Parliamentary questions
Murdo Fraser
2,062 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will protect post offices in rural areas from closure and what new services it will offer through post offices to make them viable.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government willdo all it can within our devolved powers to support a sustainable rural postoffice network. I have written to Post Office Ltd urging them to be transparentin their forthcoming consultation and to consider opportunities for trialser…
28 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will return the Stone of Destiny to Scone Palace.
Answer · Linda Fabiani: The location of the Stone ofDestiny is a matter solely for Her Majesty The Queen, as advised by the Commissionersfor the Safekeeping of the Regalia.</p>
28 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government in relation to the decision to amalgamate the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the Black Watch, the Highlanders, the Kings Own Scottish Borderers, the Royal Highland Fusiliers and the Royal Scots into the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Answer · Jim Mather: No representations in relation to the decision to amalgamate Scottish Regimentshas been made to the UK Government by this administration. Representation was made to the UK Government by the previousScottish Executive but this did not prevent regiment amalgama…
28 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider obliging local authorities to grant automatic council tax relief to Army personnel who serve abroad.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government continuesto support work at a UK-level following the then Prime Minister’s announcement inOctober 2006 that the UK Government would look into providing support for the CouncilTax costs of service personnel on operations overseas. Discu…
28 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which junctions on the A9 will be upgraded, also showing the timetable and projected costs for each upgrade.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Details and timescalesfor our major and important planned road projects can be found on the TransportScotland website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Scottish-Motorways-Trunk-Road-Programme-June2007-final.pdf">http://ww…
28 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its priority road improvements and upgrades are, shown in order of preference.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Details and timescalesfor our major and important planned road projects can be found on the TransportScotland website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Scottish-Motorways-Trunk-Road-Programme-June2007-final.pdf">http://ww…
26 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action Forestry Commission Scotland and Forest Enterprise are taking to protect forests from squirrelpox-infected grey squirrels.
Answer · Michael Russell: Forestry Commission Scotland(FCS) and its agency Forest Enterprise Scotland are helping SNH and the RedSquirrels South Scotland project to develop and implement a response plan. FCSis helping to monitor the incidence of squirrelpox virus in the populations of…
26 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that having two squirrel control officers to protect southern Scotland from the spread of squirrelpox-infected grey squirrels is adequate.
Answer · Michael Russell: Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH) currently employs two grey squirrel control officers in South Scotland.Since the discovery, in the Lockerbie area, of a red squirrel with squirrelpoxvirus, SNH has reviewed the strategy for control with advice from relevantexper…
19 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it provides any funding for the installation of CCTV in town centres and, if not, whether it will do so.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: In 2007-08, £4 millionis available under the CommunitySafety Partnership Award Programme to local authority-ledCommunity Safety Partnerships to assist them in identifying and addressing localcommunity safety priorities, including CCTV. Other funding streams, …
19 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the installation of CCTV in town centres can help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: We are currently conductinga survey of public space CCTV in Scotland to ascertain the role that CCTV playsin helping to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.</p>
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the Student Awards Agency for Scotland to pursue the 1,400 graduates who were liable to pay the graduate endowment this year but have not responded to their payment letters.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There is a legal obligationfor students who became liable for the Graduate Endowment on or before 1 April 2007 to pay it and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland will continue to pursue those who have not paid.</p>
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any child deaths have been reported as a result of the administration of the prescription drug Efexor XL (venlafaxine hydrochloride).
Answer · Shona Robison: The safety of medicinesis reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products RegulatoryAgency (MHRA). Reports of suspectedadverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the MHRA and Commission for HumanMedicines (CHM) through the spon…
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any cases of children suffering adverse or severe adverse effects from the use of the prescription drug Efexor XL (venlafaxine hydrochloride) since its introduction and, if so, how many such cases have been reported.
Answer · Shona Robison: The safety of medicinesis reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products RegulatoryAgency (MHRA). Reports of suspectedadverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the MHRA and Commission for HumanMedicines (CHM) through the spon…
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doses of Efexor XL (venlafaxine hydrochloride) have been prescribed to children since its introduction.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is not possibleto extract from prescription data collated centrally by NHS National Services Scotlandthe number of doses of venlafaxine hydrochloride prescribed exclusively for children.</p>
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the prescription drug Efexor XL (venlafaxine hydrochloride) is licensed for use on children.
Answer · Shona Robison: Efexor XL (venlafaxinehydrochloride) is not licensed for use in children and adolescents under the ageof 18 years. However, clinicianscan use drugs off-license i.e. outside their licensed indications, if they considerthat treatment to be the most appropriate …
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in what year the prescription drug Efexor XL (venlafaxine hydrochloride) was introduced in the United Kingdom.
Answer · Shona Robison: Efexor and Efexor XL are brand names of the drug substance venlafaxine hydrochloride.Venlafaxine has been licensedin the UK since November 1994 and Efexor XL, the modified release form of the drug,was first authorised in August 1997.</p>
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any child deaths have been reported as a result of the administration of the prescription drug Risperdal (risperidone).
Answer · Shona Robison: The safety of medicinesis reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products RegulatoryAgency (MHRA). Reports of suspectedadverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the MHRA and Commission for HumanMedicines (CHM) through the spon…
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any cases of children suffering adverse or severe adverse effects from the use of the prescription drug Risperdal (risperidone) since its introduction and, if so, how many such cases have been reported.
Answer · Shona Robison: The safety ofmedicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcareproducts Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by theMHRA and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spo…
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doses of Risperdal (risperidone) have been prescribed to children since its introduction.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is not possibleto extract from prescription data collated centrally by NHS National Services Scotlandthe number of doses of Risperdal (risperidone) prescribed exclusively for children.</p>
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the prescription drug Risperdal (risperidone) is licensed for use on children.
Answer · Shona Robison: Risperdal is not licensedfor use in children. However, clinicians can use drugs off-license i.e. outsidetheir licensed indications, if they consider that treatment to be the most appropriatefor an individual patient. In these circumstances the clinician takes…
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in what year the prescription drug Risperdal (risperidone) was introduced in the United Kingdom.
Answer · Shona Robison: The firstRisperdal preparations (Risperdal 1, 2, 3 and 4mg tablets) were authorised in the UK on 8 December 1992.</p>
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any child deaths have been reported as a result of the administration of the prescription drug Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride).
Answer · Shona Robison: The safety ofmedicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcareproducts Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by theMHRA and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spo…
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any cases of children suffering adverse or severe adverse effects from the use of the prescription drug Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) since its introduction and, if so, how many such cases have been reported.
Answer · Shona Robison: The safety of medicinesis reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products RegulatoryAgency (MHRA). Reports of suspectedadverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the MHRA and Commission for HumanMedicines (CHM) through the spon…
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doses of Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) have been prescribed to children since its introduction.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information collatedcentrally by NHS National Services Scotland on prescribed doses of drugs is measuredusing the average maintenance dose of a drug as used in adults. This unit of measurementis based on advice from the World Health Organization. It is not po…
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the prescription drug Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) is licensed for use on children.
Answer · Shona Robison: Ritalin(methylphenidate hydrochloride) is licensed for use in children aged six yearsand over as part of acomprehensive treatment programme for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD). Treatment should be under the supervision of a specialist in childh…
14 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in what year the prescription drug Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) was introduced in the United Kingdom.
Answer · Shona Robison: Methylphenidate hydrochloridehas been licensed in the UK as part of a comprehensive treatment programmefor attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) in children aged six yearsand older since 1988. Ritalin, a brand nameof the drug substance methylphenid…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the total number of higher education students and their share of the total population in each year since the Reformation, broken down by educational institution.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Formal statisticsof participation in higher education are not available for the whole of this period.Nevertheless, the history of Scotland is of a country that has been a world leaderin educational innovation and participation over many centuries and it is th…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the policy of the Forestry Commission Scotland and Forest Enterprise is on grey squirrel control in areas of outbreak of squirrel pox.
Answer · Michael Russell: Forestry CommissionScotland (and its agency Forest Enterprise Scotland) is followingan approach which was recommended in the Scottish Red Squirrel Action Plan2006-11.</p><p>The plan recommendedthat targeted control of grey squirrels to contain the spread of t…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to stop the spread of squirrel pox following the confirmation that a red squirrel has died as a result of the disease in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell: Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH) and the Forestry Commission Scotland have the lead responsibilities for deliveringmeasures to promote conservation of red squirrel populations in Scotland.</p><p>SNH currently employstwo grey squirrel controllers in the affected…
11 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many reported incidences of mites and varroa disease in the bee population there have been in each of the last five years, giving the most appropriate area breakdown available.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The number of apiariesinfected with varroa during the last five years by region is as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td nowrap rowspan=2 valign=bottom> <p>Region</p> </td> <td nowrap colspan=4 valign=bottom> …