- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2006
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 October 2006
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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.
Answer
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).
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2006
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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.
Answer
I share the concerns of thoseworried about the level of returns being made by many milk producers but I cannotintervene directly in the market.
When I meet the major retailers,I emphasise how seriously the Executive views the importance of maintaining a sustainablefood chain with healthy trading relationships between suppliers and retailers.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 26 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to聽the answer to聽question S2W-28171 by Rhona Brankin on 20 September 2006, what聽additional measures are now underway to protect red squirrels.
Answer
Two grey squirrel control officershave been appointed to work in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, inwoodlands identified as priority areas for red squirrel conservation. They havebeen tasked with raising awareness of the squirrel pox virus amongst landowners and the public, offering training to land managers in live trapping andhumane methods of despatch of grey squirrels and carrying out control wheresuch assistance is required.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 26 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to聽the answer to聽question S2W-28171 by Rhona Brankin on 20 September 2006, what聽the options are for a longer-term strategy for聽red squirrel conservation and when such a strategy will be put into place.
Answer
The options for a longer termstrategy for red squirrel conservation are wide ranging and complex. Full detailsof these options are contained within the Red Squirrel Action Plan. I have askedScottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to publish the plan on their website and expectit to be available soon. As I stated in my previous response to the MSP, the actionplan is being considered as part of the SNH Species Framework for Action, whichis currently being developed.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has invested to provide broadband connectivity in Tayside.
Answer
The Executive has invested 拢16.5million (including support from the European Regional Development Fund) implementinga Scotland-wide project which has delivered broadband access to every Scottish community.A separate figure for broadband investment under this project in Tayside is notavailable, but investment in the East of Scotland amounts to 拢2.7 million.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which communities in Tayside will not be broadband-enabled by the end of 2006.
Answer
We have already delivered accessto every Scottish community, as defined using census output areas. This was achievedthrough our 拢16.5 million Broadband for Scotland鈥檚 rural and remote areas project.
However, we recognise that thereare still some households or businesses who remain without access. The Executiveis working with independent technical consultants to examine this issue as wellas the viability of potential solutions. This work will complete later this yearand appropriate action will be outlined thereafter.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 28 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people in Tayside have access to an NHS dentist.
Answer
As at 31 March 2005, 58,850children (74%) and 168,233 adults (55%) were registered with a NHS dentist inTayside.
In addition, patientsaccessed NHS dentists in Tayside for 5,305 single treatments or courses oftreatment in 2004-05.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 21 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all civil service jobs that have been dispersed from Edinburgh since 1999, giving the local authority area to which they were relocated.
Answer
The outcomes of location reviewssince 1999 are set out in a table on the Executive鈥檚 relocation website. The numbersof posts dispersed from Edinburgh, in terms of the civil service and public service,to each local authority to date are as follows: Glasgow has received 400; ScottishBorders has received 218; North Ayrshire has received 140; Aberdeen has received50; Falkirk has received 26; Dundee has received 30; West Lothian has received 104;West Dunbartonshire has received 12; East Ayrshire has received 12; Highland hasreceived 239; Argyll and Bute has received 12, and Dumfries and Galloway has received17 posts.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 20 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cross Party Group on Fair Trade, set up to consider how Scotland can achieve Fair Trade Nation status, will next meet.
Answer
The next meeting of the CrossParty Group on Fair Trade will be in October or November 2006.
