- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 4 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what directions have been given to the Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest in respect of the committee’s procedures.
Answer
Procedures are set out in theNatural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 as amended by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act2004.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 4 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the selection process is by which it ensures that the convener and other members of the Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest have appropriate and relevant scientific qualifications and experience in relation to flora or fauna or the geological or geomorphological features of land.
Answer
Appointments to the AdvisoryCommittee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest are made by Scottishministers in open competition and are regulated by the Office of the Commissionerfor Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS).
Ministers appoint committee membersfrom among persons appearing to them to have scientific qualifications and experiencein relation to flora or fauna or the geological or geomorphological features ofland.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 4 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases have been referred to the Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest in each of the last five years and, in each case, whether the committee’s advice was in favour of (a) Scottish Natural Heritage, (b) objectors or (c) neither and whether Scottish Natural Heritage regarded or disregarded the committee’s advice.
Answer
The Advisory Committee on Sitesof Special Scientific Interest (ACSSSI) has reported on the following numbers ofcases since 1 August 2001:
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 1 |
ACSSSI is also currently consideringone case. Details of all cases referred to ACSSSI are published annually in SNH’sFacts and Figures publication.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 4 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest may invite external advice and, if so, in what circumstances, how often it has done so and what steps are taken to ensure that those advising the committee have appropriate and relevant scientific qualifications and experience in relation to flora or fauna or the geological or geomorphological features of land.
Answer
The Advisory Committee on Sitesof Special Scientific Interest (ACSSSI) has invited external advice from specialistadvisers on eight of the 10 cases it has considered since August 2001. Specialistadvice is sought when the committee feels that it needs additional expert inputon specialist ecological and scientific issues.
All potential advisers are approachedto provide CVs, which are passed to committee members for consideration. Advisersare usually well-known to the scientific community as experts in their field. ACSSSIremains responsible for determining its advice after taking account of such additionalinput and is not bound to accept the advice of its specialist advisers.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29350 by Ross Finnie on 10 November 2006, how many of the 65 detected incidents of pesticides exceeding the maximum residue level in 2005 were in produce originating or processed in Scotland and whether any enforcement action was taken.
Answer
The pesticide residues monitoringprogramme is UK-wide and it is not possible to determine origin within the UK from the informationavailable. Of the 65 incidents in 2005 where pesticide residues exceeded the maximumresidue level, seven involved produce labelled as UK origin.
Enforcement action has been initiatedin respect of one incident. The enforcement process identified that the producein question did not originate in Scotland.
The Pesticide Residues Committeepublish quarterly reports that contain brand names and details of produce that exceedthe maximum residue levels and any follow up action taken.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) reported cases of and (b) successful prosecutions for breaches of maximum pesticide residue levels in food there have been in each of the last five years.
Answer
Reported breaches of maximumresidue levels (MRLs) in the Pesticides Residues Committee’s UK pesticideresidues monitoring programme were as follows:
| 2001 | 29 | (0.7%) |
| 2002 | 40 | (1%) |
| 2003 | 27 | (0.7%) |
| 2004 | 42 | (1.1%) |
| 2005 | 65 | (1.7%) |
The UK has one of the lowestincidences of breaches of trading levels in Europe. Accordingly, prosecutions arenot routinely taken for minor infringements but are reserved for food safety issuesand the use of non-approved pesticides. There have been no prosecutions taken inthe last five years.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what actions are being taken to address unsafe levels of pesticides in food.
Answer
The Scottish Executiveparticipates in a UK pesticides residues monitoring programme which isoverseen by the independent Pesticides Residues Committee and costs around £2million annually. The results indicate a high level of compliance withstatutory maximum residue limits and continue to demonstrate that food availableto UK consumers does not contain unsafe levels of pesticides. Full results ofthis programme are available on the PRC website
www.prc-uk.org.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent research it has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the effect of exposure to unsafe levels of pesticide residues in food.
Answer
Nationally, a £2 millionprogramme of pesticide residue testing in food and drink is undertaken everyyear in the UK. This work is administered by the Pesticides SafetyDirectorate and overseen by the independent Pesticides Residues Committee whosemembers are appointed jointly by Scottish ministers and ministers from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department of Health and the other devolvedadministrations. No additional work on exposure has been commissioned.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the survey published by the Pesticide Action Network that found unsafe levels of pesticides in various foods and what plans it has to take action on the matter.
Answer
The Pesticides SafetyDirectorate is responsible for the regulation of pesticides and monitoring ofpesticides residues in the UK and has considered the report by the PesticidesAction Network. The issues raised are not new and many are specificallyaddressed in the results and risk assessments that government already publishin full.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the latest research published by the Pesticide Action Network in respect of pesticide residues in food.
Answer
The Pesticides SafetyDirectorate is responsible for the regulation of pesticides and monitoring ofpesticides residues in the UK and has considered the report by Pesticides ActionNetwork (PAN). The Pesticides Safety Directorate has access to the most up todate safety data for pesticides and is well placed to make judgments on therisk to consumers. It does not share PAN’s assessment of the data or theirclaim that UK food contains unsafe levels of pesticides.
