- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers were made aware before 23 February 2001 of any substantial risk of infection in previously clear areas of Europe from the PanAsia Type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease and what action it took in the light of any such information.
Answer
Ministers were alerted to the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on Wednesday 21 February 2001. Prior to that they were not aware of any substantial risk of infection from the PanAsia Type O strain of the virus. All strains of foot-and-mouth disease are significant and are a constant threat.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 24 January 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer what proportion of draft school inspection reports were altered in each of the last five years following comments made by the responsible education authority.
Answer
It is standard practice for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) to show all draft reports to the relevant education authority, headteacher and school board chair before publication. Any additional evidence provided at this stage is taken into account by HMIE as they finalise the report. The source of the evidence is not of itself significant in that process. Based on all the evidence gathered in the course of the inspection, the published report records HMIE's professional evaluation of the standard of the school. Minor changes are common, but the final decision on every such change rests with HMIE.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when was it informed that sportscotland wished to restructure its senior management, what response it made to such information and when it will make an announcement to the Parliament about the restructuring.
Answer
The final report of sportscotland's Organisational Review recommended a revised management structure. sportscotland sought the Scottish Executive's views in October 2001 and the latter accepted the case for the changes proposed. It is for sportscotland to decide on whether to make an announcement on the restructuring and the form any such announcement should take.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates of (a) the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, (b) the likely number of cases and (c) the need for specialist assistance in slaughter and disposal including the hire or purchase of specialist or additional equipment and supplies were contained in any contingency or emergency plans for coping with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that existed before 23 February 2001 and how accurate any such estimates were.
Answer
Since the scale and nature of outbreaks are unpredictable it is not possible to make any realistic estimate about the spread of foot-and-mouth disease or the likely number of cases. SEERAD Area Office and State Veterinary Service plans do not contain estimates for specialist assistance in slaughter or for the hire or purchase of additional equipment. However, information about availability of specialist equipment is usually available from contingency plans drawn up by local authorities, which cover a wide range of emergency situations.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency or emergency plans existed for coping with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Scotland before 23 February 2001; when any such plans were drawn up; then when were subsequently reviewed, and what changes were made to them in the light of such review.
Answer
All SEERAD Area Offices and sub-offices have contingency plans for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks and each of the five Divisional Animal Health Offices have detailed instructions for dealing with all notifiable disease emergencies including FMD. Practical FMD control exercises are carried out every second year by each of the five divisional AHO offices and at every exercise participants are invited from other AHO offices, the State Veterinary Service Head Office in Edinburgh, SEERAD Area Offices, local authorities and other relevant agencies.In addition, these instructions and contingency plans are backed by local authority and police authority contingency plans providing detailed instructions for dealing with disease emergencies.SVS plans are reviewed annually and the SEERAD Area Office plans are reviewed regularly. The plans have been in existence for many years and are amended to reflect changes in organisations and findings from the practical exercises. The most recent changes were to update contact details.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Chief Veterinary Officer received or saw before 23 February 2001 any report from the Institute of Animal Health or from any other body that indicated a threat from the PanAsia Type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease to previously clear areas.
Answer
Leslie Gardner is the Senior State Veterinary Service representative in Scotland and advises the Scottish ministers on all animal health matters. He did not see any specific report of any threat from the PanAsia Type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). All strains of FMD are significant and are a constant threat. Our contingency plans reflect that.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of draft school inspection reports were altered in each of the last five years in order to render them more critical of a school following comments made by the responsible education authority.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21706. Any amendments to reports are only made as result of careful consideration of all relevant evidence and not solely on comments from any source, including an education authority. Final responsibility for changes - as with every aspect of the published inspection report - clearly lies with HMIE.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18835 by Allan Wilson on 11 November 2001, what progress it has made regarding the establishment of a National Theatre for Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Arts Council's submission on Scottish theatre seeks significant additional funding. It also raises a number of detailed issues relating to the theatre sector which we are examining with care. That consideration is proceeding and we hope to make a statement soon.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce the outcome of discussions on funding theatre in Scotland, including the discussions with the Scottish Arts Council which were reported to the Parliament by the then Deputy Minister for Sport and Culture in the debate on the National Cultural Strategy on 25 October 2001.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21574.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Federation of Scottish Theatre and others about additional funding for theatre in Scotland and when it will announce its conclusions about such funding.
Answer
The Executive has taken opinion from the sector in its consideration of the Scottish Arts Council's submission on funding for Scottish theatre. That consideration is proceeding and we hope to make a statement soon.
