- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what capital investment was made by the Scottish Agricultural College in its Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 and will be made in 2010-11; what work was or will be carried out in each case, and what proportion of the funding came or will come from the Scottish Government funding to the Scottish Agricultural College for its animal disease surveillance work.
Answer
| 2004-05 | £113,000 (SEERAD) and £15,000 (SAC). |
| 2005-06 | No spend. |
| 2006-07 | No spend. |
| 2007-08 | £99,500 (SEERAD), a refurbishment of the centre including new windows, flooring, redecoration, electrical works, blinds, furniture and DDA compliance. |
| 2008-09 | No spend. |
| 2009-10 | £71,190.44 (SAC), the refurbishment of the sheep shed into a large file/ equipment store, refurbishment of the centre to provide office accommodation for the SAC Farm Business Service advisors, additional parking, redecoration and furniture. |
| 2010-11 | Any planned spend has yet to be announced. |
This information was provided by SAC.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 11 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken in the last two years to address the causes and effects of external flooding.
Answer
External flooding can be caused by insufficient capacity of the sewers to take the required volumes of sewerage or by operational issues such as blockages. In 2008-09, Scottish Water removed over 6,000 blockages, many of which were caused by customers disposing (illegally) of cooking fat down their sink or by flushing away sanitary waste. In most cases, instances of external flooding due to blockages are resolved through operational measures. For capacity issues, Scottish Water deals with some external sewer flooding as a consequence of investing to address internal flooding problems. In addition, where possible, Scottish Water speaks to local authorities about external sewer flooding when there are issues of surface water entering the sewers, as there can be practicable alternatives which divert this water away from the sewers in a safe manner.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 11 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2014, Scottish Water will have a responsibility under a Priority 1 objective to address external flooding and, if not, whether it will take action to address its causes and effects.
Answer
During the period 2010-15, Scottish Water is directed to create and maintain a register of properties affected by external sewer flooding. Details of the objectives set for Scottish Water are available at:
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/waterindustryscot/latest-news/swdirections.
Scottish Water will be expected where possible to address issues of external sewer flooding through operational means.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 11 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when the ministerial objectives for Scottish Water for 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2014 will be finalised.
Answer
The Ministerial Objectives for the period 2010-15 were published on the 27 October 2009 and are available on the government''s website at:
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/waterindustryscot/latest-news/swdirections.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 11 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation process was undertaken regarding the ministerial objectives for Scottish Water for 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2014.
Answer
The Ministerial Objectives for Scottish Water for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2014 were originally set following a public consultation by the previous administration in 2005. Minor alterations have been made to those original Objectives to reflect the requirements of new legislation and improved data. Stakeholders were consulted in July 2008 on these amendments.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it takes to monitor the animal health surveillance work of the Scottish Agricultural College in order to ensure that it complies fully with the terms of its contract with the Scottish Executive.
Answer
There is no contract between Scottish Government and Scottish Agricultural College which regulates animal health surveillance activities. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28511 on 10 November 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
The work is managed through a Memorandum of Understanding, which sets out the framework and a series of descriptors, revised annually, which set out the detail of what is required.
The surveillance work carried out by Scottish Agricultural College is partly led by the demand for laboratory investigation from farmers and veterinary surgeons. Disease surveillance activities carried out by Scottish Agricultural College are monitored through a system of formal monthly, quarterly and annual reports and twice yearly formal meetings between Scottish Government and Scottish Agricultural College staff. These formal arrangements are supplemented by frequent ad hoc reports and meetings.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the electronic net-measuring gauge now used to measure the mesh sizes of fishermen’s nets was independently tested for robustness and reliability before it was introduced
Answer
The objective mesh gauge (Omega) was initially developed in an EU-sponsored research project, the Omega project. The partners in the project included fisheries inspection services and fisheries research institutes from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland. Fisheries research institutes from EU member countries and ICES member countries, as well as Turkey, the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), netting manufacturers and fishermen were involved in testing and evaluating the Omega gauge. Extensive trials were carried out under both laboratory conditions and at sea.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the fishing industry and net manufacturers were consulted before the adoption of an electronic net-measuring gauge to measure the mesh sizes of fishermen’s nets, replacing the wedge-shaped measuring device used previously, and what views were expressed in reply to any such consultation.
Answer
No formal consultation was carried out by the Scottish Government as none is required to simply introduce a new piece of inspection equipment.
However, the genesis of the objective mesh gauge (Omega) goes back to the late 1990s. During initial projects to evaluate mesh measurement methodologies for fisheries inspection and research, discussions were held across Europe with fishermen and net manufacturers including with Scottish interests. During the development of the objective mesh gauge, extensive trials were carried out involving research institutes and inspection services of EU member states and several other countries, as well as netting manufacturers and fishermen. The European Federation of Rope, Twine and netting Industries (EUROCORD) also recommended the use of the Omega gauge during the production of sheet netting and urged the European Commission to adopt the Omega gauge.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether fishermen will receive compensation for discarding nets that comply with the mesh-size regulations when measured by the wedge-shaped measuring device used previously but fail when measured by the new electronic net-measuring gauge and, if so, what compensation.
Answer
We have no plans to offer compensation in such circumstances.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 November 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial penalties would be applied were the Scottish Agricultural College to fail to carry out any of the animal health surveillance work required by its contract with the Scottish Executive.
Answer
There is no contract between Scottish Government and Scottish Agricultural College for this work. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28511 on 10 November 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
The funding provided by Scottish Government to support veterinary surveillance activities at Scottish Agricultural College is in the form of an annual grant. Whether or not the grant is renewed each year is entirely a decision for Scottish Government.
