§ Mr. Norman HoggTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by education authority current vacancies in the membership of school boards; and if he will express this figure as a percentage of the total number of available places in each authority.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 11 November 1991]: This information is not available centrally. I have no evidence that there will be a significant difference in the number of school boards once the present round of elections and by-elections is complete early next year.
§ Mr. Norman HoggTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures his Department is taking to ensure that all school boards have their full contingent of members.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 11 November 1991]: The conduct of school board elections is a matter for education authorities. They have a statutory duty to ensure that parents are informed about the elections.
220W
NHS hospitals in Lothian Health Board—(a) in patient waiting lists and time spent on in-patient waiting list: by specially; (b) average wait for in-patient discharges (a) In-patient waiting list at 30 June 1991 Number Per cent. waiting 6 months and over Per cent. waiting 12 months and over Per cent. waiting 24 months and over (b) Average (median) wait for in-patient admission for discharges in year ending 31 December 1990 (days) All Specialties 11,971 32.1 14.5 4.6 29.4 Acute Specialties 10,036 28.7 11.7 2.9 33.4 General Surgery 3,272 42.5 17.6 2.7 27.9 Orthopaedic surgery 1,201 19.7 6.8 1.7 62.1 ENT surgery 2,547 12.3 4.5 1.1 81.5 Ophthalmology 1,451 33.4 9.6 2.8 30.5 Urology 1,196 51.3 30.3 10.6 26.0 Orthodontists and paediatric dentistry 12 0 0 0 11.5 Oral surgery and medicine 116 18.1 7.8 1.7 48.5 Restorative dentistry 0 — — — — General medicine 478 17.4 4.8 0 16.2 Dermatology 20 0 0 0 17.4 Rehabilitation medicine 0 — — — — Respiratory medicine 0 — — — — Paediatric surgery 140 25.0 8.6 1.4 77.0 Paediatric medicine 20 0 0 0 16.0 Gynaecology 571 20.8 6.3 1.6 31.8 General practice 0 — — — — Acute mixed 0 — — — — Other 22 45.5 9.1 0 15.9 Supra-area Specialties 1,714 51.2 30.0 13.6 18.8 Neurosurgery 202 41.6 18.3 0.5 24.9 Cardiothoracic surgery 303 36.3 7.3 0.3 12.2 Plastic surgery 1,093 62.2 41.4 21.1 104.2 Neurology 34 0 0 0 14.5 Radiotherapy 23 0 0 0 14.6 Spinal paralysis 9 44.4 22.2 0 14.5 Obstetric Specialties 0 — — — — Specialist obstetrics 0 — — — — GP obstetrics 0 — — — — Long Stay Specialties 89 21.3 9.0 0 5.9 Geriatric assessment 8 0 0 0 5.1 Geriatric long stay 81 23.5 9.9 0 13.7 The Scottish Office undertook a press and television advertising campaign in support of education authorities in August and September to encourage parents to stand and to vote in the elections. In the parents charter, launched in September, we informed parents about the important contribution which school boards now make to the education system. My officials will also shortly issue advice to education authorities and school boards to encourage authorities to give boards greater flexibility in the exercise of their current functions.