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If members want to have a debate on the statutory instruments on amnesic shellfish poisoning, we can set a time limit for that debate.
Before we begin, I have one question on this matter. Will amnesic shellfish poisoning continue to be monitored? We are still hearing about issues such as end testing.
We will make that point to the deputy minister. Monitoring of the situation would be useful. It would also help the committee if the Executive could provide us with a brief summary of what the current situation is and what work the Food Standards Agency has done in the past year or 18 months. Periodically, we are given such information for parts of the country.
Motions moved,
That the Parliament's Health and Community Care Committee in consideration of the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No.5) (Scotland) Order 2000 (SSI 2000/409) recommend that the order be approved.
That the Parliament's Health and Community Care Committee in consideration of the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No.6) (Scotland) Order 2000 (SSI 2000/428) recommend that the order be approved.—[Malcolm Chisholm.]
Motions agreed to.
On the point that you made earlier, convener, we will provide a briefing note to the committee, as there are some important developments in relation to the possibility of establishing a tiered regime for the scallop industry. I do not want to get too technical, but some parts of the scallop have a higher concentration of amnesic shellfish poisoning than others. Moves are afoot in Europe and Scotland to accommodate that.
I want to repeat a request that I made to your predecessors more than a year ago. We know that the order has to use the generic term "shellfish" but, to protect the industry, will you continue to monitor the publicity that the Executive is sending out to make it clear to the public that only some types of scallops are affected?
I guarantee that the Food Standards Agency will take that on board and ensure that what you suggest happens.