- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's recommended level is of authorised emissions of dioxins to air from cement factories burning waste known as "recycled liquid fuel" and what levels are recommended by the World Health Organisation and EU respectively.
Answer
The use of substitute liquid fuel in a cement kiln is treated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as a process of co-incineration falling within the scope of the EC Hazardous Waste Incineration Directive. That directive requires a dioxin limit of 0.1 nanogrammes per cubic metre for hazardous waste incinerators.The World Health Organisation (WHO) does not set standards for emissions from processes. WHO standards for dioxins are in terms of "Tolerable Daily Intakes" or "TDIs". The main source of these intakes is our food. The WHO currently recommends a TDI of between 1 and 4 picogrammes of dioxins per kilogramme of body weight. The European Union's Scientific Committee on Food defines its recommended limits on intake in terms of a "Tolerable Weekly Intake" which is currently set at 14 picogrammes of dioxins per kilogramme of body weight. For the UK, limits on intake are currently subject to consideration by the Food Standards Agency's Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the spillage of 6,000 litres of ha'ardous liquid fuel at the Blue Circle factory near Dunbar last month, it is satisfied with production procedures at the factory.
Answer
The Executive is satisfied with the environmental and health and safety legislation which regulate the cement manufacturing process. Assessment of the effectiveness of pollution controls and health and safety procedures at particular sites is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Health and Safety Executive.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the report in the Sunday Herald on 19 August 2001 regarding toxin emissions in cement production at the Blue Circle factory near Dunbar, it will commission an independent analysis of the production processes there and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
The Executive has no plans to commission an analysis of the production processes at the Dunbar plant. The toxicity of substances used in building materials is controlled through environmental and health and safety legislation. Responsibility for assessing the effectiveness of monitoring procedures for emissions at particular sites lies with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and for occupational health matters with the Health and Safety Executive.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the cement production methods at the Blue Circle factory near Dunbar give no cause for concern either to the health of those living in the vicinity or to those who occupy buildings built with cement from there.
Answer
The Executive is satisfied with the monitoring procedures in place for measuring emissions from the Blue Circle factory at Dunbar and with the environmental and health and safety legislation which regulates the cement manufacturing process.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the report in the Sunday Herald on 19 August 2001 regarding toxin emissions in cement production at the Blue Circle factory near Dunbar, it will commission a study into the incidence of cancer or foetal abnormalities in or around the area.
Answer
The Executive is satisfied with the monitoring procedures in place for measuring emissions from the Blue Circle factory at Dunbar and has no plans to commission such a study.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the report in the Sunday Herald on 19 August 2001 regarding toxin emissions in cement production at the Blue Circle factory near Dunbar, it will commission a study into any impact on cows' milk, farm crops and other food, whether for human or animal consumption, produced in and around the area.
Answer
This area of work is now the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) which informs me that it currently has no plans to commission a study of food and feedstuffs produced in the vicinity of the Blue Circle cement factory.However, I am advised that the FSA, in its role as a statutory consultee of the regulator SEPA (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency), will shortly be reviewing the operations carried out by Blue Circle at Dunbar in the context of the company's application for a permit under the terms of the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000.If the agency has concerns about the impact of emissions on the foodchain, it will advise SEPA accordingly and will, if necessary, recommend that additional safeguards be instituted.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many acts of self-harm were logged at each Scottish Prison Service prison in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001 to date.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
| Self-Harm 1999-2000 | Self-Harm 2000-01 | Self-Harm 01.04.01-31.08.01 |
| Aberdeen | 0 | 18 | 3 |
| Barlinnie | 31 | 26 | 4 |
| Castle Huntly | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cornton Vale | 81 | 23 | 21 |
| Dumfries | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Edinburgh | 26 | 11 | 1 |
| Glenochil | 13 | 20 | 3 |
| Greenock | 27 | 8 | 2 |
| Inverness | 18 | 12 | 6 |
| Low Moss | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Noranside | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Perth | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| Peterhead | 14 | 4 | 1 |
| Polmont | 30 | 29 | 11 |
| Shotts | 27 | 6 | 4 |
| Zeist | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 296 | 166 | 60 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service is or has been locating possible sites for building private prisons and, if so, where these sites are.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Work is under way to identify possible sites for new prisons in the central belt.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 13 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of Scottish Borders Council and what issues were discussed.
Answer
There have been a number of recent meetings between Scottish Borders Council and officials of the Scottish Executive and associated agencies at which various routine business matters have been discussed.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 12 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many misconduct reports were logged at HM Prison Kilmarnock in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001 to date.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17666 on 6 September 2001.
