- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 6 June 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that food served in schools is safe.
Answer
Direct responsibility for the safety of food served in schools rests with the environmental health departments of each local authority. They ensure that the relevant caterers meet the standards required of all food businesses; this includes ensuring food is fit for human consumption, has been provided by a reputable supplier and has been prepared and served in a safe manner.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the cost of its slaughter policy in relation to foot-and-mouth disease is being met by (a) itself, (b) the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, (c) the European Union and (d) the local councils of Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders.
Answer
These costs fall to the UK Exchequer. In Scotland, as at 8 May 2001, the cost of compensation for the compulsory slaughter is currently around £170 million. Almost £150 million of this is in Dumfries and Galloway with the rest chiefly being in the Borders. At this stage it is not clear what contribution towards these costs will be forthcoming from the European Union. The costs incurred by Dumfries and Galloway and Borders Councils are being assessed by the councils concerned.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 29 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the decision to close Stobhill Hospital, Victoria Infirmary and the Western Infirmary and what reasons were given by the Chief Executive of Greater Glasgow Health Board and the board itself for their proposed closure.
Answer
There are no plans to close Stobhill Hospital or the Victoria Infirmary. Greater Glasgow Health Board's proposal to transfer services at the Western Infirmary to modern facilities at Gartnavel General Hospital and elsewhere in the city, and subsequently to close the Western, was approved in 1996 by the Secretary of State for Scotland at that time.The modernisation of acute hospital services in Glasgow is currently under review by the health board. There is ongoing consultation on potential options, and selected options are now being appraised.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make central funding available to enable medical secretaries in the NHS to be upgraded.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has announced record funding for the NHS. Health boards' unified budgets have increased to £4.4 billion in 2001-02 with individual board increases ranging from 5.5% to 9.8%. It is for health boards and NHS Trusts to decide how to apply these increased resources to meet the healthcare needs of the population of their areas.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 22 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out its powers and policy on decisions regarding the onward movement of livestock on to auction marts within island communities which have been provisionally designated as foot-and-mouth disease free areas and whether it will clarify the current situation with regards to the Orkney Auction Mart.
Answer
Revised movement controls, effective from 1 May, permit the transfer of store and fat animals from the Scottish islands through collecting centres licensed for that purpose. Orkney Auction Mart has been granted collecting centre status and movements first occurred on Monday 14 May.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 10 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is appropriate for the Chief Executive of Greater Glasgow Health Board to remain in post until September 2001 now that he has tendered his resignation.
Answer
This is a matter for Greater Glasgow Health Board as employer. It is, however, a normal expectation that NHS staff work their notice period. The continued employment of the current Chief Executive until the end of September provides for an element of management continuity while the board recruits a replacement.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average rise in the price per kilo has been of (a) beef, (b) pork, (c) ham, (d) bacon and (e) lamb since the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak began.
Answer
The following table provides the average retail meat prices as published by the Meat and Livestock Commission. The averages cover all cuts of meat, for example, beef includes a number of cuts from fillet steak to mince.Average Retail Prices (pence per kg)
| Week ending | Beef (Scotland) | Lamb (Scotland) | Pork (Scotland) | Bacon (G.B.) |
| 3/3/01 | 912 | 835 | 469 | 112 |
| 10/3/01 | 917 | 860 | 499 | NA |
| 17/3/01 | 918 | 866 | 503 | NA |
| 24/3/01 | 916 | 850 | 502 | 126 |
| 31/3/01 | 913 | 861 | 502 | 126 |
| 7/4/01 | 913 | 857 | 506 | 123 |
| 14/4//01 | 915 | 857 | 508 | 119 |
| 21/4/01 | 915 | 838 | 503 | 119 |
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost per animal would be for (a) sheep, (b) cattle and (c) pigs of a vaccination programme in relation to foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer
The vaccination contingency plan was prepared only for cattle, and only for the three areas of Dumfries, North Cumbria and Devon. It is therefore not possible to give figures for sheep or pigs. The estimated cost of setting up and delivering a vaccination programme for cattle, including the cost of vaccine, is between £8 and £10 a head.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is per animal slaughtered under its policy on foot-and-mouth disease, whether this includes the cost for restocking after the outbreak and, if so, what sum is allocated for restocking (a) a cow, (b) a pig and (c) a sheep.
Answer
The SERAD website (under Foot and Mouth Disease (Ascertainment of Value) (Scotland) (No 3) Order 2001) provides information on average costs per animal slaughtered. Costs for all categories of sheep, pigs and cattle are listed. Restocking costs are not included.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive how many (a) cattle, (b) sheep and (c) pigs have been slaughtered to date under its policy in respect of foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer
These statistics appear in the regular Parliament's Reference Centre Foot and Mouth Briefing Note.
