Note: The figures provided are for staff who are specifically identified as working in services for older people and are employed by the local authority. There will be others who work with all client groups as part of their duties, including older people.

Source: Local Authority Social Work Services Staffing Census 2009.

The figures do not include staff who work in the private and voluntary sectors as they are not included in this census.

http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=Overall%20staff%202009_vt.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment.

The following is the original answer (published on 23 September 2010); see below.

The total costs to healthcare services in Scotland of alcohol misuse was estimated by the York Health Economics Consortium, University of York, to be £268.8 million (mid-point) in 2007, however, this figure is not broken down by NHS board.

Scottish ministers have consistently maintained that these consequentials will be applied to the Health budget in Scotland and have responded to the Independent Budget Review in these terms.

The principles within Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS echo the Scottish Government''s commitment to healthcare services free at the point of use for those who need them, and to our ambition to make NHSScotland a world leader in healthcare quality, which is set out in our recently published Healthcare Quality Strategy. However, some of the structural issues are of less relevance in Scotland and some aspects of the UK Government''s proposed approach are very different from the mutual NHS to which we are committed in Scotland. We will continue to consider whether there are any aspects of the UK proposals which might help us deliver the kind of world class services we have set out in our Quality Strategy.

The review was jointly commissioned, and the chair appointed, by all four UK Health Ministers in March 2010. Dame Deirdre Hine chaired the review.

The four UK Health Ministers set up this Independent Review with a remit to review the appropriateness and effectiveness of the UK strategy for responding domestically to the swine flu pandemic, and make recommendations for any future influenza pandemic.

I would like to thank Dame Deidre Hine and her team for their work and I welcome her report and recommendations. I will take these into consideration when reviewing our future pandemic plans in the Scottish Framework For Responding To An Influenza Pandemic.

Copies of the report are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib Number 51190).