asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will show the numbers of trained and untrained social workers employed in each region; if he will express these figures in percentage terms; and what recommendations on qualified staffing have been made to the regional authorities.

Information about numbers of trained and untrained social workers employed in each region will not be available until the first returns are made later this year by the regional and islands authorities following the introduction of a new system of social work statistics. No recommendations on qualified staffing have been made to the regional authorities.