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The median waiting times for in-patient and day case treatment in oral surgery, in each of the last three years, by NHS board of residence, are given in the following table.NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times for In-patient and Day Case Treatment¹ in Oral Surgery², by NHS Board of Residence: Years Ending 31 March 2000, 2001 and 2002.

NHS Board	Median Wait (Days)
	31 March 2000	31 March 2001	31 March 2002
Argyll and Clyde	35	28	27
Ayrshire and Arran	76	77	52
Borders	21	21	21
Dumfries and Galloway	83	68	42
Fife	73	62	62
Forth Valley	42	52	37
Grampian	18	18	19
Greater Glasgow	34	30	29
Highland	66	35	79
Lanarkshire	35	28	25
Lothian3	-	-	-
Orkney	14	14	14
Shetland	7	6	7
Tayside	8	10	14
Western Isles	14	50	27
Scotland3	28	28	25

Source: ISD, Scotland. SMR01.Notes:1. Scottish residents admitted from the in-patient/day case waiting list.2. Includes most maxillofacial surgery.3. Information for NHS Lothian is currently unavailable due to recording difficulties at hospitals in Lothian.

Changes to the curriculum since 1999 have been the introduction of revised 5-14 guidelines for environmental studies, health education, modern languages, information and communications technology and structure and balance.These need not in themselves have had any effect on classroom furniture, fittings and equipment required in schools but this is a matter for education authorities and schools depending on their individual needs and circumstances.

Very substantial progress has been made towards achieving the target of ending mixed sex hospital wards. At present, of the 1,630 wards in Scotland, 1,596 are fully compliant. This represents 98% compliance. Plans are in place to make the remaining wards compliant in the shortest possible time. In the meantime, all trusts have agreed with their local Health Council a local policy to ensure that the dignity and privacy of patients is respected at all times in these wards.The current breakdown is as follows.

NHS Board	No. of Wards	No. Not Compliant
Argyll and Clyde	145	3
Ayrshire and Arran	167	0
Borders	43	0
Dumfries and Galloway	45	1
Fife	84	1
Forth Valley	79	0
Grampian	176	2
Greater Glasgow	262	3
Highland	67	0
Lanarkshire	143	0
Lothian	229	20
Tayside	154	4
Orkney	6	0
Shetland	8	0
Western Isles	11	0
State Hospital	11	0
Total	1,630	34
Percentage	100%	98%

Sections 36(9) and 36(20) of the Fire Services Act 1947 require fire boards to seek the consent of Scottish ministers to sell or dispose of land vested in them. However, the intention is to repeal this requirement in the Local Government in Scotland Bill, presently going through its parliamentary stages. Section 13 of the bill as amended at stage 2 includes provision for this.Boards are entitled to retain all receipts of such sales.

This is a matter for the Scottish Arts Council. The information requested is not held centrally. However, I have asked the Scottish Arts Council to respond to the member directly.

The tenders for the A84/A85 junction improvement scheme were returned to the Executive on 27 November 2002. They are currently being evaluated and it is anticipated that the contract will be awarded later this month, and that the successful tenderer will mobilise and commence works on site in January 2003. The construction period is eight weeks.

The Scottish Executive does not provide funding specifically for the special constabulary. The cost of their recruitment, training and equipment is met from the individual force budgets, to which the Scottish Executive contributes in the form of specific grant. The numbers of special constables recruited in each of the last three years are set out in the following table. As at end-September 2002, there were 1,081 special constables serving with the eight Scottish police forces.Recruitment of Special Constables

Force	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
Central	8	7	26
Dumfries and Galloway	12	10	7
Fife	11	20	7
Grampian	19	12	12
Lothian and Borders	23	19	0
Northern	24	10	8
Strathclyde	89	54	32
Tayside	10	13	14
Total	196	145	106

Source: Annual Statistical Returns from forces.

No specific funding is provided by the Scottish Executive for the special constabulary. The cost of their recruitment, training and equipment is met from the individual force budgets, to which the Scottish Executive contributes in the form of specific grant.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-5307 on 13 June 2002, which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/search.htm.

A wide range of grants for environmental improvement are available from the Scottish Executive and others. I have listed some of the main sources.Scottish Executive: Sustainable Action FundThe fund supports organisations which promote sustainable development in Scotland, and Sustainable Action Grants are available to support a variety of the most innovative projects which are put forward. Further information is available at www.sustainable.scotland.gov.uk. Scottish Executive: Community Environmental Renewal GrantsBids are invited from local communities, or bodies which can demonstrate that they are working with local communities, for projects which address the environmental effects of past or present aggregates extraction. Further information is available at www.sustainable.scotland.gov.uk. Forward Scotland: Small Project GrantsLaunched in 1997, Forward Scotland's Small Project Grants scheme has successfully assisted, advised and financially supported over 200 projects, in 30 local authority areas. The scheme provides grants of up to £1,000 to assist constituted groups to research, plan and build the capacity to implement sustainable development projects within their community that improve the quality of the local environment. Further information is available at www.forward-scotland.org.uk.Scottish Natural HeritageScottish Natural Heritage offers grants to help individuals and organisations carry out projects which match its aims. Grants are available for a wide range of projects which: improve the conservation of species, habitats and landscapes;promote public enjoyment of the natural heritage, andincrease awareness and understanding of the natural heritage.The Community Grant scheme is available to help people take a more active role in enjoying and managing the natural heritage in their local area by: increasing awareness and understanding of local natural heritage; improving degraded areas through active management; improving access for all; acquiring and managing land, and supporting communities to develop the longer term capacity to undertake and manage projects. Further information is available at www.snh.org.uk.Fresh Futures has over £3 million to support communities throughout Scotland (with priority given to those living in deprived areas) to improve local green spaces and progress projects working towards sustainable solutions to issues surrounding energy, transport and waste. The scheme has a total of £1 million (of which £250,000 has yet to be committed) to provide grants to local community groups, community councils, and other organisations that are working for communities, to support a range of projects including:developing community use of school grounds and other institutions;adapting school grounds for community use; improving the look of (and access to) community green spaces; enhancement of green corridorsdeveloping local nature reserves and enhancing local biodiversity; education and awareness programmes based on local green space;local waste management schemes, including community composting and vermiculture; community energy schemes supply community facilities; energy advice, fuel poverty and fuel efficiency;providing an alternative to road transport, such as footpaths and cycle routes, andimproving community access to information on public transport. Fresh Futures is a partnership between Scottish Natural Heritage and Forward Scotland. Further information is available at www.fresh-futures.org.uk.Transforming Waste.The New Opportunities Fund Transforming Waste programme will be launched in February 2003. In Scotland the programme is led by Forward Scotland in partnership with the Recycling Advisory Group Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Keep Scotland Beautiful. As Transforming Waste Scotland it will have a total of £4.3 million of grant to distribute to community-based organisations working in partnership with local authorities and business. This open grant scheme will fund projects designed to expand community sector waste re-use, recycling and composting activities and promote awareness raising and capacity building. Community groups will need to demonstrate that they complement the actions identified in their local waste management strategy.Transforming your space.Fresh Futures have been selected to manage the Transforming your space programme on behalf of the New Opportunities Fund. The programme is designed to help communities improve their local environments by making them safer, healthier, greener, cleaner, better designed, more welcoming and accessible to all. Targeting the themes of Local Environment, Public Green and Open Spaces, Local Access, Community Assets and Community Gardens, the Transforming your Space programme will help people in some of Scotland's most disadvantaged communities tackle issues like pedestrian safety, litter, graffiti and pollution. A total grant fund of £4.25 million will be available over two years, offering an exciting opportunity for Fresh Futures and Scotland's communities to build on the successes of the current Fresh Futures Open Grant Programme. The programme will be launched in February 2003 with a first deadline for receipt of applications on 31 March 2003. Further information is available at www.fresh-futures.org.uk.Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)The HIE Network assists community development activity through its Community Action Grant (CAG) scheme. The CAG budget is a fund set aside by the network to help development projects undertaken by properly constituted voluntary groups. Typically, they will be projects to assist the acquisition or upgrading of community assets or facilities, such as village halls or sports facilities, although they can range right down to the purchase of toys for a playgroup. The Heritage Lottery Fund is helping communities throughout the United Kingdom to protect and open up their countryside, parks and gardens and to make vital contributions to nature conservation. The fund particularly wants to encourage projects involving land and countryside that is of outstanding importance, especially where this is at risk. The also encourages strategic projects that aim to improve a whole area or a particular type of landscape. Further information is available at www.hlf.org.uk.