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-09072

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to retailers regarding the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (Scotland) Regulations 2007.

Guidance notes on the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations 2007 were first published on the website of the Food Standards Agency in May 2008. This guidance was revised in March 2009 to reflect an amendment to the 2007 Regulations. These UK-wide guidance notes aim to help food businesses, enforcement officers and other interested parties interpret the provisions of the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations 2007 and 2008.

Question reference: S4W-09074

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many retailers have been penalised for breaching the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (Scotland) Regulations 2007, also broken down by (a) retailer, (b) penalty and (c) year.

Question reference: S4W-08813

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what costs it has incurred in relation to Aberdeen City Council's Access from the North Proposals for a third Don crossing.

The recorded cost to the Scottish Government of holding a public inquiry into the use of compulsory purchase orders for a third Don crossing was:

£2,688.80 reporters fees

£481.16 reporters travel and subsistence

£400.00 hire of hall for inquiry

£984.00 hire of sound system for inquiry

£909.60 cost of advertising the inquiry in Press & Journal

Total £5,463.56.

Additional administrative costs have been incurred in respect of the inquiry and in processing the compulsory purchase order application but it is not possible to attribute these within departmental administrative costs.

Question reference: S4W-08814

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what costs it has incurred in relation to Aberdeen City Council's proposals for the Haudagain roundabout.

The Scottish Government part funded the pre-appraisal stage of the A90/A96 Haudagain Roundabout STAG assessment with funds in the region of £38,000 over years 2004-05 and 2005-06. The costs in relation to the remaining part of the STAG assessment were incurred by Nestrans following their establishment as a statutory partnership on 1 April 2006.

The Scottish Government is committed to starting work at the Haudagain Roundabout immediately after the completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. The Scottish Government has committed £3 million for design work and preparations will start in time to ensure construction can go ahead immediately on completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Question reference: S4W-08309

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to people with Angelman syndrome and their families.

People with Angelman syndrome and their families can access a range of clinical services depending on need, including paediatric neurology; specialist neurology/epilepsy support; clinical genetics and counselling; neurophysiology; and community paediatric services.

In addition, the NHSScotland Single Gene Complex Needs Service works with people with complex needs as a result of living with a genetic condition, including chromosomal abnormalities. The service aims to improve families’ quality of life and can liaise with the health service, social services, the voluntary sector, education and employers.

Question reference: S4W-08308

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 July 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what work is being done to provide healthcare professionals with training on how to deal with patients with Angelman syndrome.

In Scotland, rare diseases such as Angelman syndrome are largely managed through genetic services and through access to national specialist services and treatments commissioned by National Services Division.

The Scottish Genetics Education Network (ScotGEN) is a collaboration between the four Scottish Clinical Genetics Centres and Scottish Universities. ScotGEN aims to provide high quality teaching materials for genetics education. Genetic information leaflets on a range of genetic conditions, including Angelman syndrome, are available on ScotGEN’s website at:

http://www.scotgen.org.uk/information/content.asp?ID=76.

In addition, NHSScotland, in partnership with other UK health departments, supports a dedicated European website on rare diseases and therapies: www.orpha.net.

Question reference: S4W-07922

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many and (b) what percentage of mothers have breastfed in each year since 1999 and what the year-on-year percentage change has been, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) age group.

<>Data is only available from 2001-02 onwards. Breastfeeding data is recorded at the public health nurse/health visitor First Visit review (at around 10 days old) and the 6-8 week review and collated by Information Services Division (ISD). The number and percentage breastfed includes exclusively breastfed and mixed breast and formula fed. There are explanatory notes on these figures on the ISD website.

Number and percentage of mothers breastfeeding at first visit and 6-8 week review, 2001-02 to 2010-11

First visit

6-8 week review

Number breastfed

% Breastfed

Number breastfed

% Breastfed

2001-02	18,200	43.5	14,286	35.7
2002-03	18,497	44.5	14,595	36.5
2003-04	19,148	44.3	14,989	35.8
2004-05	19,652	44.4	15,448	36.3
2005-06	19,862	44.7	15,774	36.8
2006-07	20,291	44.1	15,917	35.7
2007-08	22,445	44.6	16,987	35.5
2008-09	23,415	45.4	17,704	36.2
2009-10	23,413	45.6	17,558	36.0
2010-11	25,938	46.8	19,730	37.1

Source: ISD

Percentage year-on-year change in breastfeeding prevalence at first visit by NHS Board, 2001-02 to 2010-11

	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Scotland	x	2.1	-0.3	0.1	0.7	-1.2	1.0	1.9	0.4	2.6
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	x	-4.4	3.0	5.4	-3.0	-4.5	-11.5	3.0	3.0	-4.7
NHS Borders	x	0.6	-5.1	5.7	-4.7	-0.9	-4.1	5.8	-5.5	-0.4
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	x	2.5	-2.9	0.9	-5.5	1.0	-1.1	-0.6	0.8	-3.5
NHS Fife	x	5.1	2.1	-2.2	3.6	-0.3	0.5	-3.7	1.1	-1.5
NHS Forth Valley	x	0.9	7.0	-4.5	6.9	-8.5	0.6	5.1	-4.0	-2.1
NHS Grampian	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	x	3.7	-3.6	2.0	-1.9	2.4	-0.3	3.9	0.3	0.7
NHS Highland	x	-5.9	2.8	1.3	7.4	-9.9	1.9	2.0	-1.0	1.0
NHS Lanarkshire	x	9.5	-2.6	-2.2	5.2	-12.1	10.4	-7.5	2.9	2.5
NHS Lothian	x	2.5	0.4	0.9	-0.3	2.6	0.1	2.9	0.5	1.0
NHS Orkney	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
NHS Shetland	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	-7.5	16.4
NHS Tayside	x	-3.7	2.2	-3.1	1.5	0.8	-1.6	-1.2	4.7	-1.5
NHS Western Isles	x	x	x	x	x	x	4.6	32.4	-27.5	8.3

Source: ISD

Percentage year-on-year change in breastfeeding prevalence at 6-8 weeks by NHS Board, 2001-02 to 2010-11

	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Scotland	x	2.0	-1.7	1.2	1.5	-2.9	-0.7	2.0	-0.7	3.2
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	x	-3.5	0.3	7.0	-4.3	-1.1	-13.0	2.9	0.1	-5.6
NHS Borders	x	8.2	-8.3	4.3	-0.5	-8.3	-7.5	11.3	-7.2	-1.8
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	x	-3.8	2.7	-4.0	3.0	-9.5	-0.4	-2.9	3.4	-7.3
NHS Fife	x	6.8	-4.4	1.1	1.7	-0.7	0.1	-3.9	-3.2	-0.5
NHS Forth Valley	x	-2.6	3.0	-4.0	6.7	-9.8	5.8	5.2	-11.0	4.6
NHS Grampian	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	x	4.6	-3.1	3.6	-0.9	-2.0	-3.9	5.2	0.3	0.8
NHS Highland	x	-2.6	0.3	0.1	8.1	-15.0	7.5	-3.0	-1.6	1.5
NHS Lanarkshire	x	8.4	-4.8	0.4	3.2	-5.8	-0.6	-1.2	-3.6	2.5
NHS Lothian	x	1.6	0.0	1.1	0.6	-0.1	-0.0	2.5	1.3	-0.2
NHS Orkney	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
NHS Shetland	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	-3.4	19.3
NHS Tayside	x	-3.5	0.4	-1.4	5.4	-4.1	-2.9	-4.6	5.8	-3.0
NHS Western Isles	x	x	x	x	x	x	5.8	18.0	-21.9	1.8

Source: ISD

Percentage year-on-year change in breastfeeding prevalence at first visit by age of mother, 2001-02 to 2010-11

	Total (all ages)	Under 20	20-24	25-29	30-34	35-39	40+
2001-02	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
2002-03	2.1	-10.9	2.4	2.8	3.2	1.9	-0.1
2003-04	-0.3	-11.4	-4.7	-0.1	0.3	0.4	-2.7
2004-05	0.1	11.3	0.3	-0.0	-0.4	-1.5	2.5
2005-06	0.7	1.0	0.3	0.7	2.0	-0.7	1.0
2006-07	-1.2	-5.7	-1.3	-1.0	-1.3	0.8	-3.2
2007-08	1.0	-2.3	-1.9	0.6	1.5	1.7	2.9
2008-09	1.9	0.2	2.8	3.7	2.3	0.8	-2.9
2009-10	0.4	1.6	-4.0	-0.7	0.5	1.6	2.7
2010-11	2.6	-3.4	3.1	1.0	2.6	-0.2	-3.6

Source: ISD.

Percentage year-on-year change in breastfeeding prevalence at 6-8 week review by age of mother, 2001-02 to 2010-11

	Total (all ages)	Under 20	20-24	25-29	30-34	35-39	40+
2001-02	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
2002-03	2.0	-19.2	-1.7	3.1	3.0	2.5	-0.2
2003-04	-1.7	-8.1	-4.1	-2.4	-1.6	-1.1	2.4
2004-05	1.2	8.2	2.6	3.4	-0.7	-2.0	1.6
2005-06	1.5	26.0	4.7	1.3	3.4	-0.6	-1.0
2006-07	-2.9	-29.3	-6.5	-3.1	-1.9	0.5	-4.6
2007-08	-0.7	7.1	-5.6	-1.5	0.0	-0.7	4.9
2008-09	2.0	-12.2	4.3	3.1	3.4	2.0	-5.5
2009-10	-0.7	13.4	-11.1	-0.1	-0.9	0.6	1.0
2010-11	3.2	-8.2	8.4	-0.6	3.0	-1.0	-3.5

Source: ISD.

Question reference: S4W-07924

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the employment rate of adults with autism.

Question reference: S4W-07923

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many and (b) what percentage of relevant women have been diagnosed with post-natal depression in each year since 1999 and what the year-on-year percentage change has been, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) age group.

Question reference: S4O-01174

Asked by: Mark McDonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the advertising of follow-on milk.