Chamber and committees

The National Infertility Group was set up, in April 2010, to address the inequity of access to IVF treatment across Scotland and will submit its final report to Ministers by the end of December 2012. Ministers will then consider the report and its recommendations in order to meet the Scottish Government commitment to a 12 month maximum waiting time for IVF treatment, for eligible patients.

In addition, the Scottish Government has recently announced investment of £12 million over the next three years to help NHS boards meet the waiting time by 31 March 2015.

National criteria were developed by the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland (EAGISS) in 2000. These guidelines were subsequently reviewed and in 2007 further recommendations were made to raise the upper age limit for treatment and updated information was produced on timings between treatments.

All NHS boards in Scotland use these guidelines, but variations in provision do exist. The National Infertility Group was set up, in April 2010, to address this inequity of access to IVF treatment across Scotland, and will submit its final report to Ministers by the end of December 2012.

This information is not currently held centrally.

A “shovel ready” project is defined as a project which is in a position to commence construction in the next twelve months, and which is either currently not funded or only partly funded and could therefore benefit from additional capital allocations.

A table providing full details of the organisations and the amounts of funding they will receive from the Autism Development Fund can be found at SPICe (Bib. number 54416).

The government is taking action in a number of areas which seek to change behaviours and develop supportive environments to improve physical health including those set out in the Prevention of Obesity Route Map, the Smoking and Prevention Action Plan, the Physical Activity Strategy and the Alcohol Framework for Action.

Scottish Natural Heritage was in communication with the Scottish Government in relation to a report from a member of the public on the sighting of Muntjac deer in Dumfries and Galloway in May 2012. Scottish Natural Heritage investigated this report but did not find any evidence of Muntjac in the vicinity. Scottish Natural Heritage also advised the Scottish Government in October 2012 that they had made enquiries concerning the licensing of a private collection reportedly containing Muntjac.

The Muntjac Keeping (Scotland) Order 2011 was revoked when the non-native species parts of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 were commenced on 2 July 2012. However, the effect of the Order is maintained under the new legislation.

The requirement for anyone keeping Muntjac to do so under licence is maintained, as is the requirement for anyone who becomes aware of Muntjac deer to report them. Scottish Natural Heritage is both the licensing authority for this purpose and the body to which sightings should be reported.

One collection of Muntjac deer is currently kept under licence in Scotland, under a licence that was issued under the old legislation. Scottish Natural Heritage have not, so far, issued any licences under the new legislation.

In addition, Scottish Natural Heritage investigated a report of Muntjac deer in Dumfries and Galloway this summer. The answer to question S4W-10359 on 1 November 2012 provides more details.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The National Performance Centre for Sport will be developed in line with the requirements of Scottish sport as set out in the bid documentation that is currently being developed and is due to be issued in December 2012.

The Scottish Government takes seriously the need constantly to improve behaviour in schools. Curriculum for Excellence has encouraged schools to focus on creating a positive school ethos as the starting point for learning and the Scottish Government has supported schools and local authorities in implementing a range of strategies and programmes which promote positive behaviour. The Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2012 found that the vast majority of staff see pupils as generally well behaved and this has been consistent over the last three surveys in 2006, 2009, and 2012. Over the same period school exclusions have dropped by 40%.

The research identified areas where there is room for further improvement. The Scottish Government, in partnership with the Scottish Advisory Group on Behaviour in Schools, is developing an action plan which will address these areas. The plan will be published in the new year.