- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any implications for (a) agriculture and (b) the environment of the report by the Better Regulation Taskforce and, if so, whether it will provide details.
Answer
The Better Regulation Taskforce report Environmental Regulations and Farmers relates to England and Wales only. However, the Scottish Executive is evaluating the report's recommendations to see whether they may be adapted to benefit Scotland.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 December 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many EU regulations affecting Scottish agriculture have been implemented since May 1999; what these regulations were, and whether it will detail any which have been implemented differently in Scotland to other European countries and specify the differences.
Answer
Since May 1999, over 50 EU Regulations, Directives and Decisions which directly affect agriculture have been implemented. Details of these are publicly available in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
Most of these instruments require equal application by all member states, while others contain optional elements which we have used in ways which best suit the needs of Scottish farmers. A full comparison of differences between implementation in Scotland and other member states and their devolved administrations could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 30 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken since 13 January 2000 to ensure that French beef in the Scottish marketplace conforms to the same standards laid down for home-produced beef.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is advised by the Food Standards Agency on food safety matters. On 1 October this year more stringent BSE-related controls were applied across the EU regarding the removal of specified risk material (SRM) from cattle for human consumption. It is illegal to sell beef in the UK, for human consumption, from animals over thirty months old that come from countries with a risk of BSE.Potential risks to consumers from imported beef are being closely monitored. The agency has issued guidance to enforcement authorities throughout the UK requesting that checks on all documentation which accompanies consignments of imported beef are stepped up.The agency has welcomed yesterday's further proposals from the Commission. These reflect current UK controls and provide effective protection for consumers against the spread of BSE across Europe. The agency will be checking progress on the key issues of when these new controls are introduced and the effectiveness of enforcement measures.The agency will provide further advice on the safety of imported beef directly to the Scottish Executive, as well as to other UK administrations.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 23 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the population figures used to calculate the spending guidelines and the grant aided expenditure for local authorities are out-of-date and whether, as a result, it is over-funding local authorities with falling populations at the expense of local authorities with rising populations.
Answer
The population Mid-Year Estimates currently used to distribute grant-aided expenditure are based on the most up-to-date data available. I am reviewing the approach to the distribution of grant for the next three years.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 23 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to base spending guidelines and grant aided expenditure for local authorities on projections of population which are closer to actual figures rather than the two-year-old data currently used.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11105.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date this year it expects to make arable aid payments to farmers.
Answer
We commenced making payment of the second instalment of agri-monetary compensation to claimants under the 1999 Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS) on 16 October 2000, which is the first available date allowed under EU legislation. We are aiming to commence the issue of payments under the 2000 AAPS on 16 November which is the earliest possible date allowed under EU legislation.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 25 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that stand alone ambulatory and diagnostic care centres, as proposed in two options contained in the review of acute services in Tayside for Perth and Angus, are safe options for patients in these respective areas.
Answer
It is primarily for the NHS in Tayside to ensure that its acute services are safe. Clinical safety is one of the assessment criteria being used to appraise the options in the acute services review in Tayside.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 25 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2237 by Susan Deacon on 14 September 2000, whether it will intervene to ensure that the review of the acute services in Tayside is not being driven by financial considerations.
Answer
It is a matter primarily for the NHS in Tayside to ensure that its acute services are both clinically and financially viable.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 October 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the running costs of its Rural Affairs Department, or its predecessor departments, were in each of the last ten years and how many staff the department employed in each of these years.
Answer
The figures requested are shown in the following table. Figures are only shown from 1996 onwards; earlier figures could only be provided at disproportionate costs.
Since 1996, the Rural Affairs Department has experienced significant structural and organisational changes. This makes like for like comparisons difficult.
| | Number of permanent staff as at October | Running costs - financial year (£000) |
1996-97 | 1289.0 (a) | £23,889 (DAS=£38,509) |
1997-98 | 1255.3 (a) | £24,758 (DAS=£35,440) |
1998-99 | 907.9 | £25,811 |
1999-2000 | 937.9 | £26,899 |
(a) Until April 1998, the Rural Affairs Department also included the Directorate of Administrative Services (DAS). These staff are included in the staffing counts for the first two years. The running costs for DAS are also given for these years.
- Asked by: Alex Johnstone, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 18 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to section 25(1)(c) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, what circumstances are covered by "other special reason".
Answer
The 1987 Act does not define "other special reasons", and it is not possible to list all potential special reasons for vulnerability. The Code of Guidance on Homelessness, updated in October 1998 provides advice to local authorities, and lists examples of those who may be considered vulnerable for special reasons. A copy is available in SPICe.
