The requested informationis not held centrally.

Estimates of the medianage of first-time buyers in Scotland are set out in the following table. Thesedata are sourced from the Council of Mortgage Lenders. The notes to the tables explainthe coverage of the estimates and the reasons for a possible break in comparabilitybetween 2004 and 2005, at which point the Regulated Mortgage Survey replaced theSurvey of Mortgage Lenders.

Mortgage lenders definefirst-time buyers as those whose names have not previously been on a mortgage contract.As such these figures include divorcees and others who have previously been owner-occupiersbut have not been named mortgage holders.

Median Age ofFirst-Time Buyers taking out Loans for House Purchase – Scotland

Year
1995	31
1996	30
1996	31
1998	30
1999	30
2000	30
2001	30
2002	32
2003	33
2004	34

Source: Survey ofMortgage Lenders (SML).

Median Age ofFirst-Time Buyers taking out Loans for House Purchase - Scotland

Year
2005	31
2006	28

 

Scottish Water''s Board members were appointed by ministers in 2002 after a widely advertised recruitment campaign under rules laid down for public appointments by the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS). Current members were re-appointed for second terms of three years, again in accordance with OCPAS rules. Current membership and terms of appointment are given in the following table:

Name	Position	Start date	End Date
Mr Ronnie Mercer	Interim Chair Chair	18 April 2006 1 October 2007	30 September 2007 30 September 2011
Mr Ian McMillan	Member	1 April 06	31 March 2009
Mr Graeme Crombie	Member	1 April 2006	31 March 2009
Mr David Gray	Member	1 April 2005	31 March 2008
Professor Paul Jowitt	Member	1 April 2005	31 March 2008
Ms Rita Theil	Member	1 April 2006	31 March 2009
Mr Pat Kelly	Member	1 April 2006	31 March 2009

 

The following is the original answer (published on 14 August 2009); see below.

 

Scottish Water''s Board members were appointed by ministers in 2002 after a widely advertised recruitment campaign under rules laid down for public appointments by the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS). Current members were re-appointed for second terms of three years, again in accordance with OCPAS rules. Current membership and terms of appointment are given in the following table:

Name	Position	Start date	End Date
Mr Ronnie Mercer	Interim Chair Chair	18 April 2006	30 September 2007
Mr Ian McMillan	Member	1 October 2007	30 September 2011
Mr Graeme Crombie	Member	1 April 2006	31 March 2009
Mr David Gray	Member	1 April 2006	31 March 2009
Professor Paul Jowitt	Member	1 April 2005	31 March 2008
Ms Rita Theil	Member	1 April 2005	31 March 2008
Mr Pat Kelly	Member	1 April 2006	31 March 2009

 

The Scottish Executive has statedits opposition to extraordinary rendition. We consider torture to be an abhorrentpractice and take our international obligations to this very seriously. We believethat under Scots law all the appropriate procedures are in place for the investigationof crimes of torture, attempt or conspiracy to commit torture and other possiblerelated offences including abduction and assault and that the punishments availableto courts reflect the grave nature of the offences.

1. Scotland had2.7 physicians per 1,000 population in 2005, (Scottish Health Statistics (ISD) andGeneral Register Office (GRO)).

2. The UK had 2.4 physiciansper 1,000 population in 2005, (Organisation for Economic Development and Organisation,OECD.

3. Table 1 shows how many physiciansper 1000 population each EU member state had in 2005 (unless stated otherwise).

Table 1 – Physicians Per 1,000Population, EU

Country	Physicians Per 1,000 Population
Austria	3.5
Belgium	4.0
Bulgaria	3.6
Cyprus	2.3
Czech Republic	3.6
Denmark	2.9 (2002)
Estonia	4.4 (2000)
Finland	2.4
France	3.4
Germany	3.4
Greece	4.3 (2001)
Hungary	3.0
Ireland	2.8
Italy	3.8
Latvia	3.2
Lithuania	3.9
Luxembourg	2.5
Malta	3.5
Netherlands	3.7
Poland	2.1
Portugal	3.4
Romania	1.9
Slovakia	3.1 (2003)
Slovenia	2.2 (2002)
Spain	3.8
Sweden	3.3 (2002)

Source: World Health Organization(WHO) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

4. Table 2 shows physicians per1,000 population for OECD nations in 2005 (unless otherwise stated).

Country	Physicians per 1,000 population
Australia	2.8 (2001)
Canada	2.2
Iceland	3.7
Japan	2.0 (2002)
Korea	1.6
Mexico	1.8
New Zealand	2.4 (2001)
Norway	3.7
Switzerland	3.8
Turkey	1.4 (2003)
United States	2.4

Source: World Health Organization(WHO) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

5. It should be noted the figuresquoted do not say anything about access or quality of care citizens in these countriesreceive. It is simply a ratio of physicians to population.

6. The methodologies behind thesefigures vary. For example, some countries arrive at the figure by including internsand both public and private physicians while others do not. Some countries alsoinclude domestic physicians who are working abroad. Overall, therefore the figuresare not directly comparable.

7. The figures are based on headcountor total numbers of physicians. They do not take into account different workingpatterns that exist in different countries which will also impact on the type ofcare received. Similarly, the type of care and services a physician provides ineach country will not necessarily be comparable.

This information is not held.Dentists are not obliged to advise NHS boards if they are accepting or have stoppedaccepting new NHS patients.

Information prior to 1994 innot centrally held, however headcount andwhole-time equivalent (WTE) numbers in each staff group employed from 1994 in the Scottish Ambulance Service by grade are outlined in the following tables 1 and 2.The information is shown as at 30 September in each year.

NHSScotland WorkforceStatistics

Table 1: Scottish AmbulanceService Head Count, at 30 September

	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
All Scottish Ambulance Service	2,721	2,811	2,903	2,909	2,929	2,947	2,962	3,083	3,233	3,462	3,543	3,661
Whitley Grades	2,721	2,811	2,903	2,909	2,929	2,947	2,962	3,083	3,233	3,462	3,543	3,661
Grades 7-10 and Senior Management	58	57	68	63	65	55	60	69	71	67	72	78
Grades 4-6	35	25	29	31	28	31	36	38	50	52	62	70
Grades 1-3	78	76	68	61	61	63	54	53	56	60	61	61
Ambulance and control officer	230	232	238	245	260	263	264	285	322	371	369	366
Ambulance Man 34	669	1,455	1,440	1,472	1,457	1,464	1,485	1,483	1,520	1,566	1,672	1,697
Leading Ambulance man	239	237	246	256	264	257	259	250	231	321	332	337
Trainee Ambulance man	80	162	142	98	82	85	66	129	159	196	111	138
Care assistant 3	-	-	538	546	576	604	624	616	634	687	659	723
Ancillary Staff 2	36	31	34	32	23	20	17	17	17	21	20	23
Trades 2	51	49	48	50	59	59	56	58	58	60	61	59
Other 3	1,245	487	52	55	54	46	41	85	115	61	124	109

Source: ISD Scotland.

NHSScotland WorkforceStatistics

Table 1: Scottish AmbulanceService Whole-Time Equivalent, at 30September

	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
All Scottish Ambulance Service	2,645	2,722	2,798	2,791	2,813	2,829	2,842	2,967	3,112	3,335	3,398	3,514
Whitley Grades	2,645	2,722	2,798	2,791	2,813	2,829	2,842	2,967	3,112	3,335	3,398	3,514
Grades 7-10 and Senior Management	58	57	68	63	65	55	60	69	71	67	72	78
Grades 4-6	35	25	29	31	28	30	36	37	48	51	60	67
Grades 1-3	75	73	64	55	55	56	47	48	50	51	51	53
Ambulance and control officer	229	230	234	240	253	258	258	278	315	366	361	357
Ambulance man 34	605	1,445	1,433	1,458	1,442	1,448	1,465	1,462	1,501	1,546	1,648	1,671
Leading Ambulance man	239	237	246	256	264	257	259	250	231	318	330	336
Trainee Ambulance man	80	159	133	92	79	81	63	124	155	192	103	132
Care assistant 3	-	-	475	480	509	537	553	565	583	623	606	660
Ancillary Staff 2	28	24	26	25	17	14	12	12	11	15	15	17
Trades 2	51	49	48	50	59	59	56	58	58	60	61	59
Other 3	1,245	424	41	41	42	35	33	63	89	46	92	84

Source: ISD Scotland.

Notes:

1. Includesambulance staff, ancillary staff, maintenance staff, administrative and clericalstaff and senior management.

2. The number ofstaff in these categories is dependent upon whether the service is provided bydirectly employed staff or by external agencies.

3. In 1994 and1995, it is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown by Whitley grade forall staff. In 1994, staff recorded as “other” were predominately ambulance menand care assistants; in 1995 staff recorded as “other” were predominately careassistants.

4. Ambulance man is aWhitley Council grade/post descriptor and covers both sexes and workers

Scottish Ambulance Serviceidentified a discrepancy with the 2006 data which ISD are investigatingfurther, therefore 2006 figures for Scottish Ambulance Service are not shown.

Student teachers are given generaltuition and guidance on how to recognise and support pupils with additional supportneeds, including dyslexia, as part of a series of core and elective modules withininitial teacher education courses.

The Executive are also fundinga pioneering new project at Aberdeen University, providing £1.39 million over 2005-10,to embed inclusive approaches to teaching for pupils with additional support needs,including dyslexia, within initial teacher education. The findings and best practicewill be disseminated to other initial teacher education providers.

The National Parks(Scotland) Act 2000 provides powers for Scottish Ministers to designatenational parks where they are satisfied: that an area is of outstandingnational importance because of its natural, or natural and cultural heritage;that the area has a distinctive and coherent identity; and that designation ofa national park would represent the best means of meeting the special needs of the area. The Act identifies the aims of National Parks as:

(a) to conserve and enhancethe natural and cultural heritage of the area;

(b) to promote sustainableuse of the natural resources of the area;

(c) to promote understandingand enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the specialqualities of the area by the public; and

(d) to promote sustainableeconomic and social development of the area’s communities.

Regional Parks may bedesignated by local authorities under powers provided in the Wildlife andCountryside (Scotland) Act 1981. The Act defines a regional park as ‘anextensive area of land, part of which is devoted to the recreational needs of the public’. Regional Park designations are subject to confirmation byMinisters.

I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-2237 on 10 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at:http://.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.