Chamber and committees

Since 2007, there have been 14 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in domestic birds in Scotland and one case of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H5N1 in domestic birds. All highly pathogenic avian influenza strains are notifiable along with H5 and H7 low pathogenic strains.

The number of HPAI infected premises in Scotland for these periods are:

With regard to the safe collection and disposal of dead wild birds suspected of having been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), current government disease control guidance is for carcases to be left in situ, unless the local authority deem it necessary to remove them, e.g. for environmental health concerns. The Scottish Government, following consultation with Public Health Scotland, has issued guidance to all local authorities in Scotland on the safe collection and disposal of dead wild birds suspected of having been infected with HPAI H5N1, including information on Animal-By-Products Regulations and public health, should local authorities wish to remove them.

As yet, there is no scientific evidence that the removal of carcases significantly reduces the risk of onward spread of the current strain of HPAI H5N1 amongst wild birds. However, this matter continues to be under review, including currently being the topic of a veterinary risk assessment carried out by the Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (EPIC), commissioned by the Scottish Government.

This is a matter for individual Health Boards. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government at present. An NHS Scotland medical equipment management system is however planned to be in place during 2023, and it is intended that information of the type requested will available through the system.

This is a matter for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government allocates annual Capital Resource Limit funding of over £140 million across all NHS Boards for essential backlog maintenance, statutory works and equipment purchases. Decisions on the allocation of this funding to specific items of equipment are made by each Board based on an assessment, taking account of clinical requirements, lifecycle replacement and risk.

This is a matter for individual Health Boards. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government at present. An NHS Scotland medical equipment management system is however planned to be in place during 2023, and it is intended that information of the type requested will available through the system.

This is a matter for individual Health Boards. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government at present. An NHS Scotland medical equipment management system is however planned to be in place during 2023, and it is intended that information of the type requested will available through the system.

The Scottish Government is supportive of a circular economy and the exploration of waste capture systems. Innovation plays a significant role in addressing a range of challenges faced by the aquaculture sector including reducing environmental impacts, and it will play a major role in the future sustainability of the aquaculture sector.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is responsible for regulating organic waste and chemical discharges from Scottish fish farms under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. SEPA carries out regular inspections of fish farm premises and can check the means by which controlled waste from these is being kept, transported and disposed of by the operators of these farms and that the duty of care is being followed.

SEPA launched its new regulatory framework and sector plan for finfish aquaculture in 2019. All fish farms in Scotland have to meet strict environmental guidelines, monitored by SEPA with the aim of ensuring that the environmental impacts from the industry are assessed and managed safely.

SEPA continues to work with, and provide advice to, developers and innovators wishing to introduce techniques for reducing or capturing farm waste.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-10883 and S6W-10888 on 21 September 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

In addition, it is recognised that the migratory routes of wild salmon through the coastal zone are not fully understood and we are committed to filling these knowledge gaps. In December 2021, £400,000 of funding was announced to support The West Coast Tracking project, in collaboration with Fisheries Management Scotland and The Atlantic Salmon Trust, which will provide data on the routes salmon take as they migrate from rivers out to sea. The findings from this work will be used to inform future planning and policy decisions.

Building upon the good work already undertaken, Atkins WSP Joint Venture will take forward the engineering and environmental assessments to determine the preferred options for the medium and long term solutions, developing the subsequent detailed designs in consultation with stakeholders. They will also assist in completion of the statutory processes including acquisition of land, and in the procurement and construction supervision activities. Given the number of potential solutions and variability of scope and length of each project stage, it is not possible to provide a meaningful breakdown of estimated costs at this stage in the process.