Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive has no plans to introduce such a scheme. The very tight EU pigs regime and State Aid constraints which apply to this sector severely limit the scope for providing any direct aid unless, for example, associated with an exceptional occurrence.I believe the debt relief measures which the Republic of Ireland proposes to introduce for some of its pig farmers is based on the very special circumstances of the fire at the Ballymoney pig processing plant.

The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) reviewed the ban on the use of porcine MBM as recently as November 1999. The Committee concluded that a relaxation of the feed ban in the UK to allow the inclusion of porcine MBM in poultry feed could not be supported on scientific grounds, reasoning that the comprehensive feed ban in place in the UK had been a critical factor in breaking the cycle of infection in the BSE epidemic. The Scottish Executive has accepted this advice.

This information is not held centrally. However, the likelihood is most of the Scottish Health Boards, NHS Trusts and hospitals will obtain their meat from only Scottish sources. Officials from my Department wrote to all Scottish local authorities in November last year highlighting some of the benefits of home-produced pork, lamb and beef.

The interests of stakeholders will be an important criterion to be taken into account. The other criteria will be how far the proposals help deliver government policy, how far they maximise accountability, and how far they maximise efficiency, effectiveness and value for money.

We take very seriously the difficulties currently facing the fabrication yards in the Highlands. The Deputy Minister for Enterprise in the Highlands and Islands and I visited the Ardersier yard only last week to meet the management and unions. While there is uncertainty over the immediate future of the yards, I am encouraged that they have not been closed and that the owners are committed to their retention on a care and maintenance basis in order that the yards are able to compete for orders when market confidence returns. The enterprise agencies are working closely with the company, and stand ready to help it in any way they can to develop new products and services and compete in new markets.At last week's Oil & Gas Industry Task Force, my DTI colleague the Minister for Energy and Competitiveness in Europe, Mrs Liddell, and I impressed on the industry the need for a response to the problems currently facing platform fabricators. As a result, a "Fabricators Forum" has been established and will be meeting before the end of the month.

The Scottish Executive funds CCTV through its 'Make Our Communities Safer' Challenge Competition. Applications are submitted to the Scottish Executive through Chief Executives of local councils and Chief Constables. I understand that no application is being considered for South Kessock for the 2000-01 round of the Competition which starts next April.

The Scottish Executive funds CCTV through its 'Make Our Communities Safer' Challenge Competition. Applications are submitted to the Scottish Executive through Chief Executives of local councils and Chief Constables. I understand that no application is being considered for South Kessock for the 2000-2001 round of the Competition which starts next April.

The terms of reference for the review of the careers service are: "To examine the role of the careers service in Scotland, and the scope for change and development of that role in the light of trends and initiatives in education, lifelong learning, and the labour market".All careers service companies are jointly owned by the relevant local enterprise companies and local authorities. The review's remit suggests a concentration on the role, rather than the ownership and organisation of the careers service, but remains sufficiently wide to allow the committee to consider all options for the future of the careers service.

This is the general rule operated. However, if toxin levels remain above the statutory limit in adjacent waters additional data will be required.

This is the general rule operated. However, if toxin levels remain above the statutory limit in adjacent waters additional data will be required.