- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 19 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice or guidance it has provided to education authorities on how to deal with teaching materials concerning genetically modified crops.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has not provided any specific guidance to education authorities on how to deal with teaching materials concerning genetically modified crops.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 19 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre any material that it has authorised that can be distributed to schools on the use of genetically modified crops.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has not authorised materials for distribution to schools on the use of genetically modified crops.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 19 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has calculated what length of warning people in Dumfries and Galloway would require to enable a safe public evacuation in the event of a terrorist attack on the nuclear installation at Sellafied.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19690.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 19 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice or guidance it has issued to civil emergency planners and local authorities regarding potential terrorist threats to nuclear material stored or used at Sellafield, Torness, Hunterston, Dounreay, Faslane, Chapelcross, Rosyth and Coulport.
Answer
Security and safety precautions at nuclear sites are kept under regular review and in the light of the recent terrorist attacks in the USA all relevant precautions are presently being scrutinised. It is not our policy to disclose details of security measures taken at civil nuclear sites.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 19 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice or guidance it has issued to civil emergency planners and local authorities regarding the length of warning times which should be given to enable the evacuation of the general public from affected areas in the event of a terrorist attack on Sellafied or Dounreay.
Answer
The licensed operators of all nuclear sites are required to prepare an emergency plan. These plans and those of other key agencies, such as the police and the local authorities, cover a range of scenarios. In the event of a terrorist attack on either Sellafield or Dounreay, resulting in an off-site emission, a decision would be made by the Incident Commander on whether to evacuate the general public in the immediate vacinity or to advise them to shelter indoors until a range of factors including the extent of any release and the prevailing weather was established.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 19 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what authorisation it has given to companies involved with genetically modified (GM) crops or pro-GM organisations regarding the distribution of information on GM crops to schools.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has not given authorisation to any such companies regarding the distribution of information on GM crops to schools.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice or guidance has been provided to North of Scotland Water Authority on how it might utilise any excess surplus funds which it generates.
Answer
No specific guidance is issued to Scottish water authorities on the use of surplus funds. Such funds are re-invested in the business, typically in support of major capital investment schemes to modernise the infrastructure.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific advice has been issued to North of Scotland Water Authority, East of Scotland Water Authority and West of Scotland Water Authority on how they should deal with pay negotiations in this financial year.
Answer
Guidance on Public Sector Pay for 2001-02 was issued to the Scottish Water Authorities in May 2001. This is approved annually by Scottish ministers and issued to all public sector organisations. The guidance for 2001-02 is available on the Scottish Executive website at:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/government/psp2001-01.asp.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has had into any recent discussions involving EU environment ministers.
Answer
The Executive is fully involved in preparations for Environment Councils and international meetings involving EU environment ministers.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with East Ayrshire Council regarding the disposal of ash derived from the pyres of foot-and-mouth disease infected cattle carcasses.
Answer
Since the end of August, there have been extensive discussions between Scottish Executive officials and the East Ayrshire Council Director of Community Services about proposals for the disposal of the ash from the three pyre sites in the South of Scotland. These included meetings in Glasgow and Kilmarnock. I have also discussed the matter personally with the leader of the council, Councillor Drew McIntyre, and the First Minister met him on 1 November.
