Chamber and committees

In the hypothetical situation to which you refer, I would advise that liability for the payment of compensation would be a matter for the civil courts and would depend on the facts and circumstances of each case.

However, I would like to repeat the advice of the Food Standards Agency that any oil derived from the GM affected oilseed rape, planted last year, is as safe for food use as oil derived from its conventional counterpart.

The Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF) has also concluded that the adventitious presence of GM material in oilseed rape, at the levels reported, did not pose a threat to human or animal health via its use in animal feed.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues and MoD are aware of the importance of this order to Ailsa Troon.

I refer Mr Scott to my reply to question S1W-8655. I do not envisage that the proposals will have an effect on the export market for Scottish lambs.

We have no plans to introduce retrospective planning procedures for mobile phone masts.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is statutorily responsible for the notification of areas as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). It is Scottish Executive policy that SSSIs should normally be notified to protect areas selected as Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive.

New SSSIs have been notified by SNH in Arran, Muirkirk, Galloway and Tayside to protect proposed Special Protection Areas (SPAs), for a variety of species including hen harriers. The proposed SPAs were identified by SNH using scientific information from a variety of sources and in accordance with published guidelines, which were adopted by Ministers in June 1999. On the basis of SNH's recommendation I accepted that these areas should be acknowledged as proposed SPAs, and that the owners or tenants of these sites, and other affected interests, should be consulted about their possible classification. Full consultation is undertaken by SNH on all SSSIs and, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, on all SPAs. In some cases, where new SSSI notification is required to underpin a proposed European site, consultations are undertaken simultaneously.

Of the Meat Industry Red Tape Review's 35 recommendations, three were rejected, three were for Agricultural Departments and 29 were for the Food Standards Agency (FSA).Of the 29 recommendations for the FSA, six require EU approval. As anticipated, four of these will be addressed in the context of the Commission's proposals for new food hygiene law, the first element of which is due to be published later this month (numbers 1, 6, 10, 11). Steps have been taken to progress the other two issues (7, 33). 23 recommendations do not require EU approval - four have been completed (numbers 17,19,20,22), one requires action next year (number 5) and the remaining 18 are being acted on.One of the recommendations (number 18) was the establishment of an Efficiency Review of the Meat Hygiene Service. The terms of reference for the review have been approved by the Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency and have been published in the Official Journal of the European Community. Independent consultants will be appointed to carry out a two-stage review. It is expected that an initial report will be with the FSA by the end of the year.With regard to the three recommendations which were for Agricultural Departments, I can report that discussions with the European Commission to facilitate the export of tallow and tallow derivatives are underway. It is envisaged that the Commission inspectors will visit the UK in the autumn to assess our proposed controls.

The establishment of People's Panels allows the SIPs to test attitudes, opinions and changes in quality of life, specifically in the Partnership areas, so that they can measure their progress over time. In this way the SIPs can ensure that their activities continue to be effective and that they are meeting local needs. Panels also allow the SIPs to gather particular information for monitoring purposes which would be difficult to gain by any other method.

North Ayr Partnership are in regular contact with South Ayrshire Council to establish how the different panels can complement each other.

The Scottish Executive has commissioned a feasibility study into the long-term upgrading of the A77 from Kilmarnock to Dutchhouse Roundabout to near motorway standard. Options are only at their formative stages and timescales and cost estimates will not be available until the study is completed in autumn this year.

This question was answered today.

Further discussions are being arranged with European Commission officials to help devise an area-based scheme which complies with the new Rural Development Regulation. The Scottish Executive's aim is to have a scheme in place so that payments can be made on the usual timescale next spring.