- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the best locations for new rural abattoirs.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentsupports the principle of the slaughter of animals close to the point of rearingwherever possible. While the location of any new abattoirs is a commercial matterfor individual operators, our draft Scotland Rural Development Programme does includesmeasures offering support for new rural abattoirs.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive in what respects it considered the NFU Scotland estimates quantifying the need for compensation for farmers in respect of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007 to be deficient.
Answer
While we have considerablesympathy with the case put forward by NFU Scotland requesting funding for Scottishfarmers following the recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, it does not fullyreflect recent developments (such as the reopening of export markets and availabilityof Private Storage Aids for pig meat). We discussed the matter of compensation withthe NFU Scotland and the wider industry, taking into account NFU Scotland estimatesof need. We also took account of funding available to the Scottish Government. Thepackage of measures that I announced on 24 October 2007 provides immediate relief to those most hard pressedas a result of foot-and-mouth disease while supporting the long term viability of the industry.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority area of the number of sheep culled for welfare reasons under the Sheep Welfare Scheme.
Answer
As at 2 November 2007, 60,632 animals have been slaughtered under the SheepWelfare Scheme. The following table shows the number of animals presented to collectioncentres within the local authority areas listed. These animals were subsequentlyslaughtered. The local authority areas listed are those which contain one or morecollection centres.
| Local Authority Area | Number of Animals Presented (and Slaughtered) |
| Aberdeenshire | 1,388 |
| Angus | 873 |
| Argyll and Bute | 11,080 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 6,507 |
| Highlands | 5,291 |
| Orkney Islands | 2,358 |
| Perth and Kinross | 3,653 |
| Scottish Borders | 3,641 |
| Shetland Islands | 18,565 |
| South Lanarkshire | 4,048 |
| Stirling | 3,228 |
| Total | 60,632 |
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment or any officials acting on his behalf recommended or encouraged NFU Scotland to make representations to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on a compensation scheme following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007, and whether the Cabinet Secretary or any officials offered formal or informal support for the case that NFU Scotland was proposing to make to DEFRA in respect of a compensation package.
Answer
No. We have been inregular discussions with stakeholders since the beginning of the foot-and-mouthoutbreak. While we have made clear that funding responsibility for foot-and-mouthdisease compensation rests with the UK Government, the Scottish Government has madeits own representations to UK ministers on this issue.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 7 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S3F-125 by Alex Salmond on 6 September 2007 (Official Report, c. 1501), whether the phrase “so-called hit list” refers to the programme of school closures contained in Children & Families Estates Review: Rationalisation and Development Programme, approved by the City of Edinburgh Council Executive on 23 August 2007.
Answer
The First Ministerwas reflecting on a general understanding that the possibility of school closures had been underconsideration for some time by the City of Edinburgh Council’s previous administration.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 7 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4248 by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2007, whether it will give examples of the reports referred to.
Answer
There were such reportsin the Edinburgh Evening News on 14 August 2006, and 31 January, 9 February and 7 March 2007.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 6 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4248 by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2007, whether any of these reports referred to the existence of a “so-called hit list” of school closures approved by the City of Edinburgh Council Executive prior to May 2007 and, if so, which reports these were and when they were published.
Answer
Press reports, althoughnot using the precise term “so-called hit list”, suggested that the possibilityof school closures was under consideration by the then City of Edinburgh Council administration and mentioned certain specificschools.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the decision to abolish the Cabinet Committee on Sustainable Scotland, what formal internal mechanisms exist to ensure that decisions meet the Executive’s five priorities and contribute to the target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by over 3% a year.
Answer
It isthe responsibility of Cabinet, assisted by the Strategic Board, to achieve the overallpurpose and the five strategic objectives set by the Scottish Government. The GreenerScotland strategic objective is supported by a Programme Board, chaired by the DirectorGeneral Environment and reporting directly to the Strategic Board and Cabinet. Thisboard will take responsibility for oversight of the programmes to deliver reductionsin greenhouse gas emissions and other targets of the government.
Our Scottish ClimateChange Bill will set out our proposed targets on emissions, including our headlineaim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from 1990 levels by the year 2050,and mandatory annual reporting to provide strong accountability. We aim to launchthe public consultation on proposals for the bill around the turn of the year.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 1 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce what action it will take in respect of snaring, in light of responses to the consultation having closed eight months ago.
Answer
The ScottishGovernment’s response to the snaring consultation, initiated by the previousadministration, will be issued in due course, in accordance with the prioritiesof the Scottish Government in this area. We are well aware of the sensitivitiessurrounding this issue and the fact that snaring is considered an essentialtool by land managers. Our proposals will be carefully considered and will takeaccount of the strong views expressed on all sides of this debate.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 31 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to seek a general renegotiation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Government or of the bilateral concordats between the Scottish Executive and UK departments.
Answer
The Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) is a quadrilateral agreement between the UK Government and theDevolved Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Therefore, a review of the MoU would requirethe participation of all four Administrations and be carried out under the auspicesof the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC).
The First Ministerhas written to the Prime Minister calling for a JMC to be convened and we awaithis response.
Bilateral concordatsbetween the Scottish and UK Governments are kept under constant review and are updatedas and when required. Copies of all concordats are lodged with the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre.
