- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the recently introduced procedures used by police boards in addressing complaints against senior officers to be adequate.
Answer
The Police (Conduct) (Senior Officers) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 provide a modern framework for dealing with complaints against senior officers. The guidance which was issued to accompany the new Regulations should ensure that the Regulations are applied consistently by police authorities.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what in outline is the role of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland and the nature and degree of its areas of responsibility.
Answer
The role of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland will be to improve food safety, standards and the protection of public health in relation to food. It will advise Ministers and the public on food safety and standards issues, bringing together existing responsibilities for food safety, primarily food hygiene, food standards, novel foods, chemical safety and co-ordination of emergency action and undertaking new responsibilities for on farm surveillance, enforcement monitoring and provision of information including on the nutritional content of food.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 2 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what in outline is the role of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland and the nature and degree of its areas of responsibility.
Answer
The role of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland will be to improve food safety, standards and the protection of public health in relation to food. It will advise Ministers and the public on food safety and standards issues, bringing together existing responsibilities for food safety, primarily food hygiene, food standards, novel foods, chemical safety and co-ordination of emergency action and undertaking new responsibilities for on farm surveillance, enforcement monitoring and provision of information including on the nutritional content of food.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 31 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to promote research into the development of products made from recyclable waste.
Answer
We are committed to increasing recycling where it provides benefits by saving natural resources, reducing energy consumption and waste disposal, and cutting costs to business.On 18 August, I was pleased to launch a new project, REMADE, the aim of which is to research and demonstrate the potential value of materials from recycled waste in Scotland. The £1 million three year market development programme is to be funded jointly by The Scottish Executive, Local Authorities, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Enterprise, Valpak Ltd and landfill tax credits (from Haulwaste and Shanks Waste Solutions). It is intended that the programme will be led by Caledonian Shanks Centre for Waste Management, a part of Glasgow Caledonian University.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to evaluate the time-limited approach to the funding of voluntary sector projects and, if so, what type of evaluation it plans to make.
Answer
A new code setting out good practice in government funding of voluntary organisations is being prepared for issue later this year. It will confirm the Government's commitment to providing 3 -year core grants, which can be renewed subject to a continuing need for the service and adequate performance. It will also state that there continues to be a place for time-limited project grants.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to address the issue of possible disruption to users of voluntary sector projects which are discontinued due to lack of continuation funding, and to assess the impact of any consequent additional workload and expenditure on statutory services.
Answer
It is already standard practice to assess the impact on services when applications are received for grants or for renewals. Given that resources are finite, a balance may then have to be struck between continuing existing grants and accepting new applications which develop new services and innovative approaches.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the number of voluntary sector projects established with time-limited public funding which have managed to secure continuation funding, or which have ceased operation because they were unable to secure long term funding.
Answer
It is estimated that public sector funding of the voluntary sector in Scotland totals approximately £742 million. Most of this money will be distributed by a range of public authorities to a very large number of voluntary organisations. Given this level of activity, it is neither practicable nor appropriate for the Scottish Executive to maintain information on individual grants centrally.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 19 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support farmers wishing to convert from conventional to organic farming.
Answer
Financial support for farmers wishing to convert is already available through the Organic Aid Scheme. The Scheme provides payments for 5 years on a sliding scale. I expect to make regulations to set increased payments this Autumn.In addition we provide funding for an organic helpline operated by the Scottish Agricultural College.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 19 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to implement to enable Scottish agriculture producers to meet the growing consumer demand for organic produce.
Answer
Financial support is already available through the Organic Aid Scheme (OAS) to encourage farmers to convert to organic farming methods. It is my hope that increased payment rates, which should be available by October subject to approval of this Chamber, will further stimulate organic production.In addition, priority has been given to organic projects under the Marketing Development and Marketing and Processing Grants Schemes administered by the Rural Affairs Department.
- Asked by: Irene McGugan, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 19 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an investigation into the economic potential of organic food production in Scotland and an assessment of the environmental and economic impact of organic farming.
Answer
A review of the organic farming sector in Scotland, including an assessment of the environmental and socio-economic impacts of organic farming, is currently under way. A report is expected later this year, a copy will be placed in the Parliament library.
