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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: S3W-03091

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what quantity of illegal drugs has been seized in each year since 1970, broken down by class and type of substance.

Question reference: S3W-03092

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals it estimates are involved in the supply of illegal drugs.

Question reference: S3W-03089

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many heroin addicts there are (a) known and (b) estimated to have been in each year since 1970.

(a) The number ofknown heroin addicts since 1970 is not held centrally.

(b) Estimates of theprevalence of problematic opiate and/or benzodiazepine misuse in Scotland were carried out for 2000 and 2003. Table 1 shows theestimated numbers across Scotland and the 95% confidence interval.

Table 1. EstimatedNumbersof Problem Drug Users (Opiates and/or Benzodiazepines): Scotland2000 and 2003

	2000	2003
Scotland point estimate (95 % confidence range)	55,800 (43,664 – 78,443)	51,582 (51,456 – 56,379)

2000

2003

Scotland point estimate

(95 % confidence range)

55,800

(43,664 – 78,443)

51,582

(51,456 – 56,379)

Source: Estimatingthe National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug Misuse in Scotland, Centre for Drug Misuse Research, Universityof Glasgow Scottish Centre for Infection and EnvironmentalHealth http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/local/prevreport2004.pdf.

Question reference: S3W-03240

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence is of (a) type 1 and (b) type 2 diabetes and what comparable information it has for (i) the United Kingdom as a whole, (ii) each EU member state and (iii) each OECD nation.

The Scottish DiabetesSurvey draws on data from primary and secondary care and currently represents themost comprehensive source of information on diabetes at Scotland level. The most recent report (2005) includes informationon the prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, nationally and at NHS board level.The report is available at:http://www.diabetesinscotland.org/diabetes/MaintainPages/pdfFiles/SDS2005.pdf.The Scottish PublicHealth Observatory (ScotPHO) website provides links to international sources ofinformation on diabetes, most commonly prevalence. Note however that variationsin the source of data and completeness of recording make these comparisons unreliable.These links can be accessed at http://www.scotpho.org.uk/web/site/home/Healthwell-beinganddisease/Diabetes/diabetes_usefullinks.asp.

International comparisonsof diabetes prevalence have been usefully reviewed by Wild et al (Wild S, Roglic G, Green A, Sicree R, King H. Global prevalenceof diabetes: estimates for the year 2000 and projections for 2030. Diabetes Care2004; 27:1047-53).

Question reference: S3W-03239

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were diagnosed with (a) type 1 and (b) type 2 diabetes in each year since 1990, broken down by NHS board.

Information on theprevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is available at NHS board level from theannual Scottish Diabetes Survey. The Survey, which was first published in 2001,includes data from primary and secondary care and is currently the most comprehensivesource of information on diabetes in Scotland. The most recentreport (for 2005) is available at:http://www.diabetesinscotland.org/diabetes/MaintainPages/pdfFiles/SDS2005.pdf.

The Scottish PublicHealth Observatory (ScotPHO) website (www.scotpho.org.uk)provides a guide to further sources of information on diabetes in Scotland (under the Health, Wellbeing and Disease tab).

Question reference: S3W-03474

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to review any of the orders made by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Question reference: S3W-02930

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 27 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions it is making to ensure better diagnosis of dyslexia within the education system.

Under the Education(Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2004, education authorities havea duty to identify, provide for and keep under review the additional support needsof each pupil for whose education they are responsible. This should ensure thatdyslexia is identified as early possible.

Significant funding is provided to education authoritiesto support the education of children with additional support needs including dyslexia.In 2007-08, this includes, £61.7 million for implementation of the Education (AdditionalSupport for Learning ) (Scotland) Act 2004, the inclusion of pupils with additionalsupport needs in mainstream schools, the training and development of school staffworking with pupils with additional support needs and accessibility to educationfor pupils with disabilities.

In addition, HM Inspectorateof Education is undertaking a specific evaluation of dyslexia over the period2007-08, which will provide a clear picture of identification, provision and practiceacross Scotland.

Question reference: S3W-03087

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many alcohol-related deaths there have been in each year since 1970.

The information availableis given in the following table. It uses a definition of alcohol-related deathsagreed with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2006 following wide consultation.Figures only include cases where the selected causes were the main cause of death.

Information prior to 1979 is not available because theagreed definition does not cover the classification of causes of death used before1979.

Alcohol-Related Deaths¹, Scotland, 1979-2006

1979	641	1986	568	1993	633	2000	1,292
1980	595	1987	569	1994	741	2001	1,398
1981	611	1988	627	1995	832	2002	1,487
1982	582	1989	626	1996	983	2003	1,525
1983	574	1990	657	1997	1,061	2004	1,478
1984	572	1991	624	1998	1,127	2005	1,513
1985	600	1992	582	1999	1,249	2006	1,546

Source: General RegisterOffice for Scotland.

Notes:

1. 1979-99: ICD9codes: 291, 303, 305.0, 425.5, 571.0-571.5, 571.8-571.9, E860.

2. 2000-06: ICD10codes: F10, G31.2, G62.1, I42.6, K29.2, K70, K73, K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5),K86.0, X45, X65, Y15.

Question reference: S3W-02994

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage recycling.

We provide supportto local authorities and other delivery bodies through the Strategic Waste Fundto increase recycling rates. Future funding for recycling is being considered aspart of the Spending Review and, in line with the commitment in our Its timeto look forward: The first 100 days of an SNP Government my officials recentlyheld a workshop with local authorities and other delivery partners to discuss futureplans for increasing recycling.

Question reference: S3W-02990

Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 August 2007
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 August 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value has been of tuition fees paid to higher education institutions by foreign students in each year since 1990.

The total income ofScottish Higher Education Institutions from fees paid by non EU students was:

1994-95	£46,172,000
1995-96	£50,543,000
1996-97	£53,895,000
1997-98	£56,353,000
1998-99	£57,682,000
1999-2000	£62,868,000
2000-01	£68,502,000
2001-02	£78,420,000
2002-03	£95,443,000
2003-04	£107,829,000
2004-05	£124,774,000
2005-06	£143,896,000

Source: Higher EducationStatistics Agency.

Data for 1990 to 1993are not held centrally.