Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Senior Charge Nurse programme, Leading Better Care (LBC), was introduced across all NHS boards by the target date of end December 2010. Two further related programmes are also now in the process of being implemented. Releasing Time to Care - Mental Health and Releasing Time to Care – Community.

LBC supports SCNs/Midwives and team leaders (TL’s) by providing facilitation, support, development and educational opportunities to help them and their teams to achieve high quality person centred, safe and effective care for every patient, first time and every time. Data collected to May 2011 shows that 2,327 Senior Charge Nurses (SCNs), midwives, team leaders and band six nurses are currently engaged in the programme.

In December 2010 the Chief Nursing Officer, in collaboration with NHS board nurse directors, also agreed to continue progressing the work of LBC alongside the ongoing implementation of Releasing Time to Care. A measurement framework is being developed as part of that continuation process, which will help to show the quantifiable benefits that have resulted in the delivery of patient care through continued investment in and development of the LBC programme.

The latest published information on headcount and whole time equivalent of nursing staff by band and NHS board can be found on the workforce statistics website at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2011-06-28/Nursing%20and%20Midwifery.xls.

Decisions on delegated levels of authority are a matter for individual NHS boards. This information is not held centrally.

The payments made through Scottish Enterprise were in respect of the start of new direct air routes under the Scottish Government’s Route Development Fund which improved business connectivity and made Scotland more accessible for inbound tourists. The payments were the final instalments under the Fund for routes commenced in May 2007.

It is proposed that details of expenditure for all participating Community Planning Partnerships in the Low carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme will be published once all claims are made and finalised. Aberdeen City Council procured three electric vans and one hybrid van.

The effectiveness of the vehicles will be measured every six months, for the operational lifetime of the vehicle, with returns made to Transport Scotland.

The Bike Station received grant funding of £28,670 to run the Build Your Own Bike course. The grant was used to provide training to 36 young people from deprived areas or backgrounds and to build self esteem and encourage community cohesion. As part of the grant conditions, The Bike Station submits annual reports to Transport Scotland on the outcomes of the courses to evaluate their effectiveness. Data from participants completing the courses in 2010-11 showed a 100% increase in mechanical competence and an increase in cycle journeys of over 10 miles from 29% to 52%.

Eastern Airways Grant Payment was for the Air Discount Scheme which is evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that it continues to address the often high cost of air travel for those residents of the most peripheral parts of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and in doing so facilitates a greater level of social inclusion in these areas. The scheme has proved popular with residents since it was introduced with around 73% of the population in membership and with increased patronage, capacity and frequency on some ADS air services. The scheme is administered through HIAL with the administrative costs regularly published in their annual report.

The Dumfries and Galloway Council - sustainable travel - smarter choices grant was spent on a range of projects including:

Transport Interchange enhancements

Park and Choose sites

Public realm enhancements

Public realm enhancements

Green Commuter cycle route development

Self Service Bike Hire

Travel Information

Salary Sacrifice scheme promotion

Youth Cycling Programme

Personal Travel Planning

Programme Support

Hour Bike Scheme.

Smarter Choices, Smarter Places has an ongoing evaluation and monitoring programme which is running from 2009-12. It is collecting and analysing data:

To test the effectiveness of sustainable travel and other interventions against national and local outcomes.

To share lessons learnt across disciplines and geographical boundaries.

To provide practical experience to identify how to widen the application of these activities across Scotland where they have proven to be effective.

Our approach to the prioritisation of the projects in the Strategic Transport Projects Review remains unchanged.

Our priority projects remain the Forth Replacement Crossing, the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), the Highland main line and the Aberdeen to Inverness line. We expect to deliver these projects by 2017.

In terms of the remaining 25 projects, we are continuing to work hard with partners and other stakeholders to take forward the development and design of these projects.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39332 on 1 March 2011. 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 information is currently not held centrally. However, in line with the provisions in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, Ministers will produce a report after 31 March 2012 and then report annually on the operation of local authority schemes that reduce council tax liability for energy efficiency improvements.