- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 20 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted any studies into the economic impact on the Scotch whisky industry of the imposition of whisky strip stamps.
Answer
No. Whisky strip stamps are areserved matter. Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise published a regulatory impactassessment “Tackling Spirits Fraud” on 8 April 2004.Link attached
http://www.hmce.gov.uk/forms/graphics/excise-tackling-spirits-fraud-ria.pdf.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 20 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what help it plans to give to whisky producers and others in related sectors who may be affected by the introduction of whisky strip stamps.
Answer
Whisky strip stamps are a reservedmatter. Nevertheless, Scottish ministers will continue to work closely with boththe industry and the UK Government to try to arrive at a satisfactory outcome.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 13 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it plans to have with the Scottish Gamekeepers Association prior to Stage 3 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
The bill has been widelyconsulted on and the views of a diverse range of interested parties have beentaken into account. If the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, or any other groupor individual, has new information or concerns which it wishes to present inrelation to the bill, it is welcome to do so prior to stage 3.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 23 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to develop green solutions, such as composting, for the disposal of all animal waste and former foodstuffs.
Answer
The Executive has made £230 millionof funding available through the Strategic Waste Fund to assist local authoritiesin implementing their area waste plan. In particular the fund is designed tohelp local authorities increase recycling rates and divert biodegradablemunicipal waste from landfill.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 23 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to concerns that have been expressed by butchers in respect of additional costs that they face as a result of the implementation of the Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003.
Answer
The Executive has sought tominimise the impact of these new requirements wherever possible. My officialsinvited local authorities to adopt a proportionate response to enforcement whenthis legislation was introduced. Officials have also worked with various tradeorganisations, including the Butchers’ Federation to identify possible disposaloptions.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 23 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to concerns expressed by butchers in respect of sectors, for example the catering sector, that are not covered by the Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003 and currently dispose of raw meat waste and bones by landfill.
Answer
The Executive recognisesthese concerns, however the EU Animal By-Products Regulation allows cateringwaste to go to landfill. Catering waste, most of which will have been cooked,presents a lower risk of disease transmission than raw waste.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 23 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to introduce regulations so that all sectors that currently dispose of raw meat waste and bones by landfill are covered by regulations similar to the Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003.
Answer
The Executive has no plansto introduce further legislative measures on the disposal of raw meat waste andbones.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be taken on the section 36 application under the Electricity Act 1989 for the Shieldaig/Slattadale hydro scheme.
Answer
The consultation period forthis application has ended. Ministers are considering the application and adecision is expected in the near future.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 11 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how the accident record on the A90 between Perth and Aberdeen compares with that on other similar roads across Scotland.
Answer
The accident rate on the A90between Perth and Aberdeen is below the national average for similar allpurpose dual carriageway roads.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how it decides when it is appropriate for it to call a public inquiry into a section 36 application under the Electricity Act 1989 when the relevant planning authority has made no objection.
Answer
Schedule 8 of theElectricity Act 1989 directs ministers to consider objections received fromparties other than the planning authority along with all other materialconsiderations in determining whether a public inquiry should be held.
In dispensing with a publicinquiry, Scottish ministers must be satisfied that they can properly weigh anytwo or more conflicting issues and, secondly, that those with the right to makerepresentations have had their representations properly taken into account.
