- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 25 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions took place, prior to 1 July 1999, between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and The Scottish Office on the definition of the Scottish fisheries 'one and whether, at any stage, MAFF suggested alternative boundaries other than that finally agreed and, if so, what were their co-ordinates.
Answer
The Scottish Executive cannot comment on the actions of a previous administration.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 25 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre any correspondence or communication between The Scotland Office and/or The Scottish Executive and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on the subject of the Scottish fisheries 'one.
Answer
Mr Lochhead should direct his question about correspondence between the Scotland Office and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the Secretary of State of Scotland.Regarding the correspondence between the Scottish Executive and other parties, Mr Finnie wrote to the Secretary of State about this issue on 20 June 1999. This letter has been lodged with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what direct discussions and communications it has had with the French Government to persuade it to lift the current ban on beef exports to France.
Answer
Scottish Executive officials were present at all the technical discussions with the French on the Date Based Export Scheme and aimed at encouraging the French to comply with their obligations in respect of this Scheme under EU legislation.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when and how it first became aware of the French Prime Minister's recently publicised views on Scottish beef in relation to the current ban on beef imports by France.
Answer
The Scottish Executive became aware of the views expressed by the French Prime Minister on his apparent preference for a UK herd-based export scheme, which might include Scottish herds such as Aberdeen Angus, through press reports immediately following his reported remarks. The Executive was aware, however, of the general French view in favour of herd-based arrangements through the clarification discussions between the UK, France and EU Commission on the Date Based Export Scheme. Scottish Executive officials were involved throughout these discussions.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Her Majesty's Government informed the First Minister or the Scottish Rural Affairs Minister at any point prior to 14 December 1999, of the French Government's views on an exemption of Scottish beef from the current ban on UK beef imports to France.
Answer
The French Prime Minister's comments on a UK herd-based export scheme, which might have included Scottish herds, were never translated into a formal offer and were in any event unrealistic because they were at odds with the negotiated arrangements for lifting the ban, and also with the underlying Florence Agreement framework.Accordingly, the French Prime Minister's views were not considered in the technical discussions with the French on the Date Based Export Scheme.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 20 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take in response to concerns expressed by farmers at their recent rally in Edinburgh and through the Scottish National Farmers' Union's Petitions for Action.
Answer
I have already discussed the Petitions with the National Farmers' Union of Scotland. They are aware that it is difficult to resolve some of the matters highlighted, but I have undertaken to look seriously at the issues and, where appropriate, also to raise the issues with my Ministerial counterparts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 20 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) the United Kingdom's and (b) the EU's fishing entitlement is allocated to Scottish registered and owned fishing vessels.
Answer
Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for each Member State are set each year by the Council of Ministers. The figures for 1999 appear in the Official Journal of the European Commission, L13, volume 42, of 18 January 1999.
TACs for the United Kingdom are allocated to Producer Organisations (POs) and other groups of fishermen, and POs are responsible for managing quotas on behalf of their members. Some vessels in Scottish POs are registered elsewhere in the UK, and some in other POs are registered in Scotland. Information on how POs manage quota during the year is not held centrally and therefore it is not possible to specify the proportion of TACs allocated to Scottish registered and owned vessels.However, landings of all species by Scottish registered vessels in 1998 amounted to 73 per cent by weight and nearly 63 per cent by value of landings by all UK vessels in that year. Further details are available in Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics, 1998.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 20 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it had (a) the authority and (b) the necessary funds to introduce a safety improvement grant scheme for fishing vessels as from 1 July 1999 to replace the scheme ended by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in May 1999.
Answer
I refer Mr Lochhead to previous answers given to him on this matter (24 June and 3 November). It would have been inappropriate for the Scottish Executive to introduce a safety scheme while consideration was being given by the UK Government to re-instatement of the previous arrangements. Following confirmation in November 1999 that the UK Government will not re-introduce the UK-wide scheme, the Executive has acted promptly to propose Scottish measures.In any event, resources for the FIFG programme ending 31 December 1999 are fully committed in Scotland and would not have been available to support a safety scheme.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 20 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the number of civil servants in its Rural Affairs Department and, if so, by how many.
Answer
There is likely to be a small increase in the Department's staff over the next 12 months, mainly to handle the more complex support regime being introduced by the European Union under Agenda 2000, but the precise numbers involved are not yet clear.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by John Home Robertson on 19 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to support the inclusion of Article 12.5, outlined in the draft regulations on European Structural Assistance in the fisheries sector, in the final document.
Answer
Article 12.5 of the draft has now been included in the final regulation.