Chamber and committees

In addition to this assessment, The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) includes conditions relating to antibiotic use in the site specific licences and associated documentation issued to fish farm operators under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. It should be noted however that over the last decade, since the advent of vaccination of most farmed salmon, antibiotic use in fish farming has been generally at a low level. A mean of 9 marine cage fish farm sites report using antibiotic products to SEPA in any given year since records began to be compiled in 2002. In any given year there are typically approximately 250 active marine cage fish farm sites in use in Scotland, thus on average perhaps 3.6% of marine cage fish farms have reported antibiotic use in any given year.

In addition to this assessment, The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) includes conditions relating to the use of emamectin benzoate in the site specific licences and associated documentation issued to fish farm operators under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. It is recognised that unrestricted use of emamectin benzoate may pose a risk to marine life and in particular crustaceans in the vicinity of fish farms. SEPA has therefore developed a sophisticated licensing system based on a predictive computer model to set site specific limiting conditions in marine cage fish farm authorisations. These conditions restrict the scale of the use and subsequent re-use of emamectin benzoate to ensure environmental protection. The controls put in place are designed to protect the most vulnerable aquatic animals for which emamectin benzoate is most toxic. The substance displays much lower toxicity to fish and thus in protecting more sensitive animals, the protection of salmon and trout and any other species in the water environment is assured.

Hydrogen peroxide poses a substantially lower environmental risk because the substance rapidly dissociates to water and oxygen, in particular in contact with organic matter. SEPA considers that the substance poses no significant risk to the environment out with the immediate vicinity of the fish farm cages.

Sea lice are marine parasites that occur naturally on many different species of wild fish including wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout. Marine Scotland’s Fish Health Inspectorate monitors sea lice on fish farms through a programme of sea lice inspections and enhanced sea lice inspections. A basic sea lice inspection is conducted whenever aquaculture facilities in seawater are visited, and an enhanced inspection is completed in cases where elevated lice numbers have been observed, reported or the site is considered to be at greater risk of elevated sea lice numbers.

Prior to the enactment of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007, there were no inspections carried out solely for the purposes of monitoring sea lice populations, hence the absence of data prior to the latter part of 2008. Beyond this there is no requirement to report chronic sea lice infestations to the Scottish Government.

A development review is carried out at 27 to 30 months. There are opportunities to discuss development at the six to eight week health review and at the two months, three months, four months, 12 to 13 months and three to five years immunisation contacts. Vision screening takes place in the pre-school year, with the exception of one health board where it takes place in Primary One.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is supporting NHS boards to increase access to psychological intervention at an early stage in the patient journey by training a range of staff to deliver evidence-based low intensity psychological interventions. These are now widely available, and include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based guided self-help and behavioural activation.

NES support training in CBT, which has been shown to reduce relapse rates in depression when compared to medication alone. NES also support training in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, which also reduces relapse rates in depression. These two high intensity interventions can, therefore, help prevent a chronic illness from developing.

Health reviews are carried out within the first 24 hours and within the first 10 days of life. Motor, social and other skills development are reviewed at six to eight weeks; verbal, motor, social and other skills are reviewed at 27 to 30 months, and there are opportunities to discuss development in these skills at the immunisation contacts at two months, three months, four months, 12 to 13 months and three to five years. Vision screening takes place in the pre-school year, with the exception of one health board where it takes place in Primary One.

Planning authorities are responsible for (a) monitoring and (b) enforcing planning conditions relating to onshore windfarms and hydro schemes. It is for the landowner, unless otherwise specified, to ensure that the conditions of consent for development on their land are accorded with.

Funding is not ring-fenced for these purposes but comes from the general local government settlement.