- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 May 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what chemical and radioactive materials or compounds the UK Atomic Energy Authority establishment at Dounreay has been licensed to discharge.
Answer
This information is not held centrally. It is available from the independent regulator, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, on its public registers.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 May 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates radioactive particles have been found at Sandside Beach in Reay since monitoring of the beach commenced in 1984.
Answer
The dates on which particles were found on Sandside Beach, since 1984, are shown in the table.
| Particle Number | Date |
| 1 | 28-04-1984 |
| 2 | 28-05-1997 |
| 3 | 24-11-1997 |
| 4 | 29-07-1999 |
| 5 | 17-08-1999 |
| 6 | 10-09-1999 |
| 7 | 23-09-1999 |
| 8 | 20-12-1999 |
| 9 | 17-02-2000 |
| 10 | 02-03-2000 |
| 11 | 14-04-2000 |
| 12 | 17-07-2000 |
| 13 | 16-08-2000 |
| 14 | 03-11-2000 |
| 15 | 16-02-2001 |
| 16 | 12-06-2001 |
| 17 | 26-06-2001 |
| 18 | 11-03-2002 |
| 19 | 15-03-2002 |
| 20 | 16-04-2002 |
| 21 | 29-11-2002 |
| 22 | 23-12-2002 |
| 23 | 26-02-2003 |
| 24 | 27-02-2003 |
| 25 | 27-02-2003 |
| 26 | 03-03-2003 |
| 27 | 13-03-2003 |
| 28 | 18-03-2003 |
| 29 | 20-03-2003 |
| 30 | 27-03-2003 |
| 31 | 28-03-2003 |
| 32 | 28-03-2003 |
| 33 | 02-04-2003 |
| 34 | 08-04-2003 |
| 35 | 10-04-2003 |
| 36 | 10-04-2003 |
| 37 | 11-04-2003 |
| 38 | 11-04-2003 |
| 39 | 12-05-2003 |
| 40 | 12-05-2003 |
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 May 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what chemical and radioactive compounds were contained in each radioactive particle found at Sandside Beach in Reay since monitoring of the beach commenced in 1984.
Answer
The monitoring of Sandside beach is a matter for the independent regulator, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Analysis shows that the particles contain the isotopes caesium 137, niobium 94 and cobalt 60, along with the elements uranium, aluminium and traces of calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium and silicon. The analyses undertaken on the particles do not indicate the chemical compounds in which these constituents are contained.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 May 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 May 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of radioactivity was present in radioactive particles found at Sandside Beach in Reay since monitoring of the beach commenced in 1984.
Answer
The table shows the activity of caesium 137 (Cs137), cobalt 60 (Co60) and niobium 94 (Nb94) in the particles found on Sandside Beach since 1984.
| Particle Number | Date | Cs 137[Bq]1 | Co60[Bq] | Nb94[Bq] |
| 1 | 28-04-1984 | 2.00E+05 | nd2 | nd |
| 2 | 28-05-1997 | 1.50E+04 | nd | nd |
| 3 | 24-11-1997 | 1.50E+05 | nd | nd |
| 4 | 29-07-1999 | 9.30E+04 | nd | nd |
| 5 | 17-08-1999 | 6.10E+04 | nd | nd |
| 6 | 10-09-1999 | 1.81E+05 | nd | nd |
| 7 | 23-09-1999 | 3.00E+05 | nd | nd |
| 8 | 20-12-1999 | 6.50E+04 | nd | nd |
| 9 | 17-02-2000 | 7.57E+04 | nd | nd |
| 10 | 02-03-2000 | 4.63E+04 | nd | nd |
| 11 | 14-04-2000 | 6.25E+04 | nd | nd |
| 12 | 17-07-2000 | 1.20E+05 | nd | nd |
| 13 | 16-08-2000 | 4.00E+04 | nd | nd |
| 14 | 03-11-2000 | 4.80E+04 | nd | nd |
| 15 | 16-02-2001 | 1.00E+05 | nd | nd |
| 16 | 12-06-2001 | 6.10E+04 | nd | nd |
| 17 | 26-06-2001 | 5.70E+04 | nd | nd |
| 18 | 11-03-2002 | 9.10E+04 | nd | nd |
| 19 | 15-03-2002 | 1.10E+05 | nd | 100 |
| 20 | 16-04-2002 | 6.40E+04 | nd | 98 |
| 21 | 29-11-2002 | 8.90E+04 | nd | nd |
| 22 | 23-12-2002 | 3.90E+04 | nd | nd |
| 23 | 26-02-2003 | 1.30E+04 | nd | nd |
| 24 | 27-02-2003 | 6.56E+04 | nd | nd |
| 25 | 27-02-2003 | 8.29E+04 | nd | 98 |
| 26 | 03-03-2003 | 1.90E+04 | nd | nd |
| 27 | 13-03-2003 | 8.40E+03 | nd | nd |
| 28 | 18-03-2003 | 2.70E+04 | nd | nd |
| 29 | 20-03-2003 | 1.30E+04 | nd | nd |
| 30 | 27-03-2003 | 4.10E+04 | nd | nd |
| 31 | 28-03-2003 | 6.10E+04 | nd | nd |
| 32 | 28-03-2003 | 6.40E+04 | nd | nd |
| 33 | 02-04-2003 | 5.70E+04 | nd | nd |
| 34 | 08-04-2003 | 1.30E+04 | nd | nd |
| 35 | 10-04-2003 | 1.50E+05 | nd | nd |
| 36 | 10-04-2003 | 1.60E+04 | nd | nd |
| 37 | 11-04-2003 | 3.80E+04 | nd | nd |
| 38 | 11-04-2003 | 2.30E+04 | nd | nd |
Notes:1. [Bq] - Becquerel.2. nd - not detected.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assess the potential benefits of an environmental court as a possible means of securing improved environmental justice.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is committed to the effective and appropriate enforcement of environmental legislation. Environmental protection and environmental justice are key objectives in creating a sustainable future for Scotland. The Scottish Land Court is being given powers to deal with certain environmental matters as a way of securing improved protection to the Scottish environment.Chapter three of the Policy and Financial Management Review of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, published on 14 March 2003 investigated a number of ways in which the prosecution of environmental crimes may be made more effective. Furthermore, we are supporting training initiatives to increase awareness amongst the legal profession of environmental issues.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 28 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had during 2002 with the board of management of St Mary's Episcopal Primary School in Dunblane about future funding arrangements at the school and what plans there are for any such future discussions.
Answer
The Scottish Executive had no such discussions with the board of management of the school in 2002, but had meetings with representatives of the board in February and March 2003, at which future funding arrangements were discussed.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has provided any guidance to its departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies to assist in the review of spending plans against sustainable development criteria and, if so, whether it will publish this guidance.
Answer
The process followed during the Spending Review 2002, including the guidance and support for departments, is set out in Building a Sustainable Scotland, published on 18 December 2002.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Sustainable Scotland last met; when it will meet next, and what plans it has to review and update the external membership of the committee.
Answer
The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Sustainable Scotland last met on 15 January 2003. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-6237 on 16 January 2003, which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/search.htm.The remit and membership of the sub-committee will be matters for the incoming administration.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how often, and in what format, it will report on achieving progress against each of the indicators set out in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland.
Answer
In paragraph 49 of Meeting the Needs..., and in the introduction to Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland, we stated our intention to report regularly on the status of the sustainable development indicators. We are currently considering the best format for future reports.Data on many of the indicators is also available elsewhere and references to these sources are provided in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, or plans to take, to broaden the indicators in to include indicators addressing (a) soils, (b) farmland biodiversity, (c) landscapes, (d) areas of ancient and semi-natural woodland, (e) areas of woodland and (f) sustainable forestry management.
Answer
As stated in the introduction of the report, and in paragraph 43 of Meeting the Needs..., we will review the usefulness of the indicators in 2003. We will consider emerging opinion, such as that expressed at the World Summit, and we will add to the indicators as and when additional measures are necessary to clarify our aspirations and chart progress towards them.
