- 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 powers it has to force the operators of the Garlaff Landfill Site to take ash derived from the pyres of foot-and-mouth disease infected cattle carcasses and whether it intends to use any such powers of enforcement.
Answer
Scottish ministers have powers under section 57 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to direct the holder of a waste management licence to accept and keep, or accept and treat or dispose of, controlled waste at specified places on specified terms. Ministers are considering whether or not to invoke these powers in relation to Garlaff Landfill site.
- 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 methods of disposal of ash derived from the pyres of foot-and-mouth disease infected carcasses have been explored; what the preferred method of disposal is, and what outstanding tonnage of ash is yet to be disposed of.
Answer
There are in the region of 2,000 tonnes of pyre ash at three sites in Scotland which require disposal. Disposal routes for the material throughout the UK were considered by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, the Department of Health, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency. They considered all possible disposal options for the material arising from the large pyres, including re-incineration and on-site burial, and concluded that the best option is disposal at a licensed engineered landfill site.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 2 November 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications were made under the Powershift programme to convert (a) private and (b) commercial vehicles to (i) liquefied natural gas and (ii) liquid petroleum gas in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This information was provided on 21 September, in response to a question by Mr Kenny MacAskill. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17986 on 21 September 2001.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 11 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any areas in which it or any of its agencies or non-departmental public bodies are currently infringing any European Union Directives or Regulations; what the current status of any such infringements is, and whether any of them relate to the environment and, if so, how many.
Answer
All Member States of the European Union are currently the subject of investigations by the European Commission regarding breaches of European law. The United Kingdom has a good record on such matters.
There is one breach of European environmental law concerning Scotland where the European Court of Justice has issued a formal judgement against the UK's implementation of the EC Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC). In addition there are 2 environmental infraction cases concerning Scotland where a notice has been published in the Official Journal of the European Communities that the cases have been referred to the European Court of Justice by the European Commission. For details of these cases I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-3901 on 4 October 2001.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 4 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Environment and Rural Development will reply to my letter of 16 August 2001 regarding the restructuring of the Scottish water industry.
Answer
A reply was sent on 28 September.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will hold an inquiry into Fife Health Board's handling of the recent case of the death of a patient from Hepatitis B contracted from a doctor.
Answer
An Incident Control Team was set up by Fife Health Board in February this year, when the first report of hepatitis B infection was received. A full investigation is currently under way and a report will be submitted to the board once the Incident Control Team have completed their enquiries. The report will then be assessed by the Health Department to see whether further action is needed.
The Incident Control Team's report will also be considered by the Advisory Group on hepatitis (AGH). The AGH provides the UK Health Departments with expert advice on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis. The group will advise on whether any changes are needed to current guidance on screening NHS staff or on handling events of this kind.
The Executive will take any appropriate action in the light of the group's advice.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the East of Scotland Water Authority has been installing water meters in the premises of non-domestic customers with neither prior consultation nor consent and, if so, when it was informed about this practice.
Answer
This is an operational matter for the East of Scotland Water Authority. I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of ESWA to respond. His response is as follows:
I have been asked by the minister to respond. A programme of meter installation to non-domestic properties is currently under way. East of Scotland Water undertake this work through our own internal contracting organisation and through external contractors.
Meters are often installed inside the customer's property as it is not physically possible to install a meter outside the property (due to the presence of other services or to avoid metering more than one customer's water supply).
East of Scotland Water have recently put installation procedures in place to ensure that an appointment is made with customers to both carry out the survey, and to install the meter. This procedure ensures that the customer is given at least 72 hours notice prior to the meter installation.
East of Scotland Water does not have a policy of knowingly entering private premises without prior consultation and consent from the owner of the property.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of non-payment of charges by (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic water customers was in each water authority area in each year since 1996-97 and in the first quarter of 2001-02.
Answer
Published audited information is only available for 1996-97 to 1999-2000. Figures for 2000-01 will be available shortly once the audited accounts for the three water authorities have been laid before Parliament.
The figures in the table represent the provision for bad debt, split between domestic and non-domestic customers as charged to the accounts.
Domestic bad debt
| | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
ESWA | 2.275 | 3.125 | 6.087 | 5.822 | 7.721 |
WOSWA | 6.68 | 9.746 | 11.938 | 14.528 | 16.532 |
NOSWA | 2.00 | 2.6 | 2.576 | 3.966 | 2.0 |
TOTAL | | | | | 26.253 |
Non-Domestic bad debt
| | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
ESWA | 1.945 | 1.535 | 1.266 | 6.462 | 6.060 |
WOSWA | 4.817 | 5.235 | 6.343 | 3.715 | 5.744 |
NOSWA | 3.538 | 1.604 | 0.596 | -0.202 | 5.1 |
TOTAL | | | | | 16.904 |
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive which capital procurement projects have had to be deferred by water authorities in each year since 1996-97 and in 2001-02 to date due to the non-payment of charges by water customers.
Answer
The capital programme undertaken by each water authority is agreed annually. The programme agreed takes account of the levels of bad debt expected.
- Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 25 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to Her Majesty's Government's consultation on the European Commission's Environmental Action Programme, Environment 2010: Our Future, Our Choice.
Answer
The Executive responded to Her Majesty's Government on the European Commission's 6th Environmental Action Programme, and in common with normal practice, it respects the confidentiality of the information exchanged.
On 5 June 2001, my officials provided the clerk to the Transport and Environment Committee with a copy of all the responses on the Scottish Executive's consultation on the 6th Environmental Action Programme.
