The Scottish Government has commissioned ClimateXChange (CXC) to conduct a study on the impact of house prices from wind farm developments. We expect this report, which has been prepared following detailed and exhaustive analysis, to be published shortly.

During an inspection of Drumduan Upper School, HM Inspector identified a great example of innovative practice. At a follow up visit to look at this in more detail, HM Inspector found that the school’s approach to creative learning also included a focus on developing skills for learning, life and work and this included daily singing lessons. This whole school approach aimed at benefiting young people’s health and work ethic.

HM Inspectors have been pleased to share this practice with other similar independent schools across Scotland, through professional engagement visits where the practice would be beneficial. As a result, we are aware of at least one other independent school, which has since visited this School to learn more about their practice in developing the curriculum and embedding creative approaches to learning and teaching.

Centrally held workforce information identifies staff employed by NHS Scotland health board, not by hospital. Specific local information may be available from NHS boards.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01962 on 9 September 2016 for the latest published staff in post and vacancy figures for NHS Grampian and NHS Scotland as at 30 June 2016.

When advertising consultant posts at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin, NHS Grampian offer flexibility within the consultant terms and conditions of service in particular on job planning and programmed activities.

NHS Grampian also connect posts linking work between Dr Gray's Hospital and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to develop special interests and further education as well as offering opportunities for research with Aberdeen University.

Centrally held workforce information identifies staff employed by NHS Scotland health board, not by hospital. Specific local information may be available from NHS Grampian.

The latest available information on the number and percentage of vacancies for consultants specialising in geriatric medicine in NHS Grampian is shown in the following table:-

Number (Whole Time Equivalent) of consultants, vacancies and vacancies as a percentage of establishment in NHS Grampian as at 30 June 2016.

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System, Information Services Division Scotland

Notes:Consultants who specialise in medicine for older people are currently recorded under the GMC specialty heading ‘Geriatric Medicine’.

Establishment is calculated as number of staff in post plus total vacancies.

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of some nursing roles, a nurse may work in more than one specialty, however only one specialist area is recorded for each nurse.

Nurses specialising in Parkinson’s disease are known to be under-recorded in the centrally held data, therefore it is not possible to accurately report on the numbers of specialist Parkinson’s nurses or vacancies in each NHS board.

Specific local information may be available from NHS Scotland health boards.

Centrally held workforce information identifies staff employed by NHS Scotland health board, not the locations of work for nurses. Specific local information may be available from individual NHS boards.

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of some nursing roles, a nurse may work in more than one specialty, however only one specialist area is recorded for each nurse.

Nurses specialising in Parkinson’s disease are known to be under-recorded in the centrally held data, therefore it is not possible to accurately report on the numbers of specialist Parkinson’s nurses or vacancies in each NHS board.

Centrally held workforce information identifies staff employed by NHS board, not by hospital. Specific local information may be available from NHS Grampian.

Information on the number of Geriatric Medicine Consultants in NHS Grampian is published by Information Services Division Scotland and is available in the following table:-

Number (whole time equivalent) and percentage of consultants in NHS Grampian as at 30 September 2006 and 30 June 2016.

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Specialist care of patients with Parkinson’s disease is likely to be led by consultants in neurology. However it is not possible to specifically identify those who specialise in Parkinson’s disease in the data centrally held.

Centrally held workforce information identifies staff employed by NHS Scotland health board, not by hospital. Specific local information may be available from individual NHS boards.

Information on consultant vacancies and total consultant posts vacant for six months or more are published by Information Services Division Scotland (ISD), however information on the exact duration of each vacancy is not collected. It is therefore not possible to provide an average time that a post has remained vacant.

The latest published consultant staff in post and consultant vacancy figures for NHS Grampian and NHS Scotland as at 30 June 2016 are shown in the following table:-

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System.

1. Establishment is calculated as number of staff in post plus total vacancies.

Under this government, the number of consultants employed in NHS Grampian have increased by 36.5%, to 513.7 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE).*

The number of consultants employed in NHS Scotland have increased by 40.1 per cent, to 5077.0 WTE.*

Any fluctuation in consultant vacancies is linked to our efforts to increase capacity by recruiting even more staff.

(*Source: ISD Scotland, figures as at June 2016)