Chamber and committees

Crops grown outwith the separation distance around a GM crop do not come within the scope of the legislation regulating GM releases. Growers, whether they are the farmer involved in the trial or neighbouring landowners, are at liberty to do what they wish with these crops. Before a GM crop is approved for release, the possible consequences of pollen flow from the crop is assessed carefully. Approval would not be granted if there was considered to be a safety threat to neighbouring crops or to human health.

The development of specialist nurses is primarily a matter for individual NHS trusts to determine in light of their clinical needs and service developments. Information on the numbers of specialist nurses is not centrally available.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Disabled people who hold a valid disabled persons blue or orange parking badge are exempt from payment of tolls at the Erskine, Forth Road and Tay Road Bridges. Disabled people who are exempt from payment of vehicle excise duty are exempt from payment of tolls at Skye Bridge. The details are set out in the relevant legislation for each bridge. Toll charges and entitlement to toll exemptions are displayed at the tollbooths of each bridge. It is a matter for the authority at each bridge to ensure that charges and exemptions are applied correctly. The Executive monitors statistics on the number of exempt crossings on a regular basis for the Skye and Erskine Bridges. For the Forth Road and Tay Road Bridges this is a matter for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority and the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board, respectively. Exemptions from road user charges under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 will be the subject of regulations, a draft of which will be issued for consultation within the next few months.

In Scotland, all new building work, including alterations and extensions, which is covered by building regulations must comply with the Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990, as amended. The issues of parking provision and access for disabled people are covered by Part S of the Technical Standards (Access to and movement within buildings, and protective barriers).National Planning Policy Guidance 17, paragraph 48, sets out guidance to local authorities and developers on access for disabled people and also considers the needs of older people and those travelling with children. It also mentions the special design requirements for wheelchair use. Paragraph 16 of the recently published draft addendum to National Planning Policy Guidance 17, which sets out maximum parking standards for new developments, also requires that councils continue to make provision for disabled parking and that the amount, location and design of this should be discussed with local disability groups. Comments and objections received to the draft are currently being analysed including those who have commented on the issue of meeting disabled parking requirements within the new maximum parking regime. The finalised addendum will be published towards the end of the year.

The four UK administrations are currently undertaking a review of the Blue Badge Scheme and have received a report from the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) - the UK Government's statutory adviser on the transport needs of disabled people.The scheme, however, is a wholly devolved matter and the Executive is therefore currently considering how any changes to the scheme recommended on an UK-wide basis by DPTAC should be addressed. I hope to be able to announce, along with the other administrations, the way ahead for the Blue Badge Scheme later this year.It is for DPTAC to consider whether and, if so, when to publish its report.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that all GM foods to be marketed in the EU must comply with the EC Novel Foods Regulation (258/97). The European Commission has, however, stated that honey unintentionally containing pollen transferred by bees from GM crops is not a novel food and does not require labelling under that regulation.

It is widely acknowledged that bees foraging on oil seed rape may disperse pollen beyond the trial site no matter what separation distances are in place. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment considers this issue as part of the environmental risk assessment, which is an integral part of the approval process. If pollen dispersal was considered harmful to human health or the environment, the crop would have been refused consent.The separation distances contained in the SCIMAC guidelines have no statutory authority.

There are no plans to introduce statutory provisions allowing claims for compensation for contamination specifically by a genetically modified organism.It is recognised that some GM crops produce pollen, very small quantities of which may be dispersed by operation of nature beyond the trial site. The consequences of this are considered carefully before consent for release is granted. On the basis of this assessment, the Executive is unaware of any safety or legal reasons why the GM crops which have been approved in Scotland should have an adverse effect on beekeepers or non-GM growers in the vicinity of trial sites.

The guidelines prepared by SCIMAC are that organisation's own responsibility and have no regulatory authority. Any separation distances stipulated in consents to release GM crops have the confidence of our statutory advisory bodies that they will minimise pollen dispersal effectively. The advisory bodies keep abreast of scientific research in the field of gene flow and regularly review their advice to government on separation distances.