- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, referred to in the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ letter to the Prime Minister outlining priorities for DEFRA.
Answer
We have regular discussionswith the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on a rangeof issues. We have repeatedly made it clear that our priorities for ScottishAgriculture are as set out in A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture-Next Steps.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ priorities for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Answer
The Secretary of State’s prioritiesfor Defra are a matter for the UK Government.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the One Planet Living initiative.
Answer
“One planet living” is a wayof expressing the idea that we need to live within environmental limits.
This is one of the five UK sharedprinciples for sustainable development underlying both the Scottish Executive’sand the UK Government’s sustainable development strategies – “Choosing our Future”and “Securing the future” – and is reflected in the priority which both strategiesgive to reducing our global footprint.
The Scottish Executive has regulardiscussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and otherUK Government departments on a wide range of matters relating to the implementationof the Scottish and UK Government sustainable development strategies.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the announcement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 11 July 2006 of its intention to order 10 million additional doses of bird flu vaccine for possible use as a strategic control measure, these doses will be available in the event of an outbreak in Scotland.
Answer
The vaccine resource which Defrais procuring will be available to all UK administrations.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the announcement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 11 July 2006 of its intention to order 10 million additional doses of bird flu vaccine for possible use as a strategic control measure, it intends to order vaccine in the pursuance of the same policy.
Answer
As noted in answer to questionS2W-27581 on 17 August 2006, Scotland will have access to the UK avian influenzavaccine resource, and there is therefore no need to develop a separate Scottishvaccine bank.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the evidence-based case for the use of vaccine as a strategic control measure to slow the spread of bird flu in order to prevent wholesale and immediate slaughter of poultry in the event of an outbreak of the disease.
Answer
The culling of poultry on premisesinfected by avian influenza is a requirement of the EU Avian Influenza Directive.The Scottish Executive is working with the other UK administrations to make vaccinationa credible option for the control of avian influenza. However, substantial scientificand operational issues still need to be resolved, and it remains unlikely at presentthat vaccination could be used routinely as a disease control tool. High levelsof surveillance, biosecurity and rapid action, including stamping out, currentlyremain the most effective ways of controlling avian influenza.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doses of bird flu vaccine it (a) has in stock, (b) has ordered and (c) intends to order.
Answer
No avian influenza vaccine iscurrently held in stock in Scotland, but, as stated in the answers to questions S2W-27581and S2W-27582 on 17 August 2006, Scotland will have access to the UK resource.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26818 by Tavish Scott on 23 June 2006, what guidance it has issued on the responsibilities of Scottish public authorities within the meaning of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 and whether private companies with public functions have responsibilities under the regulations in respect of those functions which (a) are public functions and (b) may affect the environment.
Answer
The Scottish Executivepublished Guidance for Scottish Public Authorities and Interested Parties onthe implementation of the
Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations2004 in September 2005. Copies canbe obtained in the Blackwell’s Bookshop, South Bridge, Edinburgh or may be viewed on the Scottish Executive’s websiteat:
www.scotland.gov.uk.The definition of “Scottishpublic authority” may apply to bodies which are not public bodies but whichmeet criteria of control and public responsibility, function or service inrelation to the environment. The guidance discusses factors relevant toimplementation, including functions typically subject to the Regulations and thenature of control.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 26 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26818 by Tavish Scott on 23 June 2006, whether it intends to review Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 in respect of including harbour authorities or their public functions.
Answer
There are powers providedfor within the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to review Schedule 1, and this was one of the topicswhich the Executive consulted on earlier this year as part of our currentreview of aspects of the legislation. It would not be appropriate to pre-judgethe outcome of the review by commenting on particular bodies.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 24 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26371 by Rhona Brankin on 8 June 2006, whether Forth Ports plc acts as a Scottish public authority in the exercise of its statutory duties as a harbour authority under Regulation 4 of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 and, if so, whether Forth Ports plc, acting as a competent authority, is required to release information relating to the appropriate assessment of plans or projects under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 under freedom of information legislation.
Answer
I refer the member to thequestion S2W-26818, answered on 23 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
