Chamber and committees

The Animal Health and Welfare measure was dropped from the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) following concern from the European Commission that it would not produce a significantly better outcome than that achieved through current statutory animal health and welfare requirements. We regret this. Our intention is to seek to reintroduce an Animal Health and Welfare measure that is acceptable to the Commission through our first modification of the SRDP.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-8795 on 01 February 2008. The farm and forest visits and talks measure was dropped from the programme because the Commission judged that it was outside the scope of Rural Development Regulation 1698/2005. This was mainly because the payments to be made through the measure were for operating costs which could not be supported through the regulation. We will continue to pursue this matter with the Commission to see if we can find a way to reinstate the measure in its existing or a modified form.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

A number of farm assurance membership schemes were dropped from the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) following concern from the European Commission that the standards of these schemes did not go significantly beyond commercial commodity standards. Our intention is to seek to reintroduce schemes that are acceptable to the Commission through our first modification of the SRDP.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7645 on 30 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

This information isnot held centrally.

The latest informationcurrently available is for academic year 2005-06. In 2005-06, there the followingnumber of academic staff (full-time equivalents) were employed in clinical dentistry:

(a) Aberdeen 0

(b) Dundee 36

(c) Glasgow 45.

Higher educationinstitution staffing informationfor 2006-07 will be published in spring 2008.

Regrettably this measurewas removed from the Scotland Rural Development Programme at the insistence of theEuropean Commission. They judged it to be outside the scope of the Rural DevelopmentRegulation and so it may be difficult to secure re-instatement, but we will pursuethis further.

Current examples ofwork include the consideration of compulsory treatment period for sheep scab andwork to protect Scotland from the threat of bluetongue. The ScottishGovernment will seek to have an animal health and welfare measure included in theScotland Rural Development programme in the first modification.

The 2003 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, which led to decoupling of Single Farm Paymentsfrom levels of production, gave farmers freedom to develop their businesses in responseto market needs. Our £1.6 billion Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13,recently cleared by the EU Rural Development Committee, includes a wide range ofmeasures that will help farmers to take this opportunity.

We recognise the importanceof a profitable livestock industry in Scotland, to help ensurea sustainable rural economy, to produce high quality food, and to benefit the naturallandscape. The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme provides around 13,000 livestockfarmers and crofters with a total of £61 million per year to maintain their financialviability and protect traditional agricultural landscapes. In addition, over £18million per year is paid, under the Scottish Beef Calf Scheme, to specialist beeffarmers to protect the environment in marginal areas and maintain the productionof quality Scottish beef.

As part of anon-going communications strategy for the Scotland Rural Development Programme2007-13, my officials have engaged with over 400 agents directly and are holdinga series of 21 public meetings throughout Scotland, the first five of which have been attended by over 1,100 people. Moreover,over 26,000 potential participants in the Scottish Rural Development Plan (SRDP) have been sent an information pack withdetailed information on all aspects of the SRDP. This information pack is also availablefrom SGRPID Area Offices.