- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 12 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-23221 by Tavish Scott on 13 March 2006, whether the regulatory parts of the Invergarry-Kyle of Lochalsh Trunk Road (A87) Extension (Skye Bridge Crossing) Special Road Scheme Order 1992 (SI 1992/1499), prescribing both the route and use by all classes of traffic on that route, still apply.
Answer
The Invergarry-Kyle of LochalshTrunk Road (A87) Extension (Skye Bridge Crossing) Special Road Scheme 1992 (SI 1992/1499)remains in place.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the closure order in respect of shootings at Dunblane Primary School, whether it will list all other situations where closure orders have been granted without a statutory basis.
Answer
As part of the routine administrativearrangements for managing Scottish Executive records, all records were automaticallyclosed for 30 years, and certain records of a sensitive nature were closed for extendedperiods up to 100 years, e.g. because they contained personal information. Whenthe Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act came into force on 1 January 2005, this administrativearrangement ceased. At this point, there were approximately 30,000 files under a30 year closure, and approximately 11,000 under longer closures.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive in light of research recently published by Wake Forest University, United States of America, confirming the finding of measles virus RNA in the terminal ileum of autistic children, what urgent steps will now be taken to have this clinical research replicated in the United Kingdom by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) and what explanations will be sought by the Executive from the MRC and CSO regarding their not investigating the relationship between bowel disease and autism since 2001 when the MRC stated that this was a priority area of research.
Answer
The Medical Research Council(MRC) still considers research into autism as a priority. The research strategyimplemented by the MRC in 2003, which the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is contributingtowards, encourages a programme of research across all aspects of autism. This wasthought to be the most appropriate vehicle for testing hypotheses about possiblecauses and treatment.
The CSO and the MRC would welcomeresearch proposals that wish to further explore the link between bowel disease andautism. However, CSO and the MRC do not operate by commissioning research to addressspecific questions. Both fund research by responding to research proposals initiatedby the research community and it is therefore up to the scientific community tosubmit ideas for consideration. Since the MRC review and a specific workshop directedtowards this area in 2003, only a few applications have been received by the MRCin relation to this, and none have been deemed of sufficient quality (by peer review)to receive funding.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 4 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24316 by Lewis Macdonald on 15 March 2006 indicating that only one research project has been funded by the Medical Research Council into a link between MMR and autism and in light of the statement in the report of that study that “we were not able to separately identify the sub-group of cases with regressive symptoms (so as) to investigate the hypothesis that only some children are vulnerable to MMR-induced disease and that this is always (in those cases) regressive”, suggesting that the study had not investigated the hypothesis of an MMR/autism link, what urgent action will be pursued by the Executive to ensure that this matter is comprehensively investigated.
Answer
I refer the member to the questionS2W-25366 answered on 3 May 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at:
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 4 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the seminar for “front-line” professionals in autism held at Airth Castle on 28 February 2006, including the list of attendees, agenda, minutes and papers associated with the event.
Answer
Copies of papers from theAutism Spectrum Disorders Information Event held at Airth Castle have beenplaced in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39504).
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24316 by Lewis Macdonald on 27 March 2006 indicating that only one research project has been funded by the Medical Research Council into a link between MMR and autism, what its position is on the employment of a paid consultant to the MMR manufacturers in a central authorship role in this research project and whether this amounts to a conflict of interest which would undermine the project’s conclusions.
Answer
The Medical Research Councilis an independent funding body, the responsibility for which is reserved to Westminster.For these reasons, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the researchthey decide to fund. Many medical and otherresearchers have links to industry which wants to make use of their expertise. Thishas to be managed to ensure the quality and objectivity of the research undertaken,through the process of independent peer review.
In relation to the specific studyin question, it should be noted that the results are consistent with a number ofother studies using different approaches and datasets which have similarly concludedthat MMR immunisation is not linked to the development of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24241 by Cathy Jamieson on 27 March 2006, what its reasons are for passing a policy question directed to a minister to an official for response and when the Minister for Justice will provide a direct substantive answer.
Answer
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS)framework document clearly sets out that the Chief Executive has delegated authorityto make decisions about the management of individual offenders, including theirlocation, movement, discipline, care and welfare, and interventions and activitiesto further the rehabilitation of offenders in prison. The matter referred to inthe question is clearly an operational matter for the SPS.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24315 by Mr Andy Kerr on 22 March 2006 in which it states that, “Since that time there have been a series of studies which have reinforced the evidence that MMR is safe”,whether it will list the studies referred to in chronological order, identifying those studies which involved the clinical examination of autistic children.
Answer
The key research papers listedsupport the view that there is no link between MMR and autism:
GillbergC & Heijbel H, (1998). MMR and autism [commentary].
Autism, The InternationalJournal of Research and Practice;
2:423-424.
http://www.sagepub.co.ukTaylorB et al (1999) Autism andmeasles, mumps and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association.The Lancet; 353:2026-29. http://www.thelancet.com
KayeJ et al (2001). Mumps, measlesand rubella vaccine and the incidence of autism recorded by general practitioners:A time trend analysis. British Medical Journal 322:460-3.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.comFarringtonP et al (2001). MMR and autism:Further evidence against a causal association Vaccine 19:3632-5 Volume 19,Issue 27, 14 June 2001, pages 3632-3635. http://www.elsevier.com
Fombonne E, Chakrabarti S. Noevidence for a new variant of measles-mumps-rubella-induced autism. Pediatrics 2001;108(4):E58.
Ceyhan M, Kanra G, Erdem G, KanraB. Immunogenicity and efficacy of one dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine attwelve months of age as compared to monovalent measles vaccination at nine monthsfollowed by MMR revaccination at fifteen months of age. Vaccine 2001;19(31):4473-8.
Davis RL, Kramarz P, Bohlke K,Benson P, Thompson RS, Mullooly J, et al. Measles-mumps-rubella and other measles-containingvaccines do not increase the risk for inammatory bowel disease: a case-control studyfrom the Vaccine Safety Datalink project. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine2001;155(3):354-9.
BlackC (2002) Relation of childhood gastrointestinaldisorders to autism: nested case-control study using data from the UK General PracticeResearch Database. British Medical Journal 325:419-21.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com.TaylorB et al (2002) Measles, mumpsand rubella vaccination and bowel problems or development regression in childrenwith autism: population study. British Medical Journal 324: 393-396.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com.DonaldA & Muthu V (2002) No evidencethat MMR vaccine is associated with autism or bowel disease. Clinical Evidence,7:331-40.http://www.clinicalevidence.com.
MadsenKM et al (2002). A population-basedstudy of measles, mumps and rubella vaccination and autism. New England Journal of Medicine 347: 1477-82. http://content.nejm.orgda Cunha SS, Rodrigues LC, BarretoML, Dourado I. Outbreak of aseptic meningitis and mumps after mass vaccination withMMR vaccine using the Leningrad-Zagreb mumps strain. Vaccine 2002;20 (7-8):1106{12.
DeStefano F, Gu D, Kramarz P,Truman BI, Iademarco MF, Mullooly JP, Jackson LA, et al. Childhood vaccinationsand risk of asthma. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 2002;21(6):498-504.
Makela A, Nuorti JP, PeltolaH. Neurologic disorders after measlesmumps-rubella vaccination. Pediatrics 2002;110(5):957-63.
SzatmariP. et al. ( 2003 ). The causeof autism spectrum disorders. British Medical Journal 326: 173-4. http://bmj.bmjjournals.comWilsonK et al. (2003). Associationof Autistic Spectrum Disorder and the Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine. ArchPediatr Adolesc Med. 157: 628-34.
FombonneE. (2003). Editorial. The prevalenceof autism. Journal of American Medical Association 289 (1): 87-9. http://jama.ama-assn.orgBlack C, Kaye JA, Jick H. MMRvaccine and idiopathic thrombocytopaenic purpura. British Journal of ClinicalPharmacology 2003;55(1):107-11.
DeStefano F, Bhasin TK, ThompsonWW, Yeargin-Allsopp M, Boyle C. Age at first measles-mumps-rubella vaccination inchildren with autism and school-matched control subjects: a population-based studyin metropolitan Atlanta. Pediatrics 2004;113(2):259-66.
Park T, Ki M, Yi SG.Statistical analysis of MMR vaccine adverseevents on aseptic meningitis using the case cross-over design. Stat Med 2004;23(12):1871-83.
Smeeth L, Cook C, Fombonne E,Heavey L, Rodrigues LC, Smith PG, et al. MMR vaccination and pervasive developmentaldisorders: a case-control study. Lancet 2004;364(9438):963-9.
Vestergaard M, HviidA, Madsen KM, Wohlfahrt J, Thorsen P, Schendel D, et al. MMR vaccination and febrile seizures: evaluation of susceptiblesubgroups and long-term prognosis. JAMA 2004;292 (3):351-7.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 28 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued since the legislation came into effect and how many of these have been issued to people with diagnosed emotional or behavioural problems or learning difficulties.
Answer
Between April 1999 and March2005, 559 Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) were granted in Scotland.
Information on how many ASBOswere issued to people with diagnosed emotional or behavioural problems orlearning difficulties is not collected centrally. Collation of meaningful datawould prove difficult in view of the lack of a consistent and widely agreeddefinition of such problems.
- Asked by: Carolyn Leckie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 24 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W 23269 by Mr Andy Kerr on 16 February 2006, whether it is its understanding that the Chief Medical Officer was referring to thousands of (a) live virus vaccines or (b) attenuated vaccines and that he was suggesting that it is safe to administer to a child thousands of vaccines containing the mercury preservative thiomersal.
Answer
Whether the vaccines are liveor inactivated is not specified by the authors of the paper referred to in my previousanswer. The administration of 10,000 vaccines at the same time is a theoreticalconcept to illustrate the capacity of an infant’s immune system, rather than somethingthat is actually going to be done.
None of the vaccines in the routinechildhood immunisation programme now contains thiomersal.
