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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: S2W-30111

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 December 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the European Union in relation to the spread of grey squirrels and their impact on biodiversity.

Question reference: S2W-30112

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 December 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with squirrel organisations and local authorities in the north of England regarding the spread and control of grey squirrels and what action it has taken in collaboration with such organisations.

The UK Red Squirrel Group co-ordinatesactions to support red squirrel conservation. The relevant Scottish statutory agenciesare represented on this group as are those from the north of England. Thisprovides a forum for discussion of cross-border issues and for sharing informationand good practice.

The Scottish Red Squirrel ActionPlan 2006-2011, recognised the importance of targetted grey squirrel control asthe most effective approach to red squirrel conservation. It also recognised theparticular risks currently facing red squirrels in the south of Scotland from thespread of grey squirrels testing positive for Squirrelpox virus antibodies. Actionhas been taken by SNH and FCS to control the flow of potentially infected grey squirrelsfrom the Cumbria region through the employment of grey squirrel controlofficers.

Question reference: S2W-30108

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 December 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Red Squirrel Action Plan 2006-2011 will be directed by one nominated individual with the responsibility for the plan’s implementation.

Question reference: S2W-30113

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 December 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to stop the illegal releasing of grey squirrels into the wild.

Question reference: S2W-29771

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 4 December 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list its 10 top priority road improvement initiatives and what action is being taken to implement them.

Scottish Executive ministersdo not have a “top ten” list of priority road schemes. The current schemes beingtaken forward are as follows:

Kincardine Bridge: Under construction

A68 Dalkeith Bypass

A90 Glendoick and Kinfauns Interchanges

M74 Completion: Tenders Invited

A9 Ballinluig

A830 Arisaig – Loch Nan Uamh

A75 Overtaking Opportunities

M80 Stepps – Haggs: Bidding InterestsInvited

M8 Baillieston – Newhouse: Majorschemes being prepared

M8 Associated network improvements

Aberdeen Western Peripheral Road

A725/M74 Raith Interchange

Schemes to improve the trunkroad network are published on the Transport Scotland Website http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/.Transport Scotland should be contacted for further information regarding these schemes.

Question reference: S2W-29770

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tavish Scott on 22 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the 20 road stretches or junctions that have had the highest (a) accident and (b) fatality rates in each of the last five years.

Information in the form requestedis not available centrally.

Detailed statistics on road accidentsand casualties are published annually in Road Accidents Scotland, copiesof which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Road AccidentsScotland 2005, to be published on 24 November 2006, will include a range oftables giving accident rates per million vehicle kilometres and casualty rates perthousand population.

Question reference: S2W-29136

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission any studies into adverse affects of hormone replacement therapy.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department hasresponsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health andhealthcare needs in Scotland. CSO does notnormally commission research but supports research projects of a sufficientlyhigh standard initiated by the researchcommunity in Scotland. This role is well known and advertised throughoutthe healthcare and academic community.

CSO is currently funding onesmall project on the experience of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) amongyoung women with premature ovarian failure but nothing specifically on adverseaffects of HRT. CSO would be pleased to consider proposals for research in thisarea which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

Question reference: S2W-29135

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 14 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any concerns from the medical community about the use of hormone replacement therapy in Scotland.

The safety of medicines isreserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare productsRegulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA and its independent advisory committee theCommission on Human Medicines (CHM) keep the safety of all licensed medicines,including hormone replacement therapy (HRT), under close review.

The MHRA and the CHM run theUK Yellow card Scheme which is used to collect information from healthprofessionals and patients on suspected adverse drug reactions. The MHRA hasadvised that all of the important information on the safety of HRT has comefrom large epidemiological studies. They are not aware of any studies thatdemonstrate that the balance and risks of HRT differ in Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-29102

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were employed in the (a) fishing, (b) farming and (c) manufacturing sector in (i) 1997, (ii) 1999 and (iii) the last year for which figures are available.

The following table showsthe number of people employed in the fishing, farming and manufacturing sectorin the years, 1997, 1999 and latest available.

Industry	1997	1999	Latest Available
Fishing*	8,194	7,330	4,971 (2005)
Agriculture**	68,830	69,417	66,854 (2006)
Manufacturing	327,000 (1998)	315,000	236,000(2004)

Notes:

*The number of fishermenemployed on Scottish based vessels.

**The total number of peopleemployed in agriculture (includes totalnumber of occupiers, spouses, and employees working, full-time, part-time,seasonally and casually).

Question reference: S2W-28907

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 October 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is making any representations on behalf of dairy farmers to supermarkets relating to the price they pay for milk.