- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 15 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when a trial to trap and translocate sparrowhawks from around pigeon lofts (a) commenced and (b) will end, and who will carry out this task.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10994 on 15 April 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what highest qualifications were attained by school leavers in each year since 1994-95, expressed as a percentage of all school leavers and broken down into (a) none at NQ Level 3 or above, (b) one or two at SCQF Level 3, (c) three or four at SCQF Level 3, (d) five or more at SCQF Level 3, (e) one or two at SCQF Level 4, (f) three or four at SCQF Level 4, (g) five or more at SCQF Level 4, (h) one or two at SCQF Level 5, (i) three or four at SCQF Level 5, (j) five or more at SCQF Level 5, (k) one or two at SCQF Level 6, (l) three or four at SCQF Level 6, (m) five or more at SCQF Level 6, (n) one or two at SCQF Level 7 and (o) three or more at SCQF Level 7.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table.
Highest Qualifications Attained by Leavers from Publicly-Funded Secondary Schools (Percentages)
| Year | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
| Total Leavers (=100%) | 58,344 | 56,834 | 55,548 | 57,178 | 57,625 | 57,108 | 58,589 | 57,588 | 58,467 | 57,773 |
| No NQ @ SCQF level 3 or better | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| 1-2 @ SCQF Level 3 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| 3-4 @ SCQF Level 3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| 5+ @ SCQF Level 3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| 1-2 @ SCQF Level 4 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.7 |
| 3-4 @ SCQF Level 4 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.6 |
| 5+ @ SCQF Level 4 | 13.0 | 12.4 | 11.5 | 10.4 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 8.4 |
| 1-2 @ SCQF Level 5 | 13.0 | 13.4 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.8 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.1 | 15.1 | 15.4 |
| 3-4 @ SCQF Level 5 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.7 |
| 5+ @ SCQF Level 5 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.5 |
| 1-2 @ SCQF Level 6 | 14.0 | 13.8 | 13.3 | 12.3 | 12.6 | 12.5 | 12.6 | 12.8 | 12.7 | 12.8 |
| 3-4 @ SCQF Level 6 | 11.0 | 11.5 | 11.0 | 10.4 | 10.3 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.2 | 9.0 |
| 5+ @ SCQF Level 6 | 8.5 | 8.9 | 10.1 | 9.7 | 9.5 | 8.9 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 8.4 |
| 1-2 @ SCQF Level 7 | 8.9 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10.7 | 11.1 | 10.8 | 11.3 | 10.5 |
| 3+ @ SCQF Level 7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
Data on the highest qualifications of school leavers are not available in the format requested prior to 1997-98. However, the publication Scottish School Leavers and their Qualifications: 1986-87 to 1996-97 (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/statbull/ste2-00.htm) provides information on standard grade and higher awards obtained by leavers in that period.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 2 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish a proposal for legislation on protecting rural schools.
Answer
We intend to publish a set of proposals for comment in the form of a Consultation Paper at the end of April.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 07 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 25 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake research to establish levels of mitochondrial dysfunction in the autism population in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have taken forward a jointly funded research programme in relation to autism, based on the agenda outlined in the MRC review of autism research. The MRC has now committed over £3 million to new research. The awards range from clinical investigations in children and adults, to environmental risk factors, brain imaging and intervention studies. The Chief Scientist Office has also funded a number of studies into autism.
No research is currently planned on the explicit issue of levels of mitochondrial dysfunction in the autism population in Scotland. However, the Chief Scientist Office is open to proposals for further studies.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 07 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 25 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in light of the judgement by the US Attorney General on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services which found that combined multiple vaccinations received by a child significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder predisposing her to deficits in cellular energy metabolism and manifested as a regressive encephalopathy with features of autism.
Answer
The details of the judgement in this case are sealed and much of what is being publicly suggested is speculation. What is known is that the child in question has an extremely rare genetic metabolic condition and as part of her neurological signs and symptoms, she has autistic-like features. There is a wealth of scientific evidence that vaccines do not cause autism and the circumstances of this case do not change that conclusion.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 07 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 25 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake research to discover whether combined multiple vaccines can aggravate underlying medical conditions leading to features of autistic spectrum disorder.
Answer
There is a wealth of scientific evidence that vaccines do not cause autism and as such there are no plans to undertake any further research in this area. The Scottish Government and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have however taken forward a jointly funded research programme in relation to autism, based on the agenda outlined in the MRC Review of Autism Research. The MRC has now committed over £3 million to new research. The awards range from clinical investigations in children and adults, to environmental risk factors, brain imaging and intervention studies. The Chief Scientist Office has also funded a number of studies into autism.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 07 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 25 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to screen out all children with mitochondrial dysfunction from the vaccination programme.
Answer
The details of the judgement in this case are sealed and much of what is being publicly suggested is speculation. What is known is that the child in question has an extremely rare genetic metabolic condition and as part of her neurological signs and symptoms, she has autistic-like features. At the same time there is a wealth of scientific evidence that vaccines do not cause autism. Therefore there are no plans to take any steps to screen out all children with mitochondrial dysfunction from the routine childhood vaccination programme.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 07 March 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 25 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to introduce single vaccines in place of combined vaccines as a choice to parents.
Answer
The childhood immunisation programme in Scotland does not offer single vaccines routinely and there are no plans to change this policy. Offering single vaccines, with time lags of a month or more between the three, would leave a child at risk from mumps, measles or rubella. This also has an impact upon herd immunity (where vaccination of a proportion of the population provides protection to unvaccinated individuals) and may mean those children that cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons would be at increased risk of the disease.
The combined MMR vaccine has been in use for a period of nearly 30 years, with over 500 million doses given in over 100 countries. Based on the findings from the on-going monitoring of its safety, and the evidence from the wide range of scientific investigations into the speculated risks to health, the vaccine has an excellent safety record.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when the board of Skills Development Scotland will be appointed.
Answer
Applications for the positions of chair and board members of Skills Development Scotland are currently being considered. I expect to announce the appointment of Chair of Skills Development Scotland in April and the board members thereafter.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when Skills Development Scotland will be formally established.
Answer
Skills Development Scotland was registered as The Skills Development Scotland Co. Limited on 20 December 2007.
