To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance is planned to enable health boards in rural areas of Scotland to provide adequate levels of service in all medical areas covered by the professions allied to medicine.
A manpower steering group for the professions allied to medicine was established in June 1990 with the task of advising on the development of manpower planning at local level and at national level for the professions allied to medicine.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the number of whole-time equivalent professionally qualified physiotherapists under contract to the Borders health board for each of the last five years for which figures are available.
The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Physiotherapists in post in the Borders health board; whole-time equivalents as at 30 September | |
| Year | Whole time equivalents |
| 1986 | 19·8 |
| 1987 | 20·8 |
| 1988 | 27·0 |
| 1989 | 24·9 |
| 1990 | 127·3 |
| 1 Provisional. | |