- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last sent any correspondence to Grampian NHS Board regarding health services in the Banff area.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21659.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what subjects have been covered in any correspondence with Grampian NHS Board on health services in the Banff area since September 2001.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21659.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any requests by Grampian NHS Board for permission to develop NHS facilities in the Banff area.
Answer
NHS Grampian is considering longer term proposals for service developments to improve benefits for patients and any proposals for Banff should follow that.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last received any correspondence from Grampian NHS Board regarding health services in the Banff area.
Answer
The Scottish Executive Health Department is in regular and frequent contact with NHS Grampian through correspondence and meetings. These contacts cover a wide range of subjects affecting health care services throughout the area.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether officials from its Environment and Rural Affairs Department are obliged to advise owners of crops when they plan to make an inspection of their crops.
Answer
There are two types of crop inspection carried out by officials from the Environment and Rural Affairs Department.Although not obliged to do so, it is usual practice for inspectors to advise growers before inspecting seed potato, cereal and horticultural crops under Plant Health and Seeds Certification Schemes.EU Regulations also require department officials to inspect 5% of arable and forage crops on which assistance has been claimed as part of an IACS Area Aid application. The IACS Regulation requires inspections to be carried out as on-the-spot checks, which should be unannounced. However, advance notice not exceeding 48 hours can be given provided this does not jeopardise the purpose of the inspection.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 21 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive why original invoices are required by its Environment and Rural Affairs Department for Sheep Annual Premium Scheme audits and whether farmers should be entitled to withhold information, such as vendors' names and prices, which may be commercially sensitive.
Answer
Invoices are required to fulfil the inspection requirements that the department is obliged, by EC Regulation, to undertake. Sheep Annual Premium is paid to producers who maintain the claimed number of eligible animals throughout a 100-day retention period. It is not feasible to undertake all inspections prior to payment so that officials need to take account of any changes in the flock (due to purchases, sales, deaths, etc) between the date of claim and date of inspection. The inspection seeks a reconciliation between the number of animals counted and the number claimed and in order to have confidence in the result, the inspectors need to examine the original documents. This is similar to say an accountant who needs to see original sale or purchase invoices as part of an audit.Regarding the second part of the question, farmers are obliged to co-operate with inspections and confirm that they will do so by signing the declaration at the time of claim submission. Again, under EC Regulation, the department is obliged to refuse payment or seek recovery of subsidy paid, if any action by a producer prevents the inspection from being undertaken. However, I hope such actions could be avoided and I would encourage producers with particular concerns to contact their local area offices.In conclusion, I must add that officials see a wide-range of information in the course of their normal work that could be considered commercially sensitive. The department's published service standards, however, require them to treat such information in confidence and prohibit them from divulging details to third parties.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 21 December 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Treasury regarding a derogation for Scotland from the aggregates tax .
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with HM Treasury on a wide range of issues, including the aggregates tax.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 21 December 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 18 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what economic assessments of the impact of the aggregates tax on the Scottish economy it has undertaken and what conclusions have been reached.
Answer
Assessment of economic impacts of UK taxation measures is the responsibility of HM Treasury. No separate assessment has been undertaken by the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 21 December 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has undertaken into Porcine Dermatitis Nephropathy Syndrome and Post-weaning Multi-systemic Wasting Syndrome in pigs.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has not commissioned nor undertaken research into Porcine Dermatitis Nephropathy Syndrome or Post-weaning Multi-systemic Wasting Syndrome. Research to investigate the role of candidate viruses in both diseases is being undertaken by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
- Asked by: Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 21 December 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken regarding any potential threat to the pig industry posed by Porcine Dermatitis Nephropathy Syndrome and Post-weaning Multi-systemic Wasting Syndrome.
Answer
Veterinary Officers from Animal Health Offices in Scotland have informed local vets about the recent case of Post-weaning Multi-systemic Wasting Syndrome in the North East of Scotland. In addition, professional staff from the State Veterinary Service (SVS) in Scotland have attended a training course on the diseases and their symptoms. This information has been cascaded to other Scottish SVS staff. Thus the awareness of the disease has been increased within the profession.