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The following table shows the number of sick days in each Directorate-General in each month from June 2007, which is the month the new Scottish Government structure was introduced, to March 2008, which is the most recent month for which we have complete figures.

Directorate General	June 2007	July 2007	August 2007	September 2007	October 2007	November 2007	December 2007	January 2008	February 2008	March 2008
Economy	295	389	465	348.5	401	479	418	501	508	400
Education	271	285	374	304.5	512	650	484	473	531	481
Environment	642	641	747	639.5	859	922	617	758	716	764
Health	211	240	351	308.5	444	366	253	294	331	253
Justice	297	357	432	351.5	443	426	378	538	428	424
Permanent Secretary	588	679	742	617	914	990	705	806	822	732
Centrally Paid	22	44	23	27.5	46	50	59	27	43	42

Note: *The data for DG Environment and Permanent Secretary appear disproportionately high. However, these account for approximately 43% of total head count.

Local authorities are responsible for decisions on capital investment in school buildings. The Scottish Government does not hold comprehensive information about the timing of local authorities’ entering into school construction contracts, although some details, as provided by authorities, are set out in the recently published Infrastructure Investment Plan 2008 of planned 2008-09 expenditure on school investment projects of over £5 million. (Available on the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/28122237/0).

However, we anticipate that, with the funding we have put in place, authorities will be enabled, in the context both of new build and refurbishment and through a range of funding mechanisms, to complete or have under construction around 250 schools during the current parliamentary period.

In my parliamentary statement on 27 February 2008 regarding the future of accident and emergency (A&E) services in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, I outlined the estimated additional costs likely to be incurred by both boards in maintaining A&E units at Ayr and Monklands – these figures have not changed significantly since then. It is estimated that NHS Ayrshire and Arran will incur additional one-off capital costs of £18.6 million and additional revenue costs of £5.7 million per annum (1% of revenue budget). NHS Lanarkshire expects to incur additional revenue costs of £5.3 million per annum (0.7% of revenue budget) and are continuing to develop business cases to maintain and improve the Monklands site.

Both boards will be expected to manage all of their services, including A&E services, within the resources available to them. NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s budget increased by £17 million in 2008-09 to £547 million while NHS Lanarkshire’s budget increased by £26 million to £760 million. Both boards have agreed that the additional costs incurred in maintaining A&E services will be accommodated over a number of years within their overall budgets and their 2008-09 five-year financial plans demonstrate this.

I have also previously confirmed that I will provide an additional £30 million capital funding for NHS Ayrshire and Arran and an additional £100 million capital funding to NHS Lanarkshire to support service reconfiguration, including the regeneration of Monklands Hospital.

During the period 1 January 2007 to 30 May 2008, 379 planning applications were notified to Scottish ministers for consideration, of which 24 were called in for determination by ministers. Of these, four were recommended for approval and two for refusal. In each case the Scottish ministers accepted the reporter’s recommendation. Of the remainder, one application was withdrawn, two call in directions were revoked and reports are still awaited from the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals for the other 15 applications.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13205 on 4 June 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

The information requested is shown in the following tables:

Acquired
Type of Vehicle	Number
Cars	39
Vans	3

 

Disposed
Type of Vehicle	Number
Cars	43
Vans	5

Note: The tables show the number of vehicles acquired and disposed of over the period 1 May 2007 to 30 April 2008.

The First Minister was invited to the UEFA Cup final by UEFA. He caught a flight from Edinburgh to Manchester in the early evening of 16 May. The First Minister returned from Manchester after the match in a government car. The total cost of the First Minister’s flight was £115.90.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13264 on 3 June 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

The Scottish Government’s Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust publication (Bib. number 45605) was endorsed by the Scottish Futures Trust Steering Group which includes a representative from the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives. I have written to Councillor Pat Watters, President of COSLA, inviting him to further discussions over the next stage of the Scottish Futures Trust’s development.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is different and better than the standard form of PFI funding in three ways. Firstly, SFT will have at its core the non-profit distributing model of finance. This removes the equity element of PFI funding which is the part of the finance that has delivered excessive profits. Secondly, SFT will provide a level of expertise in the development of projects and in the negotiation of contracts that is not available to many smaller public bodies and local authorities. With SFT involvement the public sector will therefore be dealing with bidders on a more equal footing and as a result will be in a position to deliver more competitive and realistic deals. Thirdly, by pooling projects there will be efficiencies in terms of delivery, risk and finance that together will result in savings.