- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish all scientific evidence available to it and its agencies, so that independent scientists may assess the claims and counter-claims in relation to any potential health risk associated with farmed salmon.
Answer
I am advised by the FoodStandards Agency that it publishes all results from surveys and research thatit commissions. Results from previous dioxins surveys are in the public domain,and more results are due to be published shortly. The agency also aims topublish, by the end of 2004, results from a larger survey of dioxins in fish,including wild and farmed salmon. In 2001, the agency published detailed advicefrom the independent advisory committee, the committee on toxicity of chemicalsin food, consumer products and the environment, explaining howtolerable daily intakes of dioxins are calculated. All of this information ispublicly available on the agency’s web-site.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue guidance to public institutions providing meals, including schools and hospitals, on how many portions of farmed salmon may be eaten without increasing the risk of developing cancer or other negative health effects.
Answer
I am advised by the FoodStandards Agency that currentGovernment advice, based on expert scientific opinion, is that consumers shouldaim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily. Thebiggest diet-related risk to UK health is heart disease and oily fish, includingsalmon, contain fatty acids that help prevent this.
Guidance on fish consumptionin schools is already set out within the document Hungry for Success: AWhole School Approach to School Meals in Scotland which was produced by theExpert Panel on School Meals in November 2002.
Hospitals are expected tomeet the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Standards for the provision of food,fluid and nutritional care. A national nutritional and catering specificationfor hospitals is being developed but there are no plans for specific guidanceon salmon.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it will publish concerning the number of portions of farmed salmon that may be eaten each year without increased risk of cancer or other negative health effects.
Answer
I am advised by the FoodStandards Agency that based on expert scientific opinion, it recommends thatconsumers should aim to eat at least two portions of fish per week, one ofwhich should be oily such as salmon, either farmed or wild. The known healthbenefits of eating oily fish at this level outweigh any possible risks. In2003, the Food Standards Agency asked a group of experts to advise on thebalance of risks and benefits of regularly eating more than this over manyyears. This group will report later this year. Most people in the UK do noteat enough oily fish, average consumption being only a quarter of a portion perweek.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what scientific evidence there is showing that children can be fed a portion of salmon every week with no associated health risks.
Answer
I am advised by the FoodStandards Agency that risks associated with dioxins were assessed by theCommittee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and theEnvironment in 2001. The committee’s opinion provides the basis of the agency’sadvice that the benefits of a balanced diet outweigh the risk of dioxin intakefor both adults and children. The biggest diet-related risk to UK health isheart disease and oily fish, including salmon, contain fatty acids that helpprevent this. Most people in the UK do not eat enough oily fish, average consumptionbeing only a quarter of a portion per week.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide advice for groups of people, such as pregnant women, children and others at risk of cardiovascular disease, on how many portions of farmed salmon may be eaten each year without increasing the risk of cancer or other negative health effects.
Answer
I am advised by the FoodStandards Agency that currentGovernment advice, based on expert scientific opinion, is that consumers shouldaim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily. Thebiggest diet-related risk to UK health is heart disease and oily fish, includingsalmon, contain fatty acids that help prevent this.
In 2003, the Food Standards Agency asked the Scientific AdvisoryCommittee on Nutrition and the Committee on Toxicity of Chemical in FoodConsumer Products and the Environment to jointly review the latest evidence onthe balance of risks and benefits of increased consumption of fish. Advice onthis is expected later this year.
In the meantime the Food Standards Agency and the Scottish Executive will continue tomake information and advice available to consumers through the Agency’sweb-site and the “Healthy Living” line.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 29 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authority areas experienced a rise in domestic debt in relation to domestic water charges for Band A households between 2001 and 2003.
Answer
Data onlevels of domestic debt by household band in relation to water charges is notheld centrally.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 27 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps could be taken to reduce the level of toxic contaminants in farmed salmon.
Answer
The Food Standards Agency,and industry, regularly monitor the levels of toxic contaminants found infarmed salmon. Both report that trace elements continue to fall and that theyremain well below tolerances set by relevant international health agencies,such as the European Commission and WHO. The Scottish Executive, through theStrategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture, will explore with relevant bodieshow trace contaminant levels can be reduced still further.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 27 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage producers to take steps to reduce the level of toxic contaminants in farmed salmon.
Answer
The trace levels of contaminantfound in farmed salmon are within international food safety standards set byEuropean Commission and the WHO. But we are never complacent over such issuesand the Scottish Executive, with relevant stakeholder bodies, will explore optionsfor further reducing trace levels of contaminants through ongoing engagementwithin the Strategic Framework.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 22 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of (a) dioxins, (b) polychlorinated biphenols, (c) toxaphene and (d) dieldrin were found in (i) farmed salmon, (ii) wild salmon and (iii) fish farming feedstuffs sampled by government agencies between 1990 and 2003.
Answer
This is a matter for theFood Standards Agency and industry trade associations. The informationrequested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 21 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to ensure that conditions are improved and enforced on pig farms in Scotland following the report in December 2003 by Advocates for Animals of unacceptable conditions in which pigs were being kept on Scotpigs' farms.
Answer
The Welfare of FarmedAnimals (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2003 introduced a range ofnew conditions to improve the welfare of pigs. In addition, the StateVeterinary Service will continue to monitor conditions on pig farms andappropriate enforcement action will be initiated if contraventions are found.