Parliamentary questions
Alex Johnstone
582 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the lifting of the beef on the bone ban and in the light of remarks made by Sir David Carter, the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, to the Rural Affairs Committee on 5 October 1999, it now intends to end the requirement for the spinal cords to be removed from ewe carc…
Answer · Ross Finnie: The requirement for spinal cords to be removed from ewe carcasses is one of a range of precautionary public health measures introduced in the wake of the emergence of BSE in the UK cattle herd. The requirement will be relaxed only when expert scientific advic…
8 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports Her Majesty's Government's decision to allow a further investigation into traceability, testing, derived products, controls and labelling before taking legal action for the removal of the French ban on British beef.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive fully supports the approach taken by the UK Government to resolve the continuing French ban on exports of British beef. Scottish Ministers and their officials are actively involved in determining the UK's response to the concerns of the…
8 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was consulted by the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about Her Majesty's Government's approach to the French ban on British beef and, if so, what view it expressed.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I apologise for the delay in replying to this question; this was due to an administrative error.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">At the time of discussions with French officials regarding exports of British beef to France, Scottish Ministers and their officials were at all…
4 Nov 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was consulted by the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about Her Majesty's Government's approach to the French ban on British beef.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Scottish Ministers and their officials have been, and continue to be, in regular contact with their opposite numbers in Whitehall on this issue and are actively involved in determining the UK response to the continuing French ban. The Scottish Executive fully…
6 Oct 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to use its powers under the Food Safety Act (1990) to require that meat products on sale in Scotland be clearly labelled with their country of origin.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Meat products are defined in EC law and the labelling requirements are largely harmonised at EC level. These requirements are implemented in Scotland by the Food Labelling Regulations 1996. They require that the particulars of country of origin or provenance …
24 Sep 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the Chief Medical Officer for England's view that the additional health risk created by lifting the beef on the ban would be tiny and unquantifiable.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive intends to lift the controls on beef on the bone as soon as medical advice justifies such action.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">At present there is a difference of professional view between the Chief Medical Officer for England and the CMOs for Sco…
24 Sep 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland's recommendation that the beef on the bone ban should be 'subject to review on receipt of the definite estimates from the Oxford Group and to re-appraisal in January 2000 if the ban has not been lifted by that time', whether it wil…
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Medical Officer keeps under review all relevant developments concerning BSE and vCJD epidemics and pays particular heed to information relating to the bone-in-beef ban. The production by the Oxford Group of their risk estimates concerning maternal t…
1 Sep 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish jobs are dependant on fox-hunting.
Answer · Ross Finnie: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive.
1 Sep 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the preferred method of controlling Scotland's fox population.
Answer · Ross Finnie: As the fox is not a protected species it may be killed or taken by an authorised person by any method which is not prohibited by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
1 Sep 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the average Scottish farm income in (a) May 1997, and (b) at present.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Information on farming incomes in Scotland is not collected on a monthly basis.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Information on Scottish farm incomes at the aggregate level for the latest five years and information at farm type level for the latest two years are available i…
19 Aug 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that the new coastguard arrangements recently announced by Her Majesty's Government will not detrimentally affect Scottish fishermen.
Answer · John Home Robertson: Maritime safety and the responsibilities of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are matters reserved to the UK Government. Fishermen's interests are included in the Scottish Executive's continuing liaison with the UK Government on all relevant matters.
3 Jun 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will have power from 1 July to require food products such as possibly dioxin-contaminated Belgian pig meat to be clearly labelled with their country of origin.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Scottish Ministers will have the powers from 1 July to legislate in this area, within the parameters set in EU legislation.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>The labelling of food is largely harmonised at EC level and is controlled in Great Britain …