- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is being given to implementing the recommendations in the May 2007 position statement on vitamin D from the Scientific Advisory Committee in Nutrition.
Answer
The Food StandardsAgency Scotland, the Public Health and Wellbeing Directorate and the Chief medicalOfficer Directorate are currently considering the detailed conclusions of the positionstatement,
Update on Vitamin D, published in May 2007 by the Scientific AdvisoryCommittee on Nutrition (SACN), following their scoping exercise to ascertain ifthere was sufficient evidence for a full risk assessment on vitamin D and health.
SACN concluded that a further risk assessment and review of DietaryRecommendations would only be warranted when definitive evidence becomes available.
The agency currently has severalon-going research studies on the interaction between diet and sunlight exposurein vitamin D status. The results of these studies which report in three to fouryears time will provide evidence on vitamin D requirements. A decision on whethera full SACN risk assessment is warranted will be made once these studies have reported.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all the financial details of the procurement process for the current First Scotrail franchise were made available by the Strategic Rail Authority to the Executive and Strathclyde Passenger Transport, as part of collaboration between those parties during the refranchising process.
Answer
The Strategic Rail Authoritywas responsible for the procurement of the current franchise. To the extent thatcosts were incurred by the authority, detail on these were not provided to the Executive.The Executive was provided with full copies of the tender documentation and bidresponses throughout the competition for the franchise.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the figure was reached for the final costs of the tendering process for the current First Scotrail franchise, once all transactions had been completed.
Answer
I refer the memberto the question S3W-1427 on 17 July 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 17 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the final costs were of the tendering process for the current First Scotrail franchise.
Answer
The former StrategicRail Authority was responsible for tendering the current First ScotRailfranchise. The Scottish Executive does not hold the information requested.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 May 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the findings relevant to Scotland of the recently published Infant Feeding Survey 2005.
Answer
The results will be analysed,and any necessary steps to address relevant factors will be co-ordinated by theNational Infant Feeding Adviser when appointed.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 May 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to raise awareness among young people, including in schools, of the benefits of breastfeeding.
Answer
The Scottish Government continuesto promote breastfeeding as part of food and health education within schools anda whole-school approach to food is taken. Responsibility for local initiatives lieswith NHS boards.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 May 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when the new National Breastfeeding Adviser/National Infant Feeding Co-ordinator will now be appointed.
Answer
We expect to be in a positionto appoint by autumn 2007.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 May 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how support for breastfeeding will be incorporated into the commitment to improving public health.
Answer
We are considering how this canbe achieved and are committed to promoting good eating habits from children’s earliestyears including support for breastfeeding and establishing a healthy food policy.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 May 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what encouragement will be given to peer support groups in assisting mothers to continue breastfeeding.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognisesthe important role of peer support groups. We adopt a multifaceted approachto supporting breastfeeding; ranging fromhealth promotion initiatives, education activities,health professional training, social support and media campaigns.
The Sure Start Scotland initiativehas, and will continue to, promote a range of peer support groups to assist mothersto continue breastfeeding.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 August 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 4 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government regarding possible housing benefit sanctions for people who have been evicted on the grounds of anti-social behaviour who subsequently refuse support to tackle such behaviour.
Answer
The Scottish Executivediscussed the proposal for such a sanction with the UK Government prior to thepublication of the Welfare Reform Bill. Those discussions ensured that the Billwas framed so as not to encroach on devolved matters.
