Seòmar agus comataidhean

This information is not heldcentrally.

NHSEducation for Scotland (NES) collects information about pre-registrationnursing and midwifery students, on an annual basis, to determine the numbers ofstudents entering, and completing nursing training over a three year period orcohort. NES does not collect this information for individual years.

Theattrition rate in Scotland for pre-registration nursing and midwifery studentsis currently 22.9%. This is an average of the last three years cohorts, i.e.1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

We are working with the sevencontracted Higher Education Institutions who provide pre-registration nursingand midwifery programmes to ensure that the attrition rate reduces to anacceptable level.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-17896 answered on 10 August 2005.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 number of new nurses whohave completed their training in Scotland, and the number of new registrants on the Nursingand Midwifery Council register from 2000 to 2004 are indicated in the tablebelow.

Information on the number ofcompletions, and number of new registrants in 2004 is not available untilSeptember 2005.

Table 1. NumbersOf Nursing Completions And New Registrants, 2000-04

Year	Number of completions	Number of New Registrants
2000	1,481	1,909
2001	1,642	1,786
2002	1,652	2,238
2003	1,940	2,331

Source: NHSEducation for Scotland (Annual Statistical Supplement03/04).

NMCStatistical Supplement (Annual Statistical Supplement (Dec 04).

Local authorities currently havea statutory duty to provide a minimum of 412 and a half hours of pre-school educationper year for all eligible three and four-year-olds whose parents wish it, and fundingis provided to local authorities for this purpose through grant aided expenditure.The minimum number of hours that make up a part-time, pre-school education placewas set a number of years ago, prior to devolution, and has remained unchanged inrecent years. Local authorities can is they so decide, add to the minimum.

Ministers are keeping the provisionof free pre-school education in Scotland under review.

Patient safety is of paramount importance and junior doctors, or any other NHS staff, should not be working when they are overtired. No agreement has yet been reached in Europe to abolish the opt-out from the working time regulations (WTR). In reality there are practical difficulties about junior doctors using the opt-out.

The WTR are one of the reasons new arrangements for training junior doctors will be implemented from August under Modernising Medical Careers. This will create more effective and responsive training pathways which will use reduced time to train doctors more effectively. Already 97% of doctors in training currently work 56 hours a week or less. By 2009, all junior doctors should be working a maximum of 48 hours per week in line with the working time directive.

By developing young people's confidence, teamworking and other soft skills, Project Scotland compliments Executive programmes - such as Determined to Succeed, Skillseekers and Modern Apprenticeships - helping develop a skilled workforce with the attitudes to exploit the opportunities available.

Following completion of the 2002-03review of governance and accountability arrangements in the further education sector,ministers agreed to a further review after two years. A review will commence shortly.

The following people have agreed to sit on the working group to review the scope and impact of adult entertainment. Linda Costelloe Baker has agreed to chair the group.

Linda Costelloe Baker, Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman.

James Coleman, Depute Council Leader, Glasgow City Council.

Lorna Shiels, Councillor, City of Edinburgh Council.

Raymond Hutcheon, Convenor of the Licensing Committee, Aberdeen City Council.

Jill Shimi, Council Leader, Dundee City Council.

Patricia McIlquham, Clerk of Licensing Board and Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) – Dundee City Council.

Dr Sharon Cowan, School of Law, University of Edinburgh.

George Clelland, Superintendent for Licensing Branch, Strathclyde Police.

Eddie Tobin, Chair, Bar Entertainment and Dance Association.

Jan MacLeod, member of the Expert Committee on Violence Against Women and the Women’s Support Project.

Dr Catherine Kennedy, School of Psychology and Sociology, Napier University.

Rab Fleming, Head of Local Governance and Licensing Division, Finance and Central Services Department, Scottish Executive

The terms of reference for the working group were set out in my reply to parliamentary question S2W-14687 on 24 February 2005. All answers to written 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 working group is expected to run from April 2005 to April 2006 and to submit a final report to ministers in April 2006

The Inspectorate’s report has been published today and is available on the Scottish Executive’s website. www.scotland.gov.uk.

The report makes 12 recommendations, all of which I have accepted. Our full departmental response has now been published on the Crown Office website. www.crownoffice.gov.uk

Copies of the report have also been placed in the Parliament Reference Centre (Bib. number: 35625)

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

Provisional data for 2004 isgiven in the table:

Female Receptions to PenalEstablishments

Month	Total
January	275
February	307
March	372
April	307
May	281
June	312
July	232
August	276
September	254
October	231
November	264
December	243

 

Information on female prisonreceptions in the last three years is given in table 12B of Prison StatisticsScotland, 2003 published by the Scottish Executive in August 2004, copies ofwhich are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33610).