- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when the research for the recent NHS survey of body mass index across Scotland, as reported in The Scotsman on 30 July 2007, was carried out.
Answer
The article in
TheScotsman refers to maps of
Body Mass Index (BMI) for Scotland, but does not give a source for the data used. Thesemaps were not commissioned centrally and we have not been able to find out who hasproduced them. Therefore, we cannot be sure where the underlying data came from.
The Scotsman article concerned can be viewed at:
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1183402007.Comparison of meanBMI for different areas is not recommended because a small number of very high,or very low, values could skew the mean. This is particularly the case for areaswith a relatively small population, such as the island NHS boards.
The most recent nationalsurvey of BMI in Scotland was for the Scottish Health Survey in 2003.The figures quoted in The Scotsman article appear to match the results ofthis survey. Note that the island NHS boards are grouped together and that theircombined results are flagged as potentially unreliable because they are based onsmall samples.
NHS board level resultsof the 2003 Scottish Health Survey are available at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/25145024/50256.(BMI results are onthe worksheet marked by the tenth tab from the left.)
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the age profile was of the men and women sampled in (a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) the Western Isles in the recent NHS survey of body mass index, as reported in The Scotsman on 30 July 2007, and how this compares with the overall age profile of the population of each island group.
Answer
The article in
TheScotsman refers to maps of body mass index (BMI) for Scotland, but does not give a source for the data used. Thesemaps were not commissioned centrally and we have not been able to find out who hasproduced them. Therefore, we cannot be sure where the underlying data came from.
The Scotsman article concerned can be viewed at:
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1183402007.Comparison of meanBMI for different areas is not recommended because a small number of very high,or very low, values could skew the mean. This is particularly the case for areaswith a relatively small population, such as the island NHS boards.
The most recent nationalsurvey of BMI in Scotland was for the Scottish Health Survey in 2003.The figures quoted in The Scotsman article appear to match the results ofthis survey. Note that the island NHS boards are grouped together and that theircombined results are flagged as potentially unreliable because they are based onsmall samples.
For the three islandboards combined, the age profiles of the men and women in the Scottish Health Survey2003 sample were as follows:
| Area | Gender | Sample size | Minimum | Maximum | Mean |
| Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles | Male | 100 | 16 | 83 | 47.1 |
| Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles | Female | 95 | 16 | 84 | 48.4 |
Source: Scottish HealthSurvey 2003.
The General RegisterOffice for Scotland produce estimates of populations. The estimatesfor mid-2003 indicate that male and female age profiles for the three island NHSboards combined were as follows:
| Area | Gender | Total population aged 16+ | Minimum | Maximum | Mean |
| Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles | Male | 26,700 | 16 | 90+ | 47.3 |
| Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles | Female | 27,400 | 16 | 90+ | 50.2 |
Source: GRO(S) mid-2003population estimates.
This suggests thatthe sample for the 2003 Scottish Health Survey was slightly older on average thanthe general population of the island NHS boards.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 10 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish Government’s policy is regarding the storage of nuclear waste.
Answer
I refer the member to the questionS3W-2332 answered on 10 August 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at:
http://.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 31 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make an announcement on funding to HITRANS.
Answer
HITRANS were advised oftheir capital and revenue funding for 2007-08 in March this year. The level offunding for future years is dependent on the outcome of the comprehensivespending review.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 13 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider undertaking independent research into the benefits of, and options for, a decentralised system of energy generation.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentis currently considering conducting studies into the feasibility, costs and benefitsof implementing combined heat and power (CHP) systems in parts of Scotland.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 13 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the benefits of a decentralised system of energy generation.
Answer
Various studies fromthe Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Greenpeace and the World Alliance forDecentralised Energy (WADE) have assessed the feasibility, cost and benefits ofdecentralised energy systems. These studies suggest that local generation of electricityreduces transmission losses and combined heat and power (CHP) systems can operateat significantly higher efficiencies by reusing waste heat from electricity generation.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee submitted its recommendations for improvements to the Arbuthnott Formula in June 2007 and when the Executive plans to make the committee’s recommendations public and announce its response to them.
Answer
Following a slightdelay to their timetable, the NHSScotland Resource AllocationCommittee (NRAC) have advised that they intend to submit their report to me in August2007.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 12 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has in respect of the Bus Route Development scheme.
Answer
We are currently reviewingScottish government funding for the bus industry, including the Bus Route DevelopmentGrant scheme, with bus operators and transport authorities to ensure that it isdirected at improving the quality and reliability of services and at enhancing businfrastructure.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 11 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the key areas of growth for the tourism sector in the next 10 years.
Answer
The key areas forgrowth in the tourism sector are greater productivity and increased investment forexpansion. As with most business models, a number of different drivers are requiredto influence that growth. These include: better capacity utilisation; greater cross-selling;market positioning; effective marketing by the public and private sectors, and capitalinvestment.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 9 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider reviewing which tourism services are funded by local authorities and which are centrally funded through VisitScotland.
Answer
We are determinedto do all we can to increase the effectiveness of Scotland’s tourism effort. To do that, we will consider all aspects of Scotland’stourism industry, including funding for tourism services.
