Chamber and committees

The Executive attaches high priority to assisting the industry to regain lost beef export markets. We have supported the industry's efforts to build up a brand of integrity; I have briefed influential European journalists, attachés and others on the measures now in place to ensure the health and quality of our beef; and I have ensured that our grant schemes continue to support, where possible, the marketing efforts of those who have committed themselves to lead the Scotch beef industry back into Europe. I welcome the formation of Quality Meat Scotland which will give further emphasis to the industry's export efforts; and, with other UK Agriculture Ministers, I am keeping under careful review our approach to the Date Based Export Scheme in the light of the continuing fall in numbers of cases of BSE.

We have had a seeds inspection system in Scotland for many years. However, the EU Commission recently published proposals to tighten up seed purity legislation which will be discussed in the Commission and the EU Council before being negotiated through the OECD. The proposals are at an early stage and do not contain any details on the cost of the system or its funding.

The circumstances which have given rise to the contamination of the seed in Canada are still being investigated. It remains to be determined with certainty that the contamination was caused by cross-pollination. The UK is working closely with the Canadian authorities to obtain this information.

The Scottish Executive has no plans to provide Angus Council with special borrowing consent to fund the replacement of the A92 bridge over the South Esk at Montrose. It is for Angus Council to determine its spending priorities from within its overall capital expenditure resources.

The level of resources for local authority capital expenditure will be considered as part of the Spending Review.

There is no requirement for education authorities to submit asset management plans to the Scottish Executive, and no such plan has been received from Angus Council's Education Department.

Decisions on the deployment of officers and other resources, including the viability of police stations, are operational matters for Chief Constables. Neither the Joint Police Board nor Scottish Ministers have powers to intervene.

Since 15 May, in addition to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, I have received information from the Food Standards Agency, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs, the National Farmers Union of Scotland, the Scottish Crop Research Institute and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Current seed purity levels are specified in various regulations implementing several EC Directives. The EU Commission, in response to representations from the Scottish Executive and the UK Government, is expected to produce shortly proposals to tighten up seed purity legislation to ban GMO contamination at levels of more than 0.5% as an interim measure.

We have sought information on crop sites from Advanta. Commercial confidentiality and data protection considerations notwithstanding, I do not believe it would add anything to the wider public understanding of this problem to publish the location of these sites.

Any unused seed from the contaminated batches can be identified by farmers from information supplied by Advanta on affected seed lots. It would not be in the interests of farmers to plant contaminated seed and disposal and compensation issues should be addressed by Advanta and farmers.