivers". Coastal slivers are areas where the greenbelt data crosses the coastline.
As from 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Canavan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each local authority area, the number of pre-school child minding places available and express the figure as a percentage of the total number of pre-school children in the area. [80218]
Mr. Galbraith:
The table gives the available information. Some authorities have yet to submit their returns.
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 197
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Canavan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what regulations or guidelines he has issued regarding child minders and premises for child minding, with particular reference to the number of children and the number of child minders who can be accommodated on any premises. [80219]
Mr. Galbraith:
The Scottish Office issued guidance to local authorities on the regulation of services for children under the Children Act 1989 in June 1991. That guidance recommends adult:child ratios for child minding and other forms of day care for children under the age of 8. Advice on the number of child minders who may be accommodated on any particular premises is not, however, provided in the guidance.
We issued a consultation paper on the regulatory arrangements for early education and child care in March this year. Follow up action could include revised guidance.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department are involved in processing the payment of (a) European Regional Development Fund grants and (b) Social Fund grants. [79934]
13 Apr 1999 : Column: 198
Mr. Macdonald:
Five and one half full time equivalent members of staff process the final payment of European Development Fund grants and 2 full time members of staff European Social Fund grants. In addition, 3 members of staff provide management and support services to the final payments process.
Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department pays out grants under EU funds before receiving the money from the EU. [79935]
Mr. Macdonald:
Yes. Since February 1999, it has been Government policy to make payment of European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund grants on receipt of valid claims from project sponsors. It is expected that this will lead to improvements in the overall payments process, with grant funds being paid earlier to project sponsors.
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