- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 22 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s pay and grading imposition exercise, started in September 2007, has cost.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11882 on 22 April 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.
- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 22 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the development of a job evaluation scheme by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has cost in terms of (a) staff time and (b) total cash spent.
Answer
Pay and grading of Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) staff is an operational matter for SEPA''s management team, within overall financial limits set by the Scottish Government, and in accordance with policies and guidance on public sector pay. I have asked Dr Campbell Gemmell, Chief Executive of SEPA, to respond direct to the detailed issues you have raised.
- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the foot-and-mouth disease aid package has been paid to date, broken down by the (i) £19 million allocated to the ewe scheme, (b) £6 million allocated to the light lamb scheme, (c) £1 million allocated to Quality Meat Scotland, (d) £250,000 allocated to RSABI and (v) £60,000 allocated to the Royal Highland Education Trust.
Answer
The total amount that has been paid to date is £23.09 million. This can be broken down as follows:
| Name | Amount (£ Million) |
| Scottish Ewe Scheme | 18.80 |
| Sheep Welfare Scheme | 3.70 |
| Quality Meat Scotland (for long term resilience of sector) | 0.33 |
| RSABI | 0.20 |
| RHET | 0.06 |
| Total | 23.09 |
- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to monitor the effects on small and medium-sized public houses, in particular public houses in rural and more remote areas, of the increased costs of alcohol licences as a result of the implementation of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.
Answer
The Scottish Government plans to ask the Accounts Commission to review the operation of the fee system introduced by the Licensing (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 after the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 comes fully into force on 1 September 2009.
- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the increased costs of alcohol licences arising from the implementation of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 if evidence emerges that such costs are causing the closure of small and medium-sized public houses, in particular public houses in rural and more remote areas.
Answer
Decisions to close licensed premises are likely to be taken in light of a number of factors, but the Scottish Government will ask the Accounts Commission to review the operation of the fee system introduced by the Licensing (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 after the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 comes fully into force on 1 September 2009.
- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to introduce rod licences.
Answer
There are currently no plans to introduce rod licences.
- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 5 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to reduce the costs to the red meat sector of the meat hygiene service, in light of the BSE crisis coming to an end.
Answer
I am advised by theFood Standards Agency that in July 2007, the FSA Board agreed a stepped approachto achieve a risk-based audit and inspection regime for Specified Risk Materials(SRM) that reflects the widely accepted reduced risk to humans resulting from thereduced prevalence of BSE in cattle in the UK.
In parallel, the FSABoard agreed to work towards adopting a more risk and evidence-based approach tothe regulation of meat hygiene, meat inspection activities and enforcement, andfor the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) to be transformed into a leaner, more efficientorganisation that will carry out its role at less cost.
As the FSA Board’sview is that, where possible, a business should pay for the official controls thatare needed, the MHS will develop a new charging system that will move towards fullcost recovery. This will include the costs of applying SRM controls, which havebeen met by central government since they were first introduced in 1989. Reducingthe costs of the controls and progressively increasing charging to industry willencourage businesses to make more efficient use of the MHS, and enable the FSA totarget any continuing subsidy to plants most in need. There is on-going extensiveconsultation with stakeholders as this work progresses.
The Scottish Governmentand equivalents in the other UK countries are also working with the EuropeanCommission to raise the age threshold at which adult bovines are subject to BSEtesting before the carcase can be released into the food chain. Once this increaseis agreed in Brussels and implemented here, it will help to further reduce the compliancecosts for meat plants processing older cattle.
- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the Agricultural Wages Board’s most recent award is having on attracting young people as agricultural workers and new entrants to the farming industry.
Answer
Information is notavailable to answer this question.
- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that compound fertilisers will be available in the spring.
Answer
Following theglobal increase in grain prices, farmers are seeking to boost production. Thishas led to increased demand for fertiliser.
Whilst we sympathise with farmers in Scotland, there is little that the Scottish Government can do except to suggest that farmers continue to adoptbest practice so that their use of fertiliser is cost-effective.
- Asked by: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that all food purchased by public bodies should have been produced to similar standards of welfare, hygiene and traceability as those applying to Scottish farmers and food producers and, if so, what action it is taking to achieve this.
Answer
The Scottish Government’spolicy is that the procurement of goods and services should be based on value formoney having due regard to propriety and regularity, including compliance with legalobligations. This allows procurement decisions to take account of specific requirementsincluding quality assurance standards, required delivery frequency, seasonal availabilityand freshness, provided that these criteria are not designed to discriminate againstnon local suppliers. These legal obligations cover the whole EU and are not specificto Scottish buyers.
Livestock identificationrequirements in Scotland are set at EU level and are applicable toall live animals (only applies to cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) irrespective oftheir final destination in the food chain. Animals from EU member states will beidentified to similar standards as on Scottish farms and any animal arriving fromthird countries require to be identified on arrival to the same level as domesticanimals.
