Fergus Ewing

19 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific advice has been given by the Chief Veterinary Officer on why a distance of three kilometres from infected premises was chosen as the area within which a slaughter of all sheep must be carried out, as set out in the Ministerial Statement on the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak…

Answer · Ross Finnie: It is a European requirement to set up a 3 km protection zone around any infected farm. Within this radius there is a high risk of local disease spread.

19 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make publicly available the Chief Veterinary Officer's advice on the slaughter of sheep stocks, as referred to in the Ministerial Statement on the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak by the Minister for Rural Development on 15 March 2001.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I am satisfied that the slaughter of sheep stocks within infected areas is based on sound veterinary advice. This advice cannot be made publicly available as it contains certain information which if disclosed would harm the frankness and candour of internal d…

16 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why Deloitte and Touche in their report Proposals for a Highlands and Islands Integrated Transport Authority did not provide any estimate of costs or range of costs for Options 4A and 4B and whether an estimate will now be provided for the costs for these two options.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: On pages 89-90 of Volume I of the report, Deloitte and Touche estimate the resource costs of option 4A, a minimum function HIITA, as being around £600,000.<P>This estimate provides a baseline by which one could calculate the resource costs of a most-function …

16 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of the services provided by Deloitte and Touche in connection with Proposals for a Highlands and Islands Integrated Transport Authority; why the remit given to them did not include a requirement to present a case for the creation of a Highlands and Islands Integra…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The total costs incurred by Deloitte and Touche were around £125,000. This represents good value, given the comprehensive consultation exercise and the need to analyse a very complex set of issues.<FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The remit given to Deloi…

16 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimated #492,000 strategic co-ordination costs referred to in Proposals for a Highlands and Islands Integrated Transport Authority.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: These calculations were based on the estimated salary and employer costs of those Executive staff who have responsibility relating to one or more functions that could be transferred to a HIITA. This extended to over 40 staff, principally in the roads and ferr…

16 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, and on what basis, it is satisfied that it is not necessary to slaughter pigs or cattle as a measure to tackle foot and mouth disease.

Answer · Ross Finnie: All susceptible species e.g. cattle, sheep and pigs have to be slaughtered on infected premises. As a containment measure and because this disease is much more difficult to identify in sheep, it has been decided to remove all sheep in the infected areas. Catt…

16 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether measures will be taken to ensure that the areas bordering the farms on which sheep are to be slaughtered in terms of the Ministerial Statement on 15 March 2001 are secured against further transmission of the foot and mouth virus.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Strict controls are being enforced to secure against any further transmission of the foot and mouth virus. On farms where slaughter is taking place there is strict control of the movement of people, vehicles and other equipment. Essential equipment or plant w…

16 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to recently announced measures to contain foot and mouth disease, whether it will ensure that disinfectant barriers and rigorous enforcement of quarantine surround the areas within which sheep are to be slaughtered.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Strict controls are in place surrounding the areas within which sheep are to be slaughtered.<P>A complete standstill of movement is imposed on infected premises (including the movement of people, animals, vehicles and products), and around the infected premis…

16 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland regarding the use of section 25A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1966 to provide for the remission of rates on account of hardship in the context of the current outbreak of foot…

Answer · Angus MacKay: We have received such representations from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. <P>Hardship relief is included in the Executive's package of assistance to help stabilise businesses affected by the foot and mouth outbreak. This was announced on 28 Mar…

15 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Meat Hygiene Service is able to inspect 100% of carcasses of meat imported from other countries.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Food Standards Agency advises that the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) routinely carries out random checks on all consignments of imported meat arriving at licensed cutting premises. These random checks have recently been stepped up in light of specified risk …

15 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has received from the Food Standards Agency regarding any need for bans on the importation of meat from other countries to be introduced and whether it will publish any such advice, specifying the reasons for its position on this matter.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Food Standards Agency has advised that there is no need to ban importation of meat from other countries. All beef produced in the EU must be produced in accordance with EU law. Imports of any meat from outside the EU are only allowed if the European Commi…

15 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive from which countries meat imports into Scotland are banned and whether meat is permitted to be imported into Scotland from any country in which foot and mouth disease is endemic.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Bans are imposed by the EU Commission as and when disease outbreaks are confirmed. As a result of the current outbreak of FMD, meat imports from three departments in France, four provinces in the Netherlands, one county in the Republic of Ireland and the area…

15 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to meet representatives of the Road Haulage Association as a matter of urgency to discuss concerns about the practical arrangements for the movement of livestock from farm to abattoir under licence and in particular about how to ensure that such movement and tran…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has had discussions with the Road Haulage Association.<P>Conditions under which livestock can be moved under licence direct from the farm to the abattoir are tightly drawn and enforced, to minimise any risk of transmission of foot-and-m…

15 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the issues raised by the Road Haulage Association at the meeting of the Rural Development Committee on 13 March 2001, in particular the adequacy of the arrangements for disinfection of vehicles transporting livestock from farms to abattoir under licence, wheth…

Answer · Ross Finnie: Thorough disinfection of vehicles is carried out under strict supervision on behalf of Scottish Ministers, once livestock have been unloaded at the abattoir. This system should help to ensure that any risk of infection is minimal.

15 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the scheme allowing the licensed movement of livestock from farm to abattoir (a) permits or (b) prevents (i) the movement of livestock from farms which lie within areas where foot and mouth disease has been confirmed and (ii) the transportation of livestock on or across roads wit…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The scheme licensing the movement of animals to slaughter for human consumption, which came into effect at midnight on 2 March, permits animals from outside infected areas to be moved under strict controls direct from the farm to a slaughterhouse. Where such …

14 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been provided to the Scottish Society for Autism in each of the last five years; what plans it has to provide future funding to continue and improve services for families affected by autistic spectrum disorder and what funding it plans to provide to ensure the continued e…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Society for Autism was awarded a total of £129,285 through the Special Educational Needs Innovation Grants Programme for two projects:<P>A Social Inclusion Partnership Project, from April 1999 to March 2002<P>A Positive Interaction Video, from Se…

14 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value of the renumeration package received by the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service has been, showing (a) the gross salary, (b) expenses received, (c) the value of pensions benefits and (d) other entitlements, broken down for each of the last five years and the…

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The available information is given in the Scottish Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts, save as respects reimbursement of travel and s…

14 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to consult with the communities of Mallaig and Morar in connection with the possible construction of a footpath/cycleway alongside the A830; what information it has in relation to the demand for such a footpath/cycleway, and whether this would provide a beneficial leisur…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: There are no plans to consult with the communities of Mallaig and Morar in connection with the possible construction of a footway/cycleway alongside the A830. One metre wide strips on either side of the main carriageway are being provided on the new sections …

7 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which abattoirs have been licensed under the scheme allowing movement of livestock during the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease; what criteria were used in the licensing of these abattoirs; whether further licences will be issued if more abattoirs are required, and whether there …

Answer · Ross Finnie: Scottish Ministers have approved the red meat premises listed below under the arrangements for livestock to go direct from farm to abattoir for slaughter contained in the Foot and Mouth Disease Declaratory (Controlled Area)(Scotland) (No 2) Order 2001. Any fu…

2 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning and the Deputy Minister for Sport and Culture will reply to my letters of 21 July 2000 regarding my constituent Dr Mike Langran.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Dr Langran received a response to his own approaches to the Executive direct from officials on 9 March. A copy of this response has been sent to you.

23 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make arrangements for a reduction from 40 mph to 30 mph in the speed limit on the section of the A830 in the Corpach area which includes the road crossing point used by children attending the Banavie Primary School; what assessment it has made of the risks to children usi…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans to introduce a 30mph speed limit within the vicinity of the Banavie Primary School. The accident history, traffic flows and pedestrian movements in the Corpach area together with the existence of a School Crossing Patrolle…

21 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13221 by Susan Deacon on 9 February 2001, what gross salary will be offered to salaried GPs in rural Scotland under the initiative launched on 19 February 2001 and what criteria will be used to determine the salary levels of such GPs.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Personal Medical Services contracts are designed to meet local needs and the local services which will be provided to meet those needs. The level of GP remuneration will be determined locally, on the basis of the local services to be provided.

21 Feb 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding the impact of section 57(2) of the Scotland Act on devolved matters.

Answer · Tom McCabe: We are in regular contact with the UK Government on a range of issues.

15 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it made representations to the European Commission prior their proposals for changes to the suckler cow and beef special premium schemes being announced and, if so, whether it will detail such representations.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The European Commission drew up its proposals about possible changes to the Suckler Cow and Beef Special Premium Schemes without consultation. Representations were made to the European Commission at the earliest opportunity following the publication of the Co…

15 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12954 by Sarah Boyack on 14 February 2001, whether it will arrange for immediate interim payments to be made to members of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: No payments can be made to members of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes before the Scottish Transport Group is wound up.

15 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to represent farming interests at future meetings of the Agriculture Council and the Council of Ministers and, if so, on what dates it will attend meetings and what position it will take in respect of the proposals for changes to the suckler cow and beef special premium …

Answer · Ross Finnie: I attended the Agriculture Council on 19 February where I made clear my opposition to the proposals that affected the Suckler Cow and Beef Special Premium Schemes. You can be assured that there will be a Scottish Executive presence at any forthcoming meetings…

15 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it stated that the Minister for Rural Development attended a meeting of the Council of Ministers on 20 October 1999 when that meeting did not take place and what the explanation is for this discrepancy.

Answer · Jack McConnell: An Agriculture Council was scheduled for that week and it was thought that Mr Finnie would attend. The meeting was cancelled but because of an administrative oversight the information which had been entered on the department's database was not amended. Steps …

15 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place and on what dates between its Rural Affairs Department (SERAD) and the European Commission on the Commission's proposals for changes to the suckler cow and beef special premium schemes; when SERAD first became aware of any of these proposals, and whether it…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Commission Proposals to the Council of Europe were published on 13 February. An official from the Scottish Executive was present when they were discussed at the Council's Special Committee of Agriculture on 26 February and 12 March. I attended the Agricul…

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2888 by Sarah Boyack on 1 February 2001, why the steps to be taken to identify members who will be entitled to receive payments from the surplus of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes have not been started already; whether there is any reaso…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Once the Scottish Transport Group is wound-up the Scottish Executive will be able to access the records held by the Trustees to the pension schemes. We expect these records will require some updating particularly as regards current addresses. In advance of wi…

14 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S1W-12075 and S1W-12842 by Sarah Boyack on 18 December 2000 and 8 February 2001 respectively, why there is a difference of #46 million between the value of the surplus of the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes and the amount which is expected to b…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The treatment of the surplus represents unfinished pre-devolution business. The UK Government's long established position has been that the surplus should go to the UK Exchequer, and the Scottish Assigned Budget Settlement has been progressed on that basis.<P…