- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 19 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on teaching Scottish history in schools and whether it plans to change its policy.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's policy is to ensure that guidance to education authorities and schools provide ample opportunities for teaching Scottish history at every level of the school curriculum. There are no plans to change current policy.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 19 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many farmers have taken their own lives in each of the last five years.
Answer
The information requested is given in the table. When analysing suicides it is conventional to include deaths due to 'Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted'. For the sake of clarity, the two categories have also been shown separately in the table.
| Suicides and undetermined deaths - farmers and farm workers 1 |
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 2 |
| Total | 24 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 16 |
| Suicide | 17 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
| Undetermined | 7 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 1 The code used for farm worker includes farmer's wife2 Provisional |
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 19 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the occasions last year and so far this year when ministers have appeared on news bulletins or current affairs programmes to explain Scottish Executive policy and what its policy is on responding to requests for (a) studio interviews and (b) any other type of interviews.
Answer
The listing requested is not available. Arrangements for interviews are made with media organisations on a case by case basis.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 8 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is consulted as a matter of course on the appointment of the Crown Estate Commissioners.
Answer
Crown Estate Commissioners are appointed by Her Majesty on the recommendation of the Prime Minister on the advice of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Scotland. As the management of the Crown Estate is a reserved matter under the Scotland Act, there is no formal requirement for the Scottish Executive to be consulted about such appointments.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a standing committee or forum involving representatives from each of the major supermarket chains in Scotland to discuss matters relating to the food and agriculture sectors.
Answer
I see no need for such a body as I have regular contact with the major retailers over a range of issues impacting on the food and agriculture sectors.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average levy paid by farmers to the Meat and Livestock Commission is.
Answer
Levy is collected at the point of slaughter and paid by abattoir operators to the MLC. Abattoir operators deduct the farmer portion of the MLC levy from the payments they make to farmers for animals purchased. It is therefore not possible for the MLC to calculate the average levy paid by farmers as these records are not held by the Commission.For information, the levy charged per animal is:
| | General | Promotion |
| CATTLE | £2.05 | £2.30 |
| Farmers portion | £1.025 | £2.30 |
| SHEEP | £0.31 | £0.32 |
| Farmers portion | £0.155 | £0.32 |
| PIGS | £0.40 | £0.65 |
| Farmers portion | £0.20 | £0.65 |
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1712 by Ross Finnie on 18 May 2000, whether it is satisfied that the concerns about the representation of the various agriculture sectors on the Quality Meat Scotland board have been addressed.
Answer
Membership of the QMS Board has been expanded to broaden sectoral representation, a decision which I welcome.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any increases in the levy paid by farmers to the Meat and Livestock Commission will only proceed with the agreement of all parts of the UK.
Answer
Consultations between the MLC and the industry on proposed increases in beef and sheep levies are not yet complete. If conflicting views emerge within the industry, these will have to be balanced by the Commission before a decision to proceed, or otherwise, with the increase is taken.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any assessment has been made of whether the levies paid by farmers to the Meat and Livestock Commission offer value for money and, if so, what the findings were.
Answer
The MLC regularly monitors the impact of levy payers expenditure. The most recent independent review - Quinquennial Review - of the MLC was published in March 1999. I have arranged for a copy to be sent to you.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any assessment has been made of Quality Meat Scotland's performance since its establishment.
Answer
I am encouraged by the progress made by QMS and look forward to the publication of its Strategic Plan. It should be noted that QMS is an industry body which is not directly accountable to the Scottish Executive.
