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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4W-05290

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of older people living in publicly funded care homes is given regular vitamin D supplements.

Question reference: S4W-05291

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote additional vitamin D for (a) pregnant women and (b) children.

In September 2010 the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland wrote to all health professionals urging them to explain the importance of vitamin D to patients at risk of deficiency. In June 2011 we produced a leaflet for the general public and health professionals highlighting the importance of vitamin D supplementation for at-risk groups, including pregnant women, young children, older people and those with limited sun exposure. The Chief Medical Officer for Scotland and his counterparts in the UK issued a joint letter to health professionals on 2 February 2012 to restate these messages and give them maximum impact across the UK.

Question reference: S4W-05286

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of (a) adults and (b) children in (i) mainland Scotland and (ii) the Scottish islands have blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D below the minimum level of 25 nanomoles per litre.

This information is not currently available. The Food Standards Agency in Scotland and the Scottish Government have funded an analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) in blood samples collected in the 2010 and 2011 Scottish Health Surveys. This data is currently being analysed and is expected to report towards the end of this year. In addition, the Scottish Government are funding the Northern Isles Vitamin D Study - prevalence and impact of hypovitaminosis D in a high risk population which is expected to report in spring this year.

Question reference: S4W-05288

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of Scottish children qualifying for healthy start vitamins actually take up the benefit.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05287 on 8 February 2012. The information contained in the management information report received from the Department of Health, does not show, as a separate statistic, the proportion of Scottish children who are eligible for the vitamins and actually take them up. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S4W-05287

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the uptake rate is for Scottish (a) women and (b) children who qualify for vitamins under the healthy start scheme.

Based on the Management Information report received from the Department of Health for the reporting period (21 November to 15 December 2011) there were 50,294 Scottish beneficiaries eligible under the scheme and 38,625 receiving the benefit. This represents an uptake rate of 77%. The information contained in this report does not include data relating to pregnant women aged under 18 nor does it show, as a separate statistic, the uptake rate for Scottish children.

Question reference: S4W-05148

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how much new money it has allocated to the Early Years and Early Intervention Change Fund, as referred to on page 38 of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13, and what period the money will cover.

Question reference: S4W-05150

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the Early Years and Early Intervention Change Fund has already been allocated and how much remains available.

The Scottish Government contribution to the Early Years and Early Intervention Change Fund is £50 million over the Parliamentary term. Of that £50 million, £12m has been allocated. This comprises £1.5 million per year over the next three years to establish a Communities and Families Fund. £1 million per year over the next three years to support free play opportunities and quality play spaces; and £1.5 million per year over the next three years for additional early learning, childcare and parental support for looked after two year olds.

Question reference: S4W-05151

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the remainder of the Early Years and Early Intervention Change Fund total of £270 million will come from existing NHS and local authority budgets and whether the successive year allocations of £20, £45 and £50 million referred to on page 59 of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13 will come from this £270 million.

Question reference: S4W-05149

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the additional money for the Early Years and Early Intervention Change Fund is in addition to the Sure Start Fund referred to on page viii of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13 and how much, over what period, has been allocated to the Sure Start Fund.

Question reference: S4W-04832

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-04235 by John Swinney on 7 December 2011, for what reason no record of relocation of jobs is held centrally; whether information is held centrally on the relocation of public bodies, and, if so, how many have been relocated since January 2008 and to where.