- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency or emergency plans existed for coping with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Scotland before 23 February 2001; when any such plans were drawn up; then when were subsequently reviewed, and what changes were made to them in the light of such review.
Answer
All SEERAD Area Offices and sub-offices have contingency plans for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks and each of the five Divisional Animal Health Offices have detailed instructions for dealing with all notifiable disease emergencies including FMD. Practical FMD control exercises are carried out every second year by each of the five divisional AHO offices and at every exercise participants are invited from other AHO offices, the State Veterinary Service Head Office in Edinburgh, SEERAD Area Offices, local authorities and other relevant agencies.In addition, these instructions and contingency plans are backed by local authority and police authority contingency plans providing detailed instructions for dealing with disease emergencies.SVS plans are reviewed annually and the SEERAD Area Office plans are reviewed regularly. The plans have been in existence for many years and are amended to reflect changes in organisations and findings from the practical exercises. The most recent changes were to update contact details.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it first became aware of the existence of the PanAsia Type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer
The pandemic strain of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O, which has been named PanAsia, was first identified in northern India in 1990. It spread westwards into Saudi Arabia in 1994 and then throughout the Near East and into Europe (Turkish Thrace, Bulgaria and Greece) in 1996. This information would have been passed to all member states of the European Union by the OIE.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether proposed alterations to a draft school inspection report suggested by a local education authority that are detrimental to the school are investigated by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education before being accepted.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-21706 and S1W-21708. Any amendments to reports are only made as result of careful consideration of all relevant evidence.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers were first alerted before 23 February 2001 to any report from the Institute of Animal Health or from any other body that indicated a threat from the PanAsia Type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer
Ministers were alerted to the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on Wednesday 21 February 2001. Prior to that they were not aware of any report of any threat from the PanAsia Type O strain of the virus.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates of (a) the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, (b) the likely number of cases and (c) the need for specialist assistance in slaughter and disposal including the hire or purchase of specialist or additional equipment and supplies were contained in any contingency or emergency plans for coping with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that existed before 23 February 2001 and how accurate any such estimates were.
Answer
Since the scale and nature of outbreaks are unpredictable it is not possible to make any realistic estimate about the spread of foot-and-mouth disease or the likely number of cases. SEERAD Area Office and State Veterinary Service plans do not contain estimates for specialist assistance in slaughter or for the hire or purchase of additional equipment. However, information about availability of specialist equipment is usually available from contingency plans drawn up by local authorities, which cover a wide range of emergency situations.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with Her Majesty's Government, with other governments or with any other international bodies before 23 February 2001 about any threat posed by the PanAsia Type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease, when any such discussions took place and what the outcomes were.
Answer
There were no discussions between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government, other Governments or any other international bodies prior to the outbreak of the disease about any threat posed by PanAsia type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease virus.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussion it has had with sportscotland regarding the recent departure of three senior members of staff.
Answer
The cessation of these three posts formed part of the proposed new management structure of sportscotland as recommended in last year's Organisational Review of sportscotland. This was approved by the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18835 by Allan Wilson on 11 November 2001, what progress it has made regarding the establishment of a National Theatre for Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Arts Council's submission on Scottish theatre seeks significant additional funding. It also raises a number of detailed issues relating to the theatre sector which we are examining with care. That consideration is proceeding and we hope to make a statement soon.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce the outcome of discussions on funding theatre in Scotland, including the discussions with the Scottish Arts Council which were reported to the Parliament by the then Deputy Minister for Sport and Culture in the debate on the National Cultural Strategy on 25 October 2001.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21574.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 22 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Federation of Scottish Theatre and others about additional funding for theatre in Scotland and when it will announce its conclusions about such funding.
Answer
The Executive has taken opinion from the sector in its consideration of the Scottish Arts Council's submission on funding for Scottish theatre. That consideration is proceeding and we hope to make a statement soon.
