-  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
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                                            Date lodged: Monday, 23 March 2009
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Richard Lochhead on 7 April 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive what grants are available to farmers to support the storage of malting barley. 
                                
Answer
                                    Farmers can apply for funding to support the provision of storage facilities for cereals, including malting barley, from the food processing, marketing and co-operation grant scheme and through rural priorities.  
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
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                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 19 March 2009
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Shona Robison on 30 March 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent since 1998 on promoting, publicising and advertising the MMR vaccine as safe.
                                
Answer
                                    The only promotion or publicity campaign undertaken around MMR is the 
MMR: Never too late campaign, which was carried out by NHS Health Scotland in 2006. This consisted of posters and leaflets which were (and continue to be) supplied to local NHS boards should they wish to undertake local tailored campaign work on this issue. The main message of this campaign is that it is never too late to consider the MMR vaccination, and that those who have not had the vaccine at an earlier age, for what ever reason, can still receive it. The focus is therefore on making it clear that the MMR vaccine is available at any age, rather than to respond to any concerns around safety of the vaccine.  
A total of 75,000 Leaflets and 10,000 posters were printed in March 2006 for this campaign, at a cost of £4,147. 
   
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
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                                            Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2009
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Nicola Sturgeon on 23 March 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors progress towards implementation in full of its health improvement, efficiency, access and treatment (HEAT) targets.
                                
Answer
                                    NHS boards'' local delivery plans (LDPs) set out the delivery trajectories and risk management plans for each HEAT target, which are underpinned with financial and workforce plans. LDPs are agreed with NHS boards in advance of the financial year to which they relate. NHS boards and Scottish Government monitor, on an on-going basis, performance by comparing actual performance against the delivery trajectories for each target.  
As the actual performance data becomes available they are published through the website of the Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland and other websites including those of the Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland.
  NHS boards are held to account for their performance against HEAT targets at the Annual Reviews. Performance against HEAT targets is also reported in the NHSScotland Chief Executive''s Annual Report.
   
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons it considers it necessary to charge English, Northern Irish and Welsh students a medical top-up fee to study medicine at Scottish universities.
                                
Answer
                                    The higher rate of tuition fees for medicine was introduced by the then Scottish Executive as voted on and agreed by Parliament on 20 April 2005. They claimed there was a need to increase medical tuition fees to the same level as the new tuition fees in England to prevent a disproportionate number of students from England applying for places at Scottish Medical Schools.  
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Fiona Hyslop on 17 March 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to abolish medical top-up fees for English, Northern Irish and Welsh students studying medicine at Scottish universities.
                                
Answer
                                    We have no plans at this stage to amend the level of tuition fees for undergraduate medical courses at Scottish Medical Schools.  
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Fiona Hyslop on 16 March 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) English, (b) Northern Irish and (c) Welsh students started studying medicine at Scottish universities in each of the last 10 years.
                                
Answer
                                    The number of non-Scottish domiciles from within the UK entering pre-clinical or clinical medicine courses at higher education institutions in Scotland between 1997-98 and 2006-07 (the latest data available) are given in the following table.  
UK domiciled entrants from outside of Scotland to clinical medicine and pre-clinical medicine at Scottish higher education institutions by region of domicile: 1997-98 to 2006-07:
           |      Academic Year      |          Preclinical Medicine      |          Clinical Medicine      |    
       |      England      |          Wales      |          Northern Ireland      |          England      |          Wales      |          Northern Ireland      |    
       |     1997-98     |        290     |        15     |        55     |        80     |        5     |        10     |   
     |     1998-99     |        200     |        5     |        65     |        80     |        0     |        15     |   
     |     1999-2000     |        280     |        5     |        80     |        55     |        0     |        5     |   
     |     2000-01     |        260     |        5     |        70     |        90     |        0     |        5     |   
     |     2001-02     |        250     |        10     |        95     |        50     |        0     |        5     |   
     |     2002-03     |        230     |        10     |        85     |        50     |        5     |        0     |   
     |     2003-04     |        245     |        10     |        100     |        60     |        0     |        5     |   
     |     2004-05     |        235     |        10     |        130     |        55     |        5     |        5     |   
     |     2005-06     |        205     |        5     |        95     |        75     |        0     |        5     |   
     |     2006-07     |        160     |        5     |        75     |        80     |        5     |        5     |   
 
  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
  Figures in this table have been rounded to the nearest five. Zero, one and two have been rounded to zero.
  Entrants from Channel  Islands and Isle of Man have been excluded from this table.
   
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
                                        
 
                                    - 
                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Fiona Hyslop on 16 March 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) English, (b) Northern Irish and (c) Welsh students are studying medicine at Scottish universities and paying medical top-up fees.
                                
Answer
                                    In 2006-07 there were 160 entrants to preclinical medicine courses at Scottish institutions whose prior domicile was in England, five from Wales and 75 from Northern Ireland. All entrants to preclinical medicine courses at Scottish institutions in 2006-07 would be expected to pay the higher rate of fees introduced in 2006-07. Students who began their course of study prior to 2006-07 and continued to study in each successive year, i.e. without taking gap years, would be expected to pay fees according to the fee structure applicable at the time of entry into their first year of study.  
The above figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
   
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2009
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Keith Brown on 13 March 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the results of its recent survey of parent councils.
                                
Answer
                                    We have yet to receive the results of the survey and will then wish to give them proper consideration.  
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2009
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Keith Brown on 13 March 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the results of its recent survey of parent councils.
                                
Answer
                                    We have yet to receive the results of the survey although they are expected soon.  
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2009
                                        
 
                                    - 
                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Keith Brown on 13 March 2009
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is a need for a national body to represent the views of parents of schoolchildren.
                                
Answer
                                    Yes. At the first national conference for Parent Councils in June 2008 the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning made clear her agreement with the many parents who think that there should be such a national body. That is why we have commissioned a survey of all parent councils on this issue.