Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-14361

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on increasing and speeding up rail connections between Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee, Stirling, Perth and the central belt, as indicated in the SNP 2011 manifesto.

The winter 2012 timetable which came into effect on 9 December 2012 delivered a number of service enhancements to several stations on the Aberdeen-Fife-Edinburgh corridor. These included additional calls at Aberdeen, Portlethen, Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Perth and Edinburgh. In addition, the timetable also delivered journey time reductions of up to 18 minutes on some services between Inverness and the Central Belt as part of the Highland Main Line project.

Transport Scotland is continuing to work closely with Network Rail to deliver phase one of the Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvements Project between 2014 and 2019. Phase one is expected to deliver new stations at Dalcross and Kintore and extra services into each city.

The Highland Main Line, Aberdeen to Inverness and the Aberdeen to Central Belt Rail Improvements Projects are listed in the Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan, which was republished earlier this year and states that these important projects will be completed in phases between 2014 and 2030.

Question reference: S4W-14359

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on delivering the 2007 SNP manifesto commitment to reduce train journey times between Edinburgh and Inverness by 45 minutes.

The long-term goal of the project, which is due to be completed by 2025, seeks to achieve a journey time of 2 hours 45 minutes between Inverness and the Central Belt with an average journey time of 3 hours and an hourly service. The aim is that these measures will encourage a modal shift for both passengers and freight.

The first phase of the Highland Main Line improvements has been completed delivering 2 extra trains each way per day from December 2011 and journey time improvements of up to 18 minutes from December 2012. Network Rail are expected to deliver a report on proposals for phase 2 by summer 2013.

Question reference: S4W-14360

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been an increase from nine to eleven trains per day on long distance services on the Highland main line, as indicated in the SNP 2011 manifesto.

Question reference: S4W-14192

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 25 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for the reported increase since 2009 in the number of children attending school who have (a) additional support needs, (b) autism, (c) a speech and language disorder and (d) social, emotional behavioural difficulties.

Prior to 2010, only pupils with Co-ordinated Support Plans, Individual Education Programmes or who were attending a special school were recorded as having additional support needs. However, in 2010 this was extended to include anyone receiving additional support, regardless of whether it was under a formal plan. This has led to a large increase in the number of pupils recorded with additional support needs since 2010.

While factors for the increase include growing public and professional awareness, improved diagnosis, and wider diagnostic criteria, it is believed that better recording in schools is the primary reason for an increase in the prevalence of pupils who have additional support needs; autism; a speech and language disorder; and social and emotional behavioural difficulties.

Question reference: S4W-14272

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2013
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 23 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many children attending school have had additional support needs in each year since 2002.

Information on the number of pupils in publicly funded schools in Scotland with an additional support need recorded, by year, from 2002, is given in the following table:

It should be noted that over the last 11 years there have been substantial changes in the legislation and the recording practices around the collection of information on pupils with additional support needs. This means that the large changes in the number of pupils with additional support needs reflect more complete recording of pupils with additional support needs and a wider designation of those needs, rather than a real increase in the number of pupils requiring additional support

Year	Pupils with Additional Support Needs
2002	28,732
2003	30,946
2004	32,752
2005	34,680
2006	36,148
2007	36,542
2008	38,716
2009	44,177
2010	69,587
2011	98,523
2012	118,034

Question reference: S4W-13869

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13239 by Fergus Ewing on 19 March 2013, what evidence it has to support the assertion that (a) the research carried out was fundamentally flawed and (b) modern turbines are more efficient.

In our view, the fundamental flaw in the report is its contention that a 15 year old wind turbine can be described as “mature”. A turbine that has been operating for 15 years must clearly have been developed and installed at a time when the technology was still very much immature.

There is a wealth of information on the subject of wind turbine efficiency, available not only from the industry itself but also from credible independent commentators such as Bloomberg New Energy Finance (NEF). Analysis by Bloomberg NEF provides evidence that global capacity factors for onshore wind turbines have increased by 13 percentage points from a value of 21% in 1984 to 34% in 2011. Efficiency improvements such as better wind to power conversion especially at low wind speeds, better fluid dynamic modelling to inform device placement and more reliable machines have all contributed to the increased output from modern and thus genuinely mature devices.

Question reference: S4O-01989

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-13664

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2013
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings in the research published by gastroenterologists at Wake Forest Institute in the United States, Identification of Unique Gene Expression Profile in Children with Regressive Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Ileocolitis, what steps it will take to (a) offer NHS examinations and treatment in schools to children with autism and (b) investigate the cause of the reported intestinal disease.

The research referred to was a small preliminary study that the authors themselves suggest requires replication on a larger scale. It would therefore be inappropriate at this time for the Scottish Government to issue a statement. We must consider the totality of the evidence when we consider changes in priority or the provision of services.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Government has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and healthcare needs in Scotland. CSO responds primarily to requests for funding research proposals initiated by the research community in Scotland. CSO would welcome research proposals in this area which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

Question reference: S4W-13599

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2013

Question reference: S4W-13596

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve the (a) cost and (b) accessibility of dental care.

NHS dental examinations are free to all in Scotland. Fees for treatment and therefore patient charges have been maintained at the same level for over two and half years.

Patients are required to pay 80% of the cost of their NHS dental treatment up to a maximum per course of treatment of £384, unless they are in one of the groups entitled to free NHS dental treatment or help with the cost. The percentage of fees paid by patients has remained unchanged since 1993 whilst the maximum charge has remained unchanged since 2005.

Help with the cost of NHS dental treatment for adults is mainly based on an assessment of the individual’s ability to pay. Those in receipt of certain benefits are automatically entitled to free NHS dental treatment while others on low incomes may be able to get either full or partial help with costs under the NHS Low Income Scheme.

Over the years the Scottish Government has introduced a range of measures to help improve access to the general dental services, including the opening of the Aberdeen Dental School in 2009, increasing the number of dental therapist being trained and the Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI). Since the SDAI was first introduced in 1997 it has been revised several times, most recently in December 2012 to take account of improvements in access to the General Dentistry Services (GDS) in many areas. From that date grants have been targeted at specific areas still experiencing access problems. In areas which continue to experience gaps in GDS provision, and which can not be filled by an independent dentist, NHS boards can establish a directly employed salaried dental service.

Since 2007, there are nearly 500 more dentist providing NHS general dental services across Scotland.