To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish birth rate is continuing to decline year on year; whether it is possible to reverse this trend; if so, whether it would be desirable to do so and, if so, what steps it will take to achieve this. The birth rate in Scotland has been declining for a number of years, from 19.2 per 1,000 in 1960 to 10.4 per 1,000 in 2000 (figures from GRO Scotland), although it is predicted that the rate will remain fairly constant up to 2021.