Chamber and committees

EU legislation prohibits trade in live salmon from areas affected by infectious salmon anaemia and other serious fish diseases into unaffected areas. The Executive is well aware of the need to protect Scottish aquaculture from imported disease and at EU scientific and policy fora has committed to maintaining that protection.

Area Management Agreements (AMAs) are voluntary agreements delivered through close collaboration between industry and wild fisheries interests. Several AMAs have achieved synchronised production and fallowing. In other areas, however, synchronisation is proving more difficult to attain, for practical or technical reasons. The Scottish Executive-chaired Tripartite Working Group is therefore investigating ways of assisting synchronicity for some of the smaller companies, whose sites all lie within the same sea loch, and is to review the position in very large management areas, where synchronisation has thus far proved impractical.

In the three years prior to the introduction of these road safety measures there were one fatal, one serious and four slight injury accidents at this location. In the three years following, there were one serious and one slight injury accidents. The cost of introducing the measures was approximately £170,000.

The Scottish Executive is currently considering how this Partnership Agreement commitment will be implemented.

The final report of the review of litter legislation has been published today (Bib. number 27094) and is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.It is clear from the report that for various reasons the existing legislation relevant to litter and flytipping is not being fully utilised. The main reasons suggested are a lack of clear understanding of the powers available, of clear guidance, particularly with regard to enforcement procedures, and the resource implications for enforcing bodies. However, it is also clear that the existing legislation, when used properly, can be effective. The report confirms that the necessary powers are generally already in place. It highlights, however, the need for improved guidance to all key stakeholders in using the powers and for the need to ensure that the public is made more aware of the legislation.In light of the recommendations contained within the report, the Executive has already provided funding to Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) to:update the current Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse and provide guidance on its implementation;establish and service a Scottish Flytipping Forum consisting of all key stakeholders, andpay for the first year costs for all local authorities in Scotland to participate in the Local Environmental Audit and Management System (LEAMS).In addition, we intend to increase the current Fixed Penalty Fine for littering from £25 to £50.A full response by the Executive to the report's findings is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 27095).

NHS sight tests are available to eligible groups of patients. All NHS sight tests are free of charge. Where an optometrist or ophthalmic medical practitioner tests the sight of a patient, he or she must perform, for the purpose of detecting signs of injury, disease or abnormality in the eye or elsewhere:an examination of the external surface of the eye and its immediate vicinity; an intra-ocular examination, either by means of an ophthalmoscope or by such other means as he or she considers appropriate, andsuch additional examinations as appear to the optometrist or ophthalmic medical practitioner to be clinically necessary.The following categories of patient are currently eligible for NHS sight tests: under 16s, those aged 16 to 18 in full-time education, those aged 60 and over, the registered blind or partially sighted, people prescribed complex lenses, diagnosed diabetics, diagnosed glaucoma sufferers, people aged 40 who are close blood relatives of glaucoma sufferers, those advised by an ophthalmologist that the risk of developing glaucoma is such that regular sight tests are advisable, people and their partner with an HC 2 certificate for full help under the NHS Low Income Scheme, people and their partner on Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Working Families'/Disabled Person's Tax Credit where the recipient is in possession of a Tax Credit NHS Exemption Certificate.

The Scottish Executive worked closely with the UK Government in producing the UK response to the Royal Commission's 22nd Report, which was published on 24 February. Whilst the Scottish position is covered by the UK response, I have today written to the Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution offering further detail on measures being taken in Scotland to address its recommendations directed specifically to the devolved administrations. Copies have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26862).

Despite heightened international tension, Scotland remains a safe destination. There is no need for potential visitors from the rest of the UK or abroad to be concerned about visiting Scotland. But VisitScotland has contingency plans, and has formed a joint action group with the tourism industry to look at what additional action should be taken to promote Scottish tourism, should this prove necessary.

Every NHS sight test includes a form of retinal imaging - normally the observation of the fundus (the back of the eye) using an ophthalmoscope on the patient's undilated eye.Digital imaging procedures may be used in screening programmes for diabetic retinopathy. It is for NHS boards to decide how screening is delivered by health professionals in their areas, including by optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners.

NHS Highland is considering a number of options to further increase access to NHS dental services in Skye.