- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it routinely plans to release draft documents given to it by the UK Government as part of the process of inter-governmental co-operation.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentwill continue to treat documents received from the UK Government in accordance withthe principles outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding.
A copy of the Memorandumof Understanding is lodged with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding is available under the Rural Development Plan which could be allocated to enable new rural abattoirs to be established.
Answer
There is no specificallocation of funds through the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 forthe establishment of rural abattoirs. However, grants may be available through the programme on a competitivebasis under the Agriculture Processing and Marketing Grant Scheme towards the constructionof new facilities, or the upgrading of existing facilities, as well as the purchaseof plant and equipment. In certain circumstances assistance can also be made availabletowards wider business development costs such as feasibility studies and businessplans. Under the new programme £60 million has been allocated to the Food Processingand Marketing Grant Scheme.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in respect of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007, any communication accompanying the draft statement provided to the Executive by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that indicated what the Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and the Environment might say to the UK Parliament indicated that it had been approved by the Secretary of State as the final statement, or was qualified in any way as being a draft yet to be approved by the Secretary of State.
Answer
The draft speech receivedby Scottish Government officials on the morning of the 8 October 2007 announcement was a late draft. Defra officials had notedthat it may be subject to revision.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific financial assistance it has formally requested from the UK Government other than assistance under the Sheep Welfare Scheme.
Answer
The Cabinet Secretaryfor Finance and Sustainable Growth wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasuryon 24 October 2007 seeking reimbursement of £25 million, whichwe estimate to be the cost of the support package that I announced on that day.The package includes the cost of the Sheep Welfare Scheme. We still await a formalresponse.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to farmers and crofters under the Sheep Welfare Scheme, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The information requestedis provided in the following table which shows that as of 2 November 2007, a total of £292,965 has been processed for payment.The local authority areas listed are those which contain one or more collectioncentres.
| Local Authority Area | Payments Processed |
| Aberdeenshire | £20,835 |
| Argyll and Bute | £92,040 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | £87,555 |
| Orkney Islands | £19,230 |
| Perth and Kinross | £17,925 |
| Shetland Islands | £10,500 |
| South Lanarkshire | £37,260 |
| Stirling | £7,620 |
| Total | £292,965 |
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a written, formal and costed application was made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or HM Treasury for a compensation scheme for farmers following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007 and prior to 25 October 2007; for what types of support and sectors any such application was made; what costs were attached to each element, and on what date any such application was made.
Answer
I wrote to the Secretaryof State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 September 2007 explainingthe urgent need for a sheep welfare scheme and reiterating our view that it shouldbe funded by the UK Government. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and SustainableGrowth wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 October 2007 with detailsof the full £25 million package that I announced in Parliament that day. The letterstated that financial support from the UK Government would be appropriate to addressthe specific issues which emerged from the Pirbright outbreak of foot and mouthdisease. Once the UK Government has accepted in principle that it has responsibilityfor this funding, we can discuss the details.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the best locations for new rural abattoirs.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentsupports the principle of the slaughter of animals close to the point of rearingwherever possible. While the location of any new abattoirs is a commercial matterfor individual operators, our draft Scotland Rural Development Programme does includesmeasures offering support for new rural abattoirs.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive in what respects it considered the NFU Scotland estimates quantifying the need for compensation for farmers in respect of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007 to be deficient.
Answer
While we have considerablesympathy with the case put forward by NFU Scotland requesting funding for Scottishfarmers following the recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, it does not fullyreflect recent developments (such as the reopening of export markets and availabilityof Private Storage Aids for pig meat). We discussed the matter of compensation withthe NFU Scotland and the wider industry, taking into account NFU Scotland estimatesof need. We also took account of funding available to the Scottish Government. Thepackage of measures that I announced on 24 October 2007 provides immediate relief to those most hard pressedas a result of foot-and-mouth disease while supporting the long term viability of the industry.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority area of the number of sheep culled for welfare reasons under the Sheep Welfare Scheme.
Answer
As at 2 November 2007, 60,632 animals have been slaughtered under the SheepWelfare Scheme. The following table shows the number of animals presented to collectioncentres within the local authority areas listed. These animals were subsequentlyslaughtered. The local authority areas listed are those which contain one or morecollection centres.
| Local Authority Area | Number of Animals Presented (and Slaughtered) |
| Aberdeenshire | 1,388 |
| Angus | 873 |
| Argyll and Bute | 11,080 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 6,507 |
| Highlands | 5,291 |
| Orkney Islands | 2,358 |
| Perth and Kinross | 3,653 |
| Scottish Borders | 3,641 |
| Shetland Islands | 18,565 |
| South Lanarkshire | 4,048 |
| Stirling | 3,228 |
| Total | 60,632 |
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment or any officials acting on his behalf recommended or encouraged NFU Scotland to make representations to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on a compensation scheme following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in August 2007, and whether the Cabinet Secretary or any officials offered formal or informal support for the case that NFU Scotland was proposing to make to DEFRA in respect of a compensation package.
Answer
No. We have been inregular discussions with stakeholders since the beginning of the foot-and-mouthoutbreak. While we have made clear that funding responsibility for foot-and-mouthdisease compensation rests with the UK Government, the Scottish Government has madeits own representations to UK ministers on this issue.
