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Ritalin is one of a number of products containing methylphenidate hydrochloride used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Comprehensive information including the official statistics on the number of items for methylphenidate hydrochloride (including Ritalin), dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors, can be found on the ISD Scotland website at:

www.isdscotland.org/isd/3588.html.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38966 on 3 February 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38966 on 3 February 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

(a) None. (b) and (c) (i) are as follows:

In 2009-10 the Scottish Government''s marketing unit allocation was £10,800,000.00 of which £8,300,000 was spent on a range of advertising activity to support key policy objectives and to help deliver the government''s National Performance Framework outcomes. A further £5,100,000 was spent on related advertising activity by individual directorates. In September 2009, at the time of the 2010-11 draft Budget, I announced that the Scottish Government''s advertising expenditure would be reduced by 50 per cent from 2010-11. My letter to Mr Welsh, Convenor of the Finance Committee, dated 5 August 2010, provided full details of these matters at the time, a copy of which was placed in Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 51458).

The Scottish Government advertising and marketing budget is allocated exclusive of VAT. For the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 the budget was capped at £10,800,000. The 2010-11 budget is £6,694,453.

The welfare of the Scottish population is a primary responsibility of the Scottish Government. Ensuring people are aware of the services available to them and any legislative changes is vital. This public information is best communicated using the marketing tools available, such as advertising. The recent risk to health from seasonal flu is an example of how marketing is used to communicate and deliver tangible results, 53.8 per cent of people under the age of 65 with a health condition have been vaccinated “ more than ever before in a flu season. The recent extreme winter weather also required the communication of safety messages to Scots across all communities and adverts on local and community radio stations were integral to this.

The Scottish Government advertising and marketing spend for 2010-11 will be reconciled and published following the end of the financial year.

The Scottish Government''s advertising gross expenditure for the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 is published on the government website, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Directorates/Services-Groups/17963/advertising-marketing/spend.

During the period in question there have been three VAT changes (1 December 2008 VAT decreased from 17.5% to 15%, 1 January 2010 VAT increased from 15% to 17.5% and on 4 January 2011 VAT increased from 17.5% to 20%).

(c) (ii) (iii) Information on agency and other public body spend is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38966 on 3 February 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38686 answered on 20 January 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38871 on 2 February 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Complete data on the number of people of who have sustained sports-related injuries in Scotland is not collected centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38871 on 2 February 2011. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

The Scottish Government is currently funding ISD to run a project which will gather relevant data on injuries presenting through accident and emergency (A&E) services in Scotland in order to develop a better evidence base on the size and nature of the problem of both intentional (assaults) and unintentional injuries. This data gathering is seen as an essential first step before considering what measures might need to be taken to address the issue of injury reduction. The 18-month project started on 1 July 2010 and is anticipated to end in December 2011.

Data will enable the breakdown of the figures by age, gender, location injury occurred and type of accident (i.e. fall, or burn etc), activity when injured and social sector (using deprivation categories). Place of injury and activity when injured will make it easier to identify sports injuries presented through A&E services in future.

As I confirmed in the Members'' Business debate in the Chamber on the A9 on 20 January 2011, although it would clearly never have been possible to design, authorise, procure and complete major dualling of the A9 in the lifetime of this Parliament, the Scottish Government has committed to dualling the A9 from Perth to Inverness and have put the project into the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), so that it is on record as one of our priorities.

I also confirmed that dualling this section involves approximately 87 miles of new carriageway and, as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth made clear during the debate, that requires in-depth planning and design to ensure we deliver the right scheme, taking into consideration all the factors, including environmental constraints, such as the protected Cairngorms National Park.

Once these stages have been completed, we can then finalise the timescales for the upgrading of the A9 which will be undertaken in the context of overall affordability and our commitments to the STPR recommendations.