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Children’s Panel Advisory Committees monitor panel member availability on an on-going basis. Target membership figures are not meaningful, as the number of panel members required in a local authority area at any time depends on the number of hearings called and the current level of availability of the existing members, which can vary. However, projections on recruitment needs for the coming year are determined in advance of the annual recruitment campaign. Since 2000 the national recruitment target has been exceeded by the number appointed. Turnover statistics can be referenced in the answer given to question S2W-12921, answered on 22 December 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search. Detailed information on projected recruitment needs compared with numbers of new panel members appointed since 2000 is given in a table Children's Panel Member Recruitment by Local Authority Area, 1999-2000 – 2003-04, which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34685).

The objective of the review is to develop and improve the children’s hearings system while respecting its fundamental principles, one of which is a single system for dealing with children who offend or who are in need of care and protection.

Apart from Grant Aided support to the local authorities for social work the Scottish Executive allocated specific financial resources as follows:

Budget	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
(£000)	(£000)	(£000)	(£000)	(£000)
Training	393	393	393	643	665
Recruitment and Support	242	242	300	642	792
Legal Representation of Children	n/a	n/a	500	3	3
SCRA	12,265	13,747	15,751	16,506	21,176
Total	12,9	14,382	16,944	20,8791	25,633

 

In addition, the Scottish Executive provided staff to co-ordinate news letters, a website, development of software, training etc.

The Scottish Executive liaises closely with all partners within the children’s hearings system on an on-going basis in order to identify and address issues of concern. In 2002 independent research was undertaken to identify reasons why panel members resign. A retention strategy was prepared and consulted on with panel interests. The research and the strategy are available on the children’s hearings website www.childrens-hearings.co.uk.

The strategy has been monitored by the Publicity Working Group, which advises the Scottish Executive on recruitment and comprises representatives from all parts of the hearings system. Most measures have been implemented.

We have published annual reports for the central heating programme and warm deal for 2001-02 and 2002-03, copies of which are available in the Parliament’sReference Centre (Bib. numbers 26024 and 34624). The annual report for 2003-04 is due to be published in 2005.We have commissioned a three-year research project to evaluate the impact of the central heating programme on fuel poverty. The first year report was published on 2 August 2004 on the Scottish Executive website and can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/social/aichp-00.asp The Research Findings from that report were published the same day and can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/cru/resfinds/drf187-00.asp. The second year report will be available in 2005.

We have commissioned a three-year research project to evaluate the impact of the central heating programme on health. This research is due to be finished in 2006 and will be published.

If a central heating system is at risk of harm to the occupants, it should be condemned by a suitably qualified engineer. If it has been condemned, it has to be determined if the central heating system can be repaired. Only if the central heating system is irreparable can the occupants be considered for the central heating programme. The only exception to this is for the over 80s in the private sector who can have their central heating system upgraded or replaced if they have a partial or inefficient system.

The following tables show the number of patients who died within 28 days of discharge, broken down by age group, in the years 1999 to 2003 inclusive:

Deaths Within 28 Days of Discharge from a Surgical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital; 1999-2003

Age Group	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
0-14 years	7	7	5	14	12
15 -24 years	7	3	3	6	6
25-44 years	48	51	44	48	49
45-64 years	259	261	265	254	269
65 and over	1,168	1,170	1,104	1,176	1,171
All Ages	1,489	1,492	1,421	1,498	1,507

 

Deaths Within 28-Days of Discharge from a Medical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital; 1999-2003

Age group	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
0-14 years	19	21	22	17	27
15 -24 years	28	12	19	19	13
25-44 years	119	140	163	146	143
45-64 years	839	772	829	813	808
65 and over	3,379	3,225	3,334	3,404	3,600
All Ages	4,384	4,170	4,367	4,399	4,591

Note: These statistics are derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) and Registrar General death records in Scotland. All records including deaths for each patient are linked together using “probability matching”. The “probability matching” algorithm uses all available identifying information (name, date of birth, postcode, hospital patient reference number etc.) to link the individual hospital records for each patient, thereby creating “linked” patient histories.

Disability Living Allowance is a matter for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). According to the DWP statistics, as of the end of May 2004 there were approximately 176,100 people under 60 in Scotland in receipt of the Disability Living Allowance. The current average grant cost for the central heating programme is approximately £3,300. Assuming that all of the people under 60 in receipt of Disability Living Allowance in Scotland needed central heating installed, this would cost approximately £581 million, excluding any fees.

According to the Fuel Poverty in Scotland report, 7% of households who receive the care component of the Disability Living Allowance are in fuel poverty, as are 7% of households who receive the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance. These figures compare with the national average for fuel poverty of 13%.

Ministers have not yet takendecisions on the shape or role of future fuel poverty programmes beyond 2006. Wewill consult the Scottish Executive Fuel Poverty Forum and other interested parties on anyproposals before they are announced.

It is Executive policy that purchasers should take account of healthy eatingobjectives when awarding contracts for food and catering services. By focussingon high quality, traditional and seasonal produce, we can help Scottish foodsuppliers compete for public contracts.

At the Scottish Public Procurement Conference in May the Finance Minister launched guidelines on incorporating sustainable development into public procurement of food and catering services. This guidance, which is available on the Scottish Procurement Directorate website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/FCSD/PCSD-POL/00017839/susdevguide.aspx.gives guidance to public procurement officials, including those in local authorities and health boards, on how issues such as local food can be incorporated within their procurement procedures without falling foul of European procurement regulations.

The Executive itself does not buy food other than through its catering contractor. Decisions on the procurement of food by schools, hospitals and care homes are ultimately the responsibility of those bodies, and not the Executive.