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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 999 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-19795

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 1 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive when the most recent radioactivity monitoring, resulting from the Chernobyl incident, took place and what the results were.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that specific monitoring in Scotland due to the Chernobyl incident is limited to sheep on a few remaining restricted farms. These farms are subject to statutory controls under the terms of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, which require sheep to be monitored prior to being moved off farm. Additionally, an annual whole flock survey is carried out during the summer on selected farms to assess whether they are suitable for derestriction. The results of this year’s survey are currently being prepared by Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department who undertake the monitoring on behalf of the Food Standards Agency Scotland. Radiological monitoring of food and the environment throughout the UK, including a section on Chernobyl, is reported annually in the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE) series of reports, the latest of which (“RIFE 10”) is due for publication at the end of October 2005.

Question reference: S2W-19799

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 1 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many farms are still restricted in the rearing or trading of livestock as result of the Chernobyl incident; what the acreage is of each farm, and what livestock restrictions are still in existence.

Question reference: S2W-19794

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 1 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring programmes, resulting from the Chernobyl incident, are still in operation.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that monitoring of sheep for radioactivity resulting from the Chernobyl incident in 1986 continues on 11 remaining restricted farms in Scotland. Monitoring is undertaken by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department on behalf of the Food Standards Agency Scotland. Sheep from these farms must be monitored for radioactivity prior to being moved off farm; additionally annual surveys of whole flocks are carried out on selected farms to assess whether they are suitable for derestriction.

Question reference: S2W-19796

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 1 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what radioactivity monitoring, resulting from the Chernobyl nuclear incident, has taken place since 1986.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that immediately following the Chernobyl incident, agricultural produce, other foodstuffs and water supplies were monitored so that action could be taken as necessary. In Scotland during 1987, raised levels of radioactive caesium were found in sheep in south-west and central Scotland. These farms had restrictions on sheep movements imposed. Sheep from these farms must be monitored for radioactivity prior to being moved off farm. Additionally, annual surveys of whole flocks are carried out on selected farms to assess whether they are suitable for derestriction.

Question reference: S2W-19801

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 1 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what restrictions are in place in respect of the harvesting of shellfish or other aquatic life forms, as a result of the Chernobyl incident.

Question reference: S2W-19786

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 31 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what concordats there are between it and Her Majesty's Government.

The Memorandum of Understanding established four multilateral concordats between the UK Government, the Scottish Executive, the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive Committee, covering:

1. The Co-ordination of European Union Policy Issues.

2. Financial Assistance to Industry.

3. International Relations.

4. Statistics.

At present, there are twenty bi-lateral concordats between the Scottish Executive and individual UK Government departments, which are as follows:

1. Cabinet Office (Bib. number 27311).

2. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Bib. number 27310).

3. Department for Education and Employment (Bib. number 27309).

4. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Main Concordat) (Bib. number 22382).

5. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Subject specific concordat on Fisheries) (Bib. number 8401).

6. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Subject specific concordat on State Veterinary Services and Animal Disease Compensation) (Bib. number 15833).

7. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (British Cattle Movement Service) (Bib. number 12503).

8. General Registers Office (Bib. number 7534).

9. Department of Trade and Industry (Bib. number 8415).

10. HM Treasury and DTI (subject specific concordat on public procurement and related international obligations) (Bib. number 8416).

11. Health and Safety Executive (Bib. number 8414).

12. Department of Culture, Media and Sport (Bib. number 8413).

13. Ministry of Defence (Bib. number 8233).

14. European Structural Funds (Bib. number 8235).

15. HM Treasury (Bib. number 8232).

16. Department of Health (Bib. number 8236).

17. Home Office (Bib. number 8230).

18. Department of Work and Pensions (Bib. number 27312).

19. Department for Transport (Bib. number 34278).

20. Department for Constitutional Affairs (Bib. number 37866).

All concordats between the Scottish Executive and UK Government are lodged with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre including any previous versions.

Question reference: S2W-19805

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or Scottish Water regarding the disposal of human-derived sewage sludge and what the purpose was of these discussions.

Question reference: S2W-19803

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice or guidance it has provided to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the disposal of human-derived sewage sludge.

None. It is an operational matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to conduct its regulatory function in relation to the recovery or disposal of sewage sludge and other waste in terms of the applicable legislation. This includes the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994, the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989, the Waste Incineration (Scotland) Regulations 2003 and the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003, as amended where appropriate, depending on the disposal option in question.

Question reference: S2W-19804

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice or guidance it has provided to Scottish Water on the disposal of human-derived sewage sludge.

It is the duty of Scottish Water to recover or dispose of the human derived sewage sludge arising from its treatment processes in accordance with the provisions of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994, the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989, the Waste Incineration (Scotland) Regulations 2003 and the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003, as amended where appropriate, depending on the disposal option in question.

Question reference: S2W-19798

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount of compensation paid to farmers has been as result of the Chernobyl incident, broken down by category of compensation.