Chamber and committees

Vehicles used for transporting salmon morts to a disposal site must be approved or registered under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 (ABPR). The operators of these vehicles must ensure that salmon morts be collected and transported in sealed new packaging or covered leak-proof containers. Transporters approved or registered under the ABPR are inspected on a risk-based basis by the Animal and Plant Health Agency and any issues would be an enforcement matter for local authorities. Information on the number of journeys made from farm to final disposal in each of the last three years is not held centrally.

Labelling for Beef produces have strict guidelines within regulation EU1760/2000. Information must be provided on country of birth, rearing and slaughtering at Member State level.

Our meat inspectors do spot check visits at abattoirs and cutting plants to ensure that all the required information is included in the labelling, and that full traceability is satisfactory.

The Scottish Government supports the objectives of the Political Declaration on Energy Cooperation between the North Sea Countries – to roll out a regionally optimised North Sea Grid that will enable electricity trading and the integration of offshore renewables in the most cost effective manner.

The work plan for the Declaration has created four sub-groups attended by North Sea Country officials. Prior to the UK Government signing the declaration on Monday 21 November 2016, Scottish Government officials attended an inception meeting and the first meeting of Support Group one as observers. Now the declaration has been signed, Scottish Government officials will be able to participate fully in the groups and work with UKG officials to ensure that Scottish views are considered when representing the UK. Regrettably, Scotland cannot present its views or negotiate as a nation state in our own right, while current constitutional arrangements persist.

The Declaration will work within the confines of the European Environmental Impact Assessment and Habitats Directives to take account of ecological impacts. The Declaration will support the further development of offshore renewable technologies by ensuring cost-efficient offshore and onshore grid development and, clearly, believe Scotland has a key role to play in supporting developing those existing technologies.

The Scottish Government supports a number of measures, both local and national, to successfully tackle air pollution and its impacts on health. These measures include the promotion of active travel and modal shift to low and zero emission transport, supporting the development of renewable energy, providing grant funding for local authority action plans, and providing advice and information through the Scottish Air Quality Website and Scotland’s Environment Web.

These initiatives will continue to be taken forward in the context of 'Cleaner Air for Scotland - The Road to a Healthier Future' - Scotland's first separate air quality strategy which was published in 2015. The strategy sets out six key policy objectives, including one for health which is for 'A Scotland which protects its citizens from the harmful effects of air pollution, reducing health inequalities'.

The Scottish Government monitors a wide range of information and sources relating to the impact of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and is engaging with the Department for International Trade on aspects of CETA and potential future trade agreements.

The Scottish Government is committed to promoting good air quality and meeting our EU obligations. The Scottish Government did not participate in the recent High Court case as the Scottish Government was not identified as a defendant by ClientEarth.

The Scottish Government is committed to promoting good air quality and meeting our EU obligations. The Scottish Government is currently considering the High Court judgement and will discuss its implications with other UK Governments.

Transporters of animal by-products are required to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). When transporting Animal By-Products (ABPs) transporters must ensure that they;

Use vehicles and containers that are covered and leak-proof

Clean, disinfect, and dry vehicles and containers before and after every use

Keep different categories of ABPs in separate containers and separate parts of the vehicle

Only move animal protein in a vehicle designed for that purpose alone

Any leakage of ABPs may result in prosecution by Local Authorities.

No safety and welfare review of the use of the Thermolicer has been carried out by Scottish Government. The aquaculture industry is responsible for overseeing the use of treatments for disease and/ or parasites. The health and welfare of the fish on site are primarily the responsibility of the operator of the fish farm.

The Thermolicer is a commercially available treatment system for sea lice control. The use of the Thermolicer is not part of an experiment and as such does not require a Home Office Licence for operation.