- 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 9 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult rural communities and the retail industry about the best locations for new abattoir facilities.
Answer
Although we have nocurrent plans to consult rural communities, we will await the outcome of thefoot-and-mouth disease review. While the location of any new abattoirs is a commercialmatter for individual operators, our draft Scotland Rural Development Programmedoes includes measures 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 Linda Fabiani on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it routinely plans to release draft documents given to it by the UK Government as part of the process of inter-governmental co-operation.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentwill continue to treat documents received from the UK Government in accordance withthe principles outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding.
A copy of the Memorandumof Understanding is lodged with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- 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 whether a written, formal and costed application was made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or HM Treasury for a compensation scheme for farmers following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007 and prior to 25 October 2007; for what types of support and sectors any such application was made; what costs were attached to each element, and on what date any such application was made.
Answer
I wrote to the Secretaryof State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 September 2007 explainingthe urgent need for a sheep welfare scheme and reiterating our view that it shouldbe funded by the UK Government. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and SustainableGrowth wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 October 2007 with detailsof the full £25 million package that I announced in Parliament that day. The letterstated that financial support from the UK Government would be appropriate to addressthe specific issues which emerged from the Pirbright outbreak of foot and mouthdisease. Once the UK Government has accepted in principle that it has responsibilityfor this funding, we can discuss the details.
- 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 when farmers can expect to receive financial assistance from the Scottish Government’s economic compensation scheme.
Answer
We expect paymentsunder the Scottish Ewe Scheme to be made to around 11,600 eligible producers bymid November.
- 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: 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 Foot and Mouth Disease Contingency Plan has been reviewed to address the bluetongue outbreak in England.
Answer
Bluetongue andfoot-and-mouth disease are two separate exotic notifiable diseases requiring separatedisease control responses. The UK Bluetongue Control Strategy is being revised asa result of a new Commission Regulation on bluetongue.
- 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 specific financial assistance it has formally requested from the UK Government other than assistance under the Sheep Welfare Scheme.
Answer
The Cabinet Secretaryfor Finance and Sustainable Growth wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasuryon 24 October 2007 seeking reimbursement of £25 million, whichwe estimate to be the cost of the support package that I announced on that day.The package includes the cost of the Sheep Welfare Scheme. We still await a formalresponse.
- 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 expects to be copied any future drafts of statements or other documents by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) following the Executive’s release of the recent DEFRA draft statement for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentfully expects to continue having a positive working relationship with the Departmentfor Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
- 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 |
