Parliamentary questions

John Farquhar Munro

549 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

28 Jun 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on any cash purchases of shellfish by foreign buyers at Scottish ports.

Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive gathers information on weight and value of fish landed. Information on buyers and method of purchase is not recorded centrally.

21 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce fluoridation to public water supplies and what studies or reports into the environmental impact or effect on public health have been carried out.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The efficiency and safety of fluoridation has been considered recently by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York University at the request of the Department of Health in England. This study has involved a review of relevant research and the report i…

21 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to curb and investigate the alleged use of unlicensed chemicals on salmon farms to control sea lice.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I view the alleged discharge to the marine environment of chemicals which have not been subject to the assessment procedures of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency with considerable concern. The practice is ille…

21 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring has been carried out by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency of the effect of the issue of a licence for the use of Callicide on the marine environment.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has yet to undertake such monitoring. The process of issuing discharge consents for Calicide began only in January this year. I understand that the fish farming industry has so far purchased only a very small quantit…

21 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give the scientific basis for the issue of a licence by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for the use of Callicide (Tefluburo'uron) on salmon farms to control sea lice.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Calicide is the trade name given to a medicine used to treat sea lice infestations on farmed salmon grown in marine fish cages. The active ingredient in Calicide is teflubenzuron, a chitinase inhibitor which acts by inhibiting the formation of chitin in the e…

21 Jun 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to encourage the use of wrasse and other environmentally friendly methods of sea lice control and whether such methods can assist in the sustainable future of the industry.

Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive is fully committed, through the powers exercised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and through improved husbandry and other practices recommended in the report of the Government/industry working group on ISA, to the control…

17 May 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline its strategy for dealing with economic difficulties faced by rural communities.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: Rural Scotland; A New Approach, which was published earlier this week, sets out the Scottish Executive's commitment to supporting rural economic development, building on rural Scotland's strengths, as well as tackling the problems and barriers which can hinde…

30 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much money remains available under the Rail Freight Facilities Grant Scheme for 2000 and 2001.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Including the extra £1 million in 2000-01 which I announced on 29 May, £7 million of the provision available for Freight Facilities Grants in 2000-01 and 2001-02 remains unallocated.

22 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to remove or increase the ceiling on agri-environment schemes to bring Scotland into line with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Answer · John Home Robertson: We have no plans to remove ceilings on agri-environment scheme payments. Payment ceilings are intended to ensure an equitable spread of finite resources, and are kept under regular review.Increases for some Environmentally Sensitive Areas are planned for l…

8 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that local government funding will increase over the next few years and what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government about increasing the block grant so that a larger amount of money can be available in future local government settlements.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Local government funding in Scotland is planned to increase by more than the rate of inflation this year, next year, and the year after. The total budget available for the Scottish Executive's programmes is determined in accordance with funding rules publishe…

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend the regulations which allow non-residents to have a discounted rate of council tax on their second homes.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Any change to the rate of council tax on second homes would require primary legislation. We have no plans to make any changes at present.

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is its policy in relation to eligibility for reduction in council tax on second homes, particularly in the Highlands and Islands and under what power such reductions are given.

Answer · Jack McConnell: In Scotland, second homeowners receive a discount equal to 50% of the council tax. Discounts are enacted under paragraph 2 of section 79 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

25 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many holiday homes in the Highlands and Islands are eligible for a reduction in council tax.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Holiday homes are not identified separately from other homes receiving two discounts.The table below shows the number of dwellings, at 6 September 1999, in the Highlands and Islands entitled to two discounts, and the total number of chargea…

23 Feb 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to maintain the overnight rail freight service from the Highlands to London.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The movement of freight is a commercial matter for the rail freight companies. Services are provided in response to demand.

26 Jan 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide additional funding for local authorities to assist them with upgrading the strategic road network and bridges to meet current EU standards.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Scottish Executive support for capital expenditure on roads and transport is included within the single block allocation which covers all non-housing capital programmes. It is for local authorities to prioritise projects across the range of these programmes a…

21 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Marine Laboratory's dual role as both monitor and adviser to it has caused any difficulties in the efficient functioning of the laboratory and whether it has any plans to review the future role of the laboratory.

Answer · John Home Robertson: The Fisheries Research Agency undertakes a range of functions. It does so efficiently and effectively. The role of the Agency, as with all parts of the Scottish Executive, is kept under regular review but we have no current plans to change it.

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many comparative analyses have been carried out comparing the level of amnesic shellfish poisoning contamination in (a) whole scallops, (b) adductor, (c) gonad and (d) adductor and gonad and what dates they were carried out.

Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not available. The requirement to test for amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) is relatively recent, commencing in 1998. The Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen have been asked to examine the comparative distribution of…

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce whole animal testing for monitoring levels of amnesic shellfish poisoning and a separate test for those particular parts of the scallop that are going to be sold.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There are no plans to change the existing testing regime for amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops.EU legislation requires that the whole body or any part edible separately is tested. The testing regime in Scotland is directed to the gonad since research…

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2684 by Susan Deacon on 10 December 1999, whether, given the different testing regimes for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) being used in Scotland and Northern Ireland, it is complying with the statement in EU Directive 91/492/EEC that "the placing …

Answer · Susan Deacon: The issue of different parts of scallops being tested for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning by different authorities within the EU was considered by the EC Standing Veterinary Committee at a meeting held on 14-15 December. It was agreed at the meeting that this mat…

14 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost, per test result, of testing (a) gonads only, (b) whole fish and (c) white meat only for amnesic shellfish poisoning is.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The average cost per test for amnesic shellfish poisoning is in the order of £60. There is no difference in cost between testing the gonad only, the whole fish or the white meat only of scallops.

9 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet representatives of the scallop farming industry and what items will be on the agenda.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group (SIFAG), agreed at its recent meeting to convene a meeting devoted to the ASP issue, early in the new year. In addition to the Marine Laboratory Aberdeen, the Sea Fish Industry Authority, Highlands and Islands Ent…

9 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for setting the level of amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops at 20 micrograms of domoic acid per gram using the High Performance Liquid Chromatography method.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The maximum limit for ASP in shellfish of 20 micrograms of domoic acid per gram came into force throughout the EU in 1998 and was based on an internationally agreed limit.This maximum limit and the use of the High Performance Liqu…

9 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give its interpretation of section 7a of EU council directive 91/492 which lays down the health conditions for the production and placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to my answer to question number S1W- 03152

9 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give the reason for its interpretation of section 7a of EU council directive 91/492 which lays down the health conditions for the production and placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Section 7a of Chapter 5 of the Annex to Directive 91/492/EEC was transposed into GB legislation by Regulation 4(6) of the Food Safety (Fishery Products and Live Shellfish) (Hygiene) Amendment Regulations 1999.The terms of this Regulation ar…

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the predicted job losses are in scallop (a) fishing (b) farming (c) processing and (d) marketing as a result of the amnesic shellfish poisoning ban.

Answer · John Home Robertson: I refer Mr Munro to my reply to question number S1W-3117. The Scottish Executive has made no prediction of job losses in the scallop sector as a result of the ASP ban.

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the predicted number of business failures in the scallop industry as a result of the amnesic shellfish poisoning ban.

Answer · John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive has made no prediction of business failures in the scallop industry as a result of the ASP ban. We have received information from individual businesses on levels of loss and we have been in contact with Highlands and Islands Enterprise …

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the total number of people in Scotland employed in scallop farming.

Answer · John Home Robertson: A table is provided with the most up-to-date figures available.Scallop and Queen Scallop Farming in Scotland - Employment<TABLE CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=475><TR><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUST…

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under section 7a of EU Council Directive 97/61, scallop white meat could be sold separately provided that it was tested for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning and passed for human consumption.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Scallop white meat may be sold separately provided that it meets all the requirements of the Shellfish Hygiene Regulations which include the upper limit for amnesic shellfish poisoning defined by Council Directive 97/61.However no…

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs of testing the gonads of shellfish are, as opposed to the cost of testing the whole fish and what is the estimated number of tests that can be done in one day using each testing procedure.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There is no difference in the procedures for testing for ASP in the whole body of a scallop as opposed to the gonad. Therefore, there is no difference in either the cost of testing or the time taken.On average, the Fisheries Resea…

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider widening the testing procedures for scallops to allow queen scallops to be tested separately.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive's marine biotoxin monitoring and surveillance programme routinely undertakes tests for amnesic shellfish poisoning in all species of commercially exploited bivalve molluscs, including scallops and queen scallops.