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The training received and written guidance held by procurators fiscal identifies particular classes of case as generally requiring priority. These include, for example, cases involving children, cases in which the accused is in custody and cases in which a time bar is approaching. The allocation of priorities as between the several cases which a given member of staff or a given office requires to deal with at a particular time is a matter for professional judgement in light of training and experience and depends on consideration of all of the circumstances of each case.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Responsibility for business support services in Scotland rests largely with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) networks. Access to business advisers for small businesses in Scotland, including sub-postmasters, is already available. It is accessible in the Scottish Enterprise area through the Small Business Gateway and in the HIE area by contacting the Local Enterprise Company (LEC) direct. Dedicated training for subpostmasters on business planning and diversification has been offered in a number of Scottish Enterprise LEC areas, and more is planned in the HIE area.

The following table shows the latest centrally available data for headcount and whole-time equivalent of speech therapists by NHS board in Scotland:Speech Therapists in Scotland by NHS Board at 30 September

	Headcount				WTE
	1998	1999	2000	2001P	1998	1999	2000	2001P
Scotland	824	844	887	882	686.4	708.1	744.4	739.6
Argyll and Clyde	62	62	62	66	52.4	52.9	53.7	56.2
Ayrshire and Arran	41	46	49	54	36.2	40.2	41.7	45.8
Borders	18	18	19	20	15.5	16.0	16.7	17.2
Dumfries and Galloway	25	28	26	29	22.3	25.5	22.2	23.8
Fife	63	46	67	50	49.4	37.9	51.6	40.1
Forth Valley	42	46	53	54	34.1	36.5	43.5	43.3
Grampian	94	101	101	96	70.9	78.3	78.9	74.4
Greater Glasgow	139	147	155	156	122.6	128.1	136.3	137.6
Highland	31	29	28	33	27.2	24.6	24.2	28.4
Lanarkshire	104	107	100	102	94.5	95.4	89.7	90.3
Lothian	133	138	148	143	100.4	109.2	117.9	112.9
Orkney	4	4	4	3	2.7	2.7	2.7	2.4
Shetland	4	3	3	3	3.7	2.5	2.7	2.7
Tayside	58	64	66	66	48.7	53.4	56.6	57.3
Western Isles	6	5	6	7	5.8	5.0	6.0	7.0

^PProvisionalNote:1. These data are released under National Manpower Statistics from Payroll.2. Whole-time equivalent (WTE) is calculated by dividing the number of contracted hours by the conditioned hours for the group of staff.

The information requested is not held centrally. Data on waiting times for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant is collected at speciality level only. The median waiting times for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in Neurology, following referral by a General Medical Practitioner, in the year ending 31 December 2001, by NHS board of residence, is given in the table.NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times for a First Out-patient Appointment with a Consultant in Neurology, Following Referral by a General Medical Practitioner, by NHS Board of Residence. Year Ending 31 December 2001^P

NHS Board	Median Wait
Argyll and Clyde	80 days
Ayrshire and Arran	97 days
Borders	78 days
Dumfries and Galloway	101 days
Fife	66 days
Forth Valley	70 days
Grampian	88 days
Greater Glasgow	95 days
Highland	59 days
Lanark	106 days
Lothian	28 days
Orkney	120 days
Shetland	97 days
Tayside	66 days
Western Isles	56 days
Scotland	69 days

^pProvisional.Source: ISD Scotland.

We have no plans to do so.

The following criteria and priorities were set out in the grant application pack:

• promoting inclusive policies in mainstream and special schools
• approaches to improving links, and sharing skills/expertise between special and mainstream schools
• empowering parents to enable them to participate fully in their children's education
• improving children's participation in decisions which affect them
• promoting integrated and co-ordinated approaches to service delivery (e.g. key worker role)
• offering new approaches to advice and resolution of disagreements between professionals and families

We are writing to those unsuccessful applicants who have requested feedback on their bids. This includes Independent Special Education Advice and a letter outlining the reasons for refusing funding was issued to them on Thursday 30 May.

We have no plans to do so. The Enterprise Networks already target entrepreneurship in disadvantaged areas through a range of measures - including the holding of Personal Enterprise Shows in such areas. We have also introduced recently a specific Scottish Enterprise Network annual target for the number of business start-up assists from residents in disadvantaged areas.

We have not attempted to quantify the costs in this manner, as appropriate data is not centrally available. However, we are aware of the disruption and inconvenience caused by adjournments to criminal trials and are keen to see them reduced. We did in fact commission research into the causes of adjournments in sheriff court summary criminal cases in 1999 and the research report was published on 19 July 2001. A summary of the main findings of the research can be found on the Scottish Executive website and the full report on the Scottish Executive Central Research Unit website.The reviews being carried out by Lord Bonomy and Sheriff Principal McInnes, of the High Court and summary justice respectively, are focusing on how the criminal justice process might be made more efficient and effective. Both reviews will be making recommendations to reduce the frequency of unnecessary adjournments.

This information is not available.