Health and Community Care Committee, 12 Sep 2001

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 12, 2001

Official Report 65KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

We move to agenda item 3, which is on subordinate legislation. The first instrument is the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amenesic Shellfish Poisoning) (Orkney) (No 3) (Scotland) Order 2001 (SSI 2001/255). The Subordinate Legislation Committee has nothing to report. I ask the minister to move the motion.

I will do that, but first I echo all that the convener has said. All Executive engagements are cancelled today. Members will appreciate that my attendance at this meeting is an attempt to minimise disruption to the committee's business. It will be the only business that any Executive ministers will undertake today.

Thank you.

Today's debate concerns the emergency orders banning the catching of king scallops in waters off the east and west coasts and around Orkney. All the orders prohibit the harvesting of king scallops and were triggered by the finding of amnesic, paralytic and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning above the action levels that have been set by Europe.

This is a consumer safety measure; scallops that contain high levels of the toxins can cause illness in humans, ranging from dizziness and headaches to extremes of paralysis, coma and death when a large amount of toxin is ingested.

I move,

That the Health and Community Care Committee recommends that the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning) (Orkney) (No 3) (Scotland) Order 2001 be approved.

Motion agreed to.

Motions moved,

That the Health and Community Care Committee recommends that the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning) (East Coast) (Scotland) Order 2001 be approved.

That the Health and Community Care Committee recommends that the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) Order 2001 (SSI 2001/273) be approved.

That the Health and Community Care Committee recommends that the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No 2) (Scotland) Order 2001 be approved.

That the Health and Community Care Committee recommends that the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic, Paralytic and Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning) (Orkney) (Scotland) Order 2001 be approved.

That the Health and Community Care Committee recommends that the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No 3) (Scotland) Order 2001 be approved.

That the Health and Community Care Committee recommends that the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No 4) (Scotland) Order 2001 be approved.—[Malcolm Chisholm.]

Motions agreed to.

I thank the minister for his attendance and note his comments. I thank committee members for their indulgence and their attendance this morning.

Meeting closed at 09:39