- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 10 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it gives to Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 before seeking the agreement of the Scottish Parliament, through a Sewel motion, to the UK Parliament legislating for Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will always consider Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 in order to determine whether provisions in a Westminster Bill require the consent of the Scottish Parliament by means of a Sewel motion.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to publicise to members of the public their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answer
The Scottish Office produced guidance for members of the public on their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights in 1999. However, we announced in June this year that we would be taking forward a package of awareness-raising activities over the next year. This will include producing further guidance for members of the public, completely revising and updating our human rights website and working with other human rights organisations to support awareness-raising activities.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 6 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the enhanced checks and controls are that have been put in place as referred to in the debate on its response to the foot-and-mouth disease inquiries on 21 November 2002 (Official Report, c 15674).
Answer
The following enhanced checks and controls have been introduced:
- a pig swill ban;
- the power of local authority staff to seize meat has been increased;
- better intelligence gathering and dissemination;
- sniffer dog trial at Heathrow airport;
- additional inspection staff and activities at ports and airports, and
agreement with the European Commission in that the 1 kg personal allowance of meat imports will be removed from 1 January 2003.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 6 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Veterinary Laboratory Agency is expected to report on its detailed risk assessment as referred to in the debate on its response to the foot-and-mouth disease inquiries on 21 November 2002 (Official Report, c 15674).
Answer
It is hoped that this report will be available before Christmas.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional staff have been recruited to police controls as referred to in the debate on its response to the foot-and-mouth disease inquiries on 21 November 2002 (Official Report, c 15674) of the meeting of the Parliament.
Answer
An additional £1.5 million has been made available this financial year for additional checks on imports with an additional 18 staff to be recruited for enforcement purposes.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development has had any role or input, in relation to the Executive's responsibilities, into proposals contained in the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Seventh Report of Session 2001-02, Illegal Meat Imports, that relate to matters reserved to Her Majesty's Government.
Answer
No Scottish Executive minister had any role or input into the proposals by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee report into Illegal Meat Imports.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether x-ray equipment has been introduced to scan containers and personal luggage to detect the presence of illegal food imports; if so, where the equipment is located and how many items of equipment there are.
Answer
Customs and Excise, in conjunction with the Ports Health Authority at Southampton, ran some containers through their commercial size x-ray equipment. Unfortunately the initial reaction from the port health officers was that this is not a promising route to identify smuggled meat.More trials are needed and both Felixstowe and Southampton will be engaged in further work.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether amnesty bins to encourage the surrender of unintended illegal personal imports of meat have been introduced; if so, where they are located and how many there are.
Answer
There have been discussions with HM Customs and Excise on the use of amnesty bins but they have not been introduced. Where passengers wish to surrender unintended illegal personal imports of meat and other animal products, they can present them to customs officials in the "Red Channel".
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the debate on its response to the foot-and-mouth disease inquiries (Official Report, c 15673), how many sniffer dogs are now actively engaged in the detection of illegal meat imports.
Answer
There are two dogs actively involved in the current trial at Heathrow Airport.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being carried out, or has been instructed, into technologies to assist in the detection of illegal meat imports.
Answer
Research has been conducted into the use of x-ray machines for both passengers and freight. A trial was carried out at Southampton and further trials are planned at Southampton and Felixstowe.
