Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-19298

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether white noise generators are available to patients to alleviate tinnitus.

Question reference: S1W-19302

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether food labels must state, where appropriate, that a product contains genetically modified ingredients.

The Food Standards Agency has advised me that current legislation requires all foods, or food ingredients, containing approved genetically modified (GM) soya, maize, additives or flavourings to be labelled. The rules extend to food supplied to mass caterers. Additionally, restaurants, cafes, bakers and delicatessens etc must ensure either through labels, notices or access to oral advice, that the final consumer can obtain information about any GM ingredients in the food on sale.

Question reference: S1W-19301

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the resistance to herbicide of genetically modified crops can spread to other plant life.

The genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops currently grown in Scotland are tolerant to only one specific herbicide. Cross-pollination with a related, sexually compatible species could produce a hybrid with the same tolerance. Separation distances around GM trials are designed to minimise this possibility although the expert advisory body, ACRE, is satisfied that such hybridisation does not pose a safety threat to the environment. Control of these plants is possible through the use of any method other than the application of the herbicide to which they are tolerant.

Question reference: S1W-19292

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken against meat importers, and the country of origin, of meat which the Meat Hygiene Service has identified as being unfit for human consumption.

Where consignments of carcass beef imported into the UK from other EU member states have been found with SRM (portions of spinal cord) attached, the Food Standards Agency has taken up the matter vigorously, in each case, with the authorities of the member state concerned, and reported the discovery to the European Commission. It is the responsibility of the relevant national authorities to ensure that meat plants in their territory comply with the EU rules. Seven of the plants have had their operating licences suspended as a result. Detail of the subsequent action taken in a number of the cases are set out in the following table:Consignments of Imported Carcass Beef Found to Contain SRM

Date of Discovery	Place of Discovery	Finding	Exporting Plant and Action Taken
1) 17 January 2001	ABP, Newry, County Down	Spinal cord in two out of a consignment of 221 forequarters.	Loblein Teterower Fleisch GmbH Landkreis Gustrow, Germany
2) 17 January 2001	ABP, Newry, County Down	Spinal cord in one out of a consignment of 192 forequarters.	Westfleische Lubbecke, Germany
3) 29 January 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Spinal cord in one out of a consignment of 216 hindquarters.	Oldenburg, Germany
4) one February 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Spinal cord in one out of a consignment of 217 hindquarters.	Versand Heinz Gausepohl Bakum, Germany
5) two February 2001	Northern Ireland	Remnants of spinal cord in two out of a consignment of 230 fore and hind quarters.	Liffey Meats, Ballyjamesduff, Co.Cavan, Republic of Ireland Operation of plant suspended indefinitely on 8 February.
6) one March 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Several pieces of spinal cord in five out of a consignment of 216 fore and hindquarters.	Fleischverkaufsstelle Kalkar, Germany Operation of plant suspended on 8 March.
7) one March 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Several pieces of spinal cord in seven out of a consignment of 188 quarters.	Brada's Vleeschbedrijf BV, Leevwarden, Netherlands Operation of plant suspended six - 9 March.
8) two March 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Several pieces of spinal cord in four forequarters out of a consignment of 222 hind and forequarters.	Mueller Fleisch GmbH, Birkenfeld, Germany Operation of plant suspended on 8 March.
9) five March 2001	Blackpool Abattoir, Blackpool, Lancs.	8cm piece of spinal cord in one forequarter out of a consignment of 53 whole carcases	Brada's Vleeschbedrijf BV, Leevwarden, Netherlands Operation of plant suspended six - 9 March
10) seven March 2001	Matheson Jess Ltd. Dundee, Scotland	Spinal cord in two forequarters out of a consignment of 79 heifer carcases.	Giresa Palencia Spain
11) 9 March 2001	Great Harwood Food Products, Blackburn	Spinal cord in two out of a consignment of 268 forequarters	Fribin S.A.T. Binepar, Spain
12) 20 March 2001	Great Harwood Food Products, Blackburn	Unexposed spinal cord in cervical vertebral canal in 41 out of a consignment of 204 forequarters.	Industria Carni SNC Carema (Torino) Italy Operation of plant suspended 22 - 29 March.
13) 21 March 2001	Dungannon Meats, Larne, N.Ireland	Spinal cord found in one forequarter out of a consignment of 220 quarters.	Kildare Chilling, Kildare, Republic of Ireland.
14) 30 March 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Spinal cord found in two forequarters out of a consignment of 203.	Fleischzentrum Wilhelmshaven, Germany Slaughter of cattle temporarily prohibited at plant on 30 March.
15) 30 April 2001	St, Merryn Meats (Victoria), Cornwall	Spinal cord found in two forequarters out of a consignment of 130.	Danish Crown, The Skive, Barupsgade 6, 7800 Skive, Denmark Plant ordered to re-inspect all cuts of meat for spinal cord. Plant to introduce own checks and demonstrate their efficiency to Danish Food & Veterinary Administration.
25 June 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Spinal cord found in two forequarters out of a consignment of 230.	Gausepohl Fleisch GmbH, Bakum Operation of plant suspended from 26 June to two July, until strict compliance with the controls can be ensured.
2 August 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Spinal cord found in one forequarter out of a consignment of 240.	Fair Oak Foods, Clonmel, Republic of Ireland. Operation of slaughtering activities suspended on 3 August.
7 August 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Spinal cord found in one quarter out of a consignment of 200.	Domburg Vlees bv, Bodegraven, The Netherlands Written warning issued to the company. Further breach of SRM regulations will lead to withdrawal of the inspection service and closure of the operations until full compliance can be guaranteed.
21 August 2001	Anglo Dutch Meats, Eastbourne, Sussex	Spinal cord found in four quarters out of a consignment of 240.	Exportslachterij J Gosschalk en Zn BV, Oenerweg, Epe, The Netherlands Written warning issued to the company. Further breach of SRM regulations will lead to withdrawal of the inspection service and closure of the operations until full compliance can be guaranteed.
24 August 2001	Cumberland Meat Packers Ltd, Coventry	Spinal cord found in one quarter out of a consignment of 200.	Kroot Vlees BV, of Tilburg, The Netherlands. Awaiting report from the Dutch CVO.

Question reference: S1W-19296

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of imported meat is inspected.

Question reference: S1W-19340

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to distribute to health boards resources from the #28 million to be spent on tackling drugs, announced by the Minister for Finance and Local Government on 28 June 2001.

£3.1 million of the additional resources was identified for treatment. This is on top of the additional £10 million already allocated to health boards from the Spending Review. Of the £3.1 million, £1.1 million per annum has been allocated to health boards for 2002-03 and 2003-04 in line with the Arbuthnott Substance Misuse Formula. The remaining £0.9 million for this year has been subject to bids from health boards and successful boards will be notified of allocations shortly.

Question reference: S1W-19343

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental protection the 1,448 locations currently designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest will receive.

All Sites of Special Scientific Interest receive legal protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and will continue to do so. Sites are also protected through contractual means such as management agreements between land managers and Scottish Natural Heritage. The Scottish Executive Policy Statement The Nature of Scotland proposes measures to improve the protection of Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Question reference: S1W-19299

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the consumption of genetically modified organisms can affect resistance to certain antibiotics.

Question reference: S1W-19291

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many spot checks have been carried out on imported beef this year; (b) how many cases of these revealed carcasses which still contained spinal chord, and (c) from which countries was the meat in these cases imported.

The Food Standards Agency advises that the Meat Hygiene Service no longer relies on spot checks of consignments of imported carcass beef. In light of SRM (portions of spinal cord) failures in consignments of beef from several other EU member states the MHS checks all consignments of imported carcass beef arriving at licensed cutting premises. Since the beginning of this year there have been 20 cases where consignments of carcass beef imported into the UK from other EU member states have been found with SRM attached. The cases involved different meat plants from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Republic of Ireland.

Question reference: S1W-18890

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 2 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has conducted or commissioned into selenium deficiency and any increased risk of coronary heart disease, depression or mental illness and what the result of any such research was.

The Environment and Rural Affairs Department is currently funding an on-going programme of strategic research into the biological role of selenium and the effect of marginal selenium deficiency on human and animal health. This includes basic studies on thyroid function and heart disease, which will allow us to predict how selenium status affects health but will not directly demonstrate the relative risk of human disease in association with selenium deficiency.