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NHS Circular CEL 38 (2008) confirmed that charges for car parking at NHSScotland operated car parks were abolished with effect from 31 December 2008.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-36596 on 11 October 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government recognises that complementary and alternative medicines may offer relief to some people suffering from a wide variety of conditions and leaves it open to NHS boards to provide these therapies based on their assessment of needs in their areas and in line with national guidance about treatment for the condition(s).

The treatment of individual patients is a matter of professional judgement and therefore the Scottish Government''s continued position is that the local NHS and clinicians are best placed to make decisions on what treatment is appropriate for their patients, including alternative therapies.

The extant guidance on NHS availability of complementary and alternative medicine therapies is the guidance issued to NHS boards in August 2005. The letter, NHS Circular HDL (2005) 37, is available at http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/HDL2005_37.pdf.

Following the publication of the report Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare in May 2008, the Scottish Government established the Remote and Rural Implementation Group (RRIG) to take forward the commitments and forward issues identified; including those around the way that rural general hospitals should deliver their care. RRIG has now completed its two year work programme and published its final report in October 2010. A copy of the report has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52396.). Pages 10 and 11 of that report sets out the model of rural general hospitals which is being followed by NHS Highland, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles; and a revised model which features as one of the key recommendations for going forward.

We have accepted all the RRIG recommendations and will be writing to NHS boards shortly to confirm that our expectation is that boards will implement all the RRIG recommendations and collaborate on them through established governance mechanisms. Performance will be monitored regularly and progress will be discussed with Boards at the annual reviews.

Information for May 2007 is not available. Information is collected as at 30 September each year. National statistics show that the number of school nurses has increased substantially since 30 September 2007, from 385 then to 456 as at 30 September 2010. This is an increase of 71 headcount (18.4%). The whole time equivalent increase is 52.7 wte (19.5%). However, the role of the school nurse should not be seen in isolation as school children are treated by a multi-disciplinary team within the school setting for example public health nurses and these are reported separately.

The Scottish Government continues to work with NHSScotland to provide a high quality of care which is quick and safe. For example, in 2009 two new £100 million hospitals were opened at Stobhill and at the Victoria in Glasgow which have redesigned their services around the needs of the patient to enhance the quality of healthcare and speed up diagnosis and treatment.

We now also have over 650 one-stop clinics operated by NHSScotland which provide a full diagnostic and, where appropriate, treatment service at one visit. Patients referred to a one-stop clinic will typically receive a specialist consultation, undergo the appropriate diagnostic tests, receive results and undergo treatment where appropriate. Where immediate treatment is not feasible the patient should be offered the date for treatment at the clinic.

As part of the Scottish Government''s commitment to reduce waiting times, the Health Delivery Directorate''s Improvement Support Team continues to work with all NHS boards to redesign and transform services across Scotland to improve access through all stages of the patient pathway. This work aims to help all NHS boards to deliver the 18 weeks referral to treatment time target that is due to be delivered by end December 2011.

The latest published figures for 30 September 2010 showed that patients are effectively receiving an outpatient consultation within 12 weeks, key diagnostic tests within four weeks and inpatient and day case treatment within nine weeks. This clearly shows that patients across Scotland are now experiencing shorter waits for outpatient consultations, tests and treatment.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that parents and guardians are given the opportunity to engage fully and meaningfully in the strategic review of learning provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs. The secretariat to the review will shortly be writing to the parents or guardians of pupils attending independent, grant-aided and local authority special schools with details of how they can both be kept informed of the review''s progress and engage with its working groups.

Communication activity will include a dedicated website for the review, opportunities for anyone with an interest in the review to register an e-mail address for updates and a regular blog from the review chair on the engage for education website. Both the strategic and working groups will consider how to ensure parents and pupils are meaningfully engaged in the review, and will involve parental stakeholders and representatives as necessary. The Scottish Government National Parental Involvement Coordinator is a member of the Strategic Review Group and will provide advice.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government does not have a role in this area. The Standards in Scotland''s Schools etc (Scotland) Act 2000 includes many provisions to make sure that parents are consulted on key issues at both school and education authority level.

In addition, the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 sets out the list of relevant proposals that must be consulted on by local authorities in line with the act''s provisions. However, this legislation only applies to schools managed by local authorities.

The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 sets out the consultation process that local authorities must adhere to when proposing the closure of a school, a school-based nursery and a stand alone local authority nursery school. As part of their statutory duties, local authorities must prepare an educational benefits statement which includes its assessment of the likely effects of the proposal on all of the affected pupils. There is however, no requirement to produce separate statements for different age groups.