- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 May 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will remove Fermanagh Waste Recycling from the Register of Waste Carriers.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not maintain the Register of Waste Carriers. The register is maintained for Scotland by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The agency is not, however, responsible for maintaining the respective registers in other parts of the United Kingdom.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 May 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to prevent waste from the Republic of Ireland being dumped in Scottish landfill sites.
Answer
Waste from the Republic of Ireland may legally be landfilled in Scotland, providing it is imported into the UK in line with the provisions of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 1994 and other applicable legislation. Where waste from the Republic of Ireland is present in Scotland regulation of landfill sites and policing waste shipments are operational matters for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency assisted, where necessary, by the police.
The 1994 regulations, as they relate to international trade, are reserved to Westminster.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 28 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any experts in the justice system on nutrition and behavioural problems.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
No. The SPS takes advice from a variety of sources on nutrition and behavioural problems. The SPS is establishing a Good Food Group that will seek relevant expertise and take all nutritional matters into account.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether waste carriers that are not registered as such in Great Britain or Northern Ireland can operate legitimately as waste carriers in Great Britain, including in Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-15759 on 28 April 2005. 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.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15446 by Ross Finnie on 30 March 2005, whether vehicles registered on the Northern Ireland register can operate legitimately as waste carriers in Great Britain, including in Scotland.
Answer
It is an offence under section 1(1) of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 (the “1989 Act”) to transport controlled waste to or from any place in Great Britain unless registered as a carrier of controlled waste in accordance with the Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations 1991. Section 1(2)(b) of the 1989 act does, however, provide that no offence is committed in respect of the transportation of controlled waste originating from outwith Great Britain (including, for example, Northern Ireland) to its first destination within Great Britain.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has of any waste from the Republic of Ireland being dumped in landfill sites in Scotland.
Answer
Regulation of landfill sites and policing of waste shipments are operational matters for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency assisted, where necessary, by the police.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the dumping of waste from the Republic of Ireland in Scottish landfill sites is legal.
Answer
Waste from the Republic of Ireland may legally be landfilled in Scotland if the requirements of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 1994 and the European Waste Shipment Regulation (259/93) are met, as well as all Scottish legislation relating to the landfill of the kind of wastes in question.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 25 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been carried out to examine the links between nutrition, diet and behavioural problems.
Answer
The following studies havebeen carried out:
Food Standards Agency UK:
Do food additives cause hyperactivity and behaviour problems in ageographically defined population of 3-5 year olds. Report published November 2002.
Chronicand acute effects of artificial colourings and preservatives on children'sbehaviour. Research project underway. Due to report in March 2007.
Detailsof both projects are available on the FSA website:
www.food.gov.uk.ScottishExecutive Chief Scientists Office:
Currentlyunderway
AnHPLC (high-performance liquidchromatography) and MS (mass spectroscopy) analysis of the urines of autisticand control children to investigate the validity or otherwise of dietaryintervention as a treatment.
Bloodfatty acid and phospholipase A2 concentrations as indicators of abnormalphospholipids metabolism in autism: the potential for intervention using fattyacid supplements.
In addition, the NationalResearch Register (NRR), a UK-wide research database, records eight completedprojects on links between nutrition, diet and behavioural problems. Details ofthese projects are available from the NRR, a copy of which is in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 17404).
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 25 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits will come to Scotland under its devolved responsibilities from the EU constitution.
Answer
The new European Constitutionbrings many benefits for Scotland, the UK and Europe as a whole. It establishes a more transparent and accountablestructure, allowing the EU to function more effectively, with a bigger role fornational Parliaments and national governments, simpler decision-making and moreefficient and streamlined institutions.
Of particular relevance to Scotland arethe specific provisions for a subsidiarity mechanism and an enhanced recognitionof the role of the regions, including an obligation on the Commission to take accountof regional and local views in consultation, where appropriate.
The introduction of mutual recognitionof different legal systems is also of direct benefit to Scotland.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 21 April 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what practical difficulties it has encountered in assessing the suitability of local income tax as a means of replacing the council tax.
Answer
The independent review we have set up will be undertaking a full investigation into the council tax and other possible tax models, including any practical difficulties. The committee’s report is due next summer and it would be inappropriate to comment before then. This is an important issue and we want to make sure that the right system is in place for local government finance.
