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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: S4O-02231

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what reductions in energy usage have been achieved across the campus over the last three years.

Question reference: S4W-14977

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet the target of a 50% increase in the value of international exports by 2017.

Scotland’s Trade and Investment Strategy outlines the priorities to be pursued to deliver this ambitious target and government agencies are working closely with industry to understand their own export ambitions.

Scottish Development International (SDI) have increased their support to companies and are working with key partners to encourage companies to raise their ambition levels to achieve their full potential and deliver more for Scotland’s economy. This included support to over 2,090 Scottish companies, an increase of 52% from
2011-12.

SDI have also expanded their overseas presence in key markets including China, India, Norway and Brazil. Some of our major exporters are foreign owned companies and attracting strategic inward investment remains critical to our success. Scotland remains an attractive location for inward investors as noted in the Ernst & Young Attractiveness Survey, where Scotland has been ranked in the top two locations within the UK in three of the past five years.

Question reference: S4W-14975

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage primary school pupils to be enthusiastic about careers in science and maths.

Question reference: S4W-14976

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider deploying more STEM Ambassadors to younger children at primary schools.

Question reference: S4W-14973

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that primary school pupils are encouraged to (a) learn and (b) enjoy maths and sciences.

One of the design principles of Curriculum for Excellence is that young people experience challenge and enjoyment in their learning, across all subjects. Teaching approaches for both science and maths will enable learning that is both stimulating and engaging. Education Scotland are working with a range of partners and teachers from across Scotland to support this by developing resources and facilitating sharing of practice.

These resources include STEM Central, which offers learner journeys based in real-life contexts for primary teachers to draw on. The Scottish Government is also supporting the Scottish Schools Education Research Centre (SSERC) to deliver a programme for primary teachers which will develop their confidence and skills in teaching science through practical lessons.

Education Scotland published a Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN) Professional Learning Resource in October 2012. It provided details of learners’ strengths and areas for improvement in numeracy from the sample survey results, and associated advice and guidance to inform teaching practice. This was followed by the delivery of SSLN Improving Numeracy engagement days during February and March 2013, with an event on developing local authority numeracy strategies taking place in June.

The use of real-life contexts in learning helps enthuse learners about STEM career pathways, and the STEM Central resource offers a section on careers to help teachers build their own awareness of the types of jobs available. The direct engagement of industry and other partners with schools also helps to raise learners’ awareness of relevant careers. This includes the STEMNET STEM Ambassador programme which provides opportunities for young people to hear directly from those working in STEM jobs.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

Question reference: S4W-14974

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it assesses the success of the STEM Ambassadors programme.

The STEM Ambassadors programme is funded by the UK Government and run by STEMNET, a UK-wide charity that promotes STEM to schools. Four organisations in Scotland – Science Connects, Global Science, Dundee Science Centre and a UHI/HIE partnership – are contracted by STEMNET to run the STEM Ambassador programme in Scotland. As an initiative that encourages scientists and engineers to work with schools, the STEM Ambassadors scheme is to be welcomed. However, questions relating to its performance are a matter for STEMNET and not the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-14925

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 23 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S3W-10807 and S3W-10809 by Shona Robison on 25 March 2008, what autism research projects the Chief Scientist Office has funded in the last five years.

The Chief Scientist Office has funded three autism research studies since 2008. These studies have been based in the University of Glasgow and University of Aberdeen, the funding awarded to the studies amounts to £320,000. Of these studies two were based in Aberdeen, both looked at Autism and Reactive Attachment Disorder, with the other study, based in Glasgow, looking at the role of particular genes in autism.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and healthcare needs in Scotland. CSO responds primarily to requests for funding research proposals initiated by the research community in Scotland. CSO would consider an application for further research on Autism. As with all research funded by the CSO it would have to be led by a researcher based in a Scottish University or NHS organisation.

Question reference: S4W-14721

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2013
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent development of a vaccine against Clostridium bolteae, which is common in autistic children, what consideration it is giving to offering the vaccine to autistic schoolchildren.

This vaccine has not yet had any preclinical or human trials, which would be needed to establish its efficacy and safety. Should these be completed satisfactorily, the vaccine would then be considered for licensing by the European Medicines Agency. If granted a licence the possible use of the vaccine would be considered by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. This is standard procedure for the introduction of all vaccines.

Question reference: S4W-14740

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward legislation on the introduction of plain packaging on cigarettes and, if so, what the timetable is.

Question reference: S4W-14739

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it took the political affiliation of the founder of the Scottish Asian Women’s Association into consideration when deciding to provide funding to it.