Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-17466

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 September 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to carry out a national environmental audit.

Question reference: S1W-17396

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 31 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what public safety, health and environmental monitoring it undertakes in connection with radioactive waste stored at the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases and the nuclear installations at Dounreay and Chapelcross and whether any such monitoring varies according to the amount of intermediate and low level radioactive waste stored at these locations.

The Scottish Executive does not undertake monitoring of radioactive waste. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), however, undertakes a programme of environmental monitoring around nuclear sites. The monitoring is undertaken according to the nature and quantity of radioactivity discharged from nuclear sites. The detail of that programme is a matter for SEPA. I understand that the programme is reviewed on a regular basis and takes account of all relevant circumstances.The results of the monitoring programme are published annually in Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE). A copy of the latest RIFE report is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. no.14600). That report contains an assessment of public dose around all nuclear sites.

Question reference: S1W-17397

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2001
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government concerning the public safety, health and environmental implications of the storage of radioactive waste at the Rosyth naval base.

Question reference: S1W-17331

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what contracts it has issued for the disposal of fallen cattle; to whom these contacts were awarded; how many tonnes each contractor has been asked to dispose of, and what the means and location of disposal are.

Question reference: S1W-17330

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how fallen cattle are disposed of; if by incineration, how many licensed incineration sites there currently are, where each is located, and how many carcasses each site is expected to deal with annually.

The Animal By-Products Order 1999 prescribes the following options for disposal of fallen cattle; incineration, rendering, knackery yard or hunt kennel or in limited circumstances burning or burial. Since July 1 there has been an EU requirement on all member states to carry out tests for BSE on all fallen cattle over 30 months old. All bovine carcasses that form part of the fallen stock survey are disposed of by incineration. The table shows the names and addresses of the businesses in Scotland awarded contracts by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The RPA is responsible for procuring disposal facilities throughout Great Britain.The annual number of carcasses each site is expected to deal with will be governed to a maximum of each individual site's authorisation as stipulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. This figure has been provided based upon an average weight of 520kgs per beast and the RPA ensure that no more than 90% of this figure is incinerated under their contracts.It is not possible to provide an accurate figure in respect of the number of fallen stock carcasses that each site is expected to deal with annually.

Company name	Address	Authorised max. Throughput per week
Hamilton (Irvine) Ltd	Oldhall West Industrial EstateIrvineAyrshireKA11 9DG	140
North East Incineration Services	Tarnash HouseTarnashKeithBanffshireAB55 5PB	280
Incineration Scotland	MossparkAnnan RoadDumfriesDG1 4PH	192
Sacone, Brechin	The AbattoirMontrose RoadBrechinAngusDD9 7PL	161
Sacone, Glasgow	15/23 Westerburn StreetGlasgowG32 6AT	213
SAC Aberdeen	Mill of CraibstoneBucksburnAberdeenAB2 9TS	Dependant on hours of operation
SAC Ayr	Veterinary Science DivisionAuchincruiveAyrKA6 5AE	Dependant on hours of operation
Orkney Waste Disposal	Chinglebraes IncineratorSt. OlaOrkneyKW15 1SE	Dependant on hours of operation

Question reference: S1W-17246

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 30 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers represented Scotland at the recent World Climate Change summit in Bonn.

Scotland was represented in Bonn, along with the rest of the UK, by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, and the Minister for the Environment, the Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP. The Deputy Prime Minister also attended for part of the meeting. The UK delegation at the meeting included one of my officials from the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department.

Question reference: S1W-17321

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 30 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what recommendations it has made and what advice it has given to Her Majesty's Government on public safety, health and environmental issues relating to the storing of radioactive waste at the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases and the nuclear installations at Dounreay and Chapelcross.

Question reference: S1W-17322

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 30 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific monitoring responsibilities the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has in relation to radioactive waste stored at the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases and the nuclear installations at Dounreay and Chapelcross.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has a general responsibility for protecting (and determining general levels of pollution in) the environment. SEPA does not monitor waste stored on site but undertakes a comprehensive environmental monitoring programme to determine the effects on the environment of radioactive discharges from nuclear installations. The results of the programme are reported annually in Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE). A copy of the latest RIFE report is available in the Parliament Information Centre (Bib. no. 146000).

Question reference: S1W-17323

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 30 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has had with and what advice it has given Her Majesty's Government on public safety, health and environmental issues relating to the transportation of radioactive waste from the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases.

Question reference: S1W-17489

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 August 2001
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 29 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify any areas where inadequate legislation has been identified under EC directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora; whether it will detail any representations made by the European Commission to Her Majesty's Government on this matter; what the implications are for Scotland of any such representations; what action it plans to take to ensure compliance with the directive, and what its timetable is for any such action.

The United Kingdom Government has received a Reasoned Opinion from the European Commission, alleging shortcomings in the regulations which implement the Habitats Directive in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar. The UK Government is currently considering with the devolved administrations what response should be made to the Reasoned Opinion.The details of legal proceedings between the Commission and member states are confidential.