Chamber and committees

A formal review of veterinary surveillance in Scotland has not yet begun. We are in the process of actively recruiting an independent person of suitable stature to chair a review panel.

A formal review of veterinary surveillance in Scotland has not yet begun. Once the review is underway a wide range of interested parties including the farmers and veterinary practices in Orkney and Caithness will have the opportunity of making their views known to the review panel.

The cost of the new objective mesh gauge (Omega) is approximately £1,500 per gauge. The last time wedge gauges were purchased for enforcement officers was some 15 years ago. The cost then was approximately £35 per gauge.

The objective mesh gauge (Omega) was initially developed in an EU-sponsored research project, the Omega project. The partners in the project included fisheries inspection services and fisheries research institutes from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland. Fisheries research institutes from EU member countries and ICES member countries, as well as Turkey, the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), netting manufacturers and fishermen were involved in testing and evaluating the Omega gauge. Extensive trials were carried out under both laboratory conditions and at sea.

We have no plans to offer compensation in such circumstances.

There is no contract between Scottish Government and Scottish Agricultural College which regulates animal health surveillance activities. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28511 on 10 November 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The surveillance work carried out by Scottish Agricultural College is partly led by the demand for laboratory investigation from farmers and veterinary surgeons. There are no regional targets set. Disease surveillance activities carried out by Scottish Agricultural College are monitored through a system of formal monthly, quarterly and annual reports and twice yearly formal meetings between Scottish Government and Scottish Agricultural College staff. These formal arrangements are supplemented by frequent ad hoc reports and meetings.

The Scottish Government hopes to be in a position to announce the exchanges to be upgraded and indicative timescales by the end of this year. Further information will be posted on our website, in due course, at www.broadbandforscotland.co.uk.

There is no contract between Scottish Government and Scottish Agricultural College which regulates animal health surveillance activities. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28511 on 10 November 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The work is managed through a Memorandum of Understanding, which sets out the framework and a series of descriptors, revised annually, which set out the detail of what is required.

The surveillance work carried out by Scottish Agricultural College is partly led by the demand for laboratory investigation from farmers and veterinary surgeons. Disease surveillance activities carried out by Scottish Agricultural College are monitored through a system of formal monthly, quarterly and annual reports and twice yearly formal meetings between Scottish Government and Scottish Agricultural College staff. These formal arrangements are supplemented by frequent ad hoc reports and meetings.

There is no contract between Scottish Government and Scottish Agricultural College for this work. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28511 on 10 November 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The funding provided by Scottish Government to support veterinary surveillance activities at Scottish Agricultural College is in the form of an annual grant. Whether or not the grant is renewed each year is entirely a decision for Scottish Government.

The results of the laboratory trials showed that there was no significant difference between the objective mesh gauge (Omega) and the wedge-shaped gauge. In the field trials conducted by fisheries inspectors, in meshes of 55 mm or more, the measurements taken by the wedge gauge were on average 3 mm greater that those measured with the Omega gauge using a force of 100N. There was no significant difference in meshes of less than 55 mm. The Omega gauge in operational service currently uses a force of 125N to measure meshes of 55 mm or more.

The genesis of the Omega can be traced back to the late 1990s, when a research project funded by the European Commission evaluated mesh measurement methodologies for fisheries inspection and research. An international study group was subsequently set up by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in 1999. The study group presented its final report in 2003, including the recommendation that everyone should use the same method of mesh measurement using longitudinal force. The task of developing a new gauge was undertaken in an EU sponsored research project, the Omega project. The partners in the project included fisheries inspection services and fisheries research institutes from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland. Fisheries research institutes from EU member countries and ICES member countries, as well as Turkey, the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), netting manufacturers and fishermen were involved in testing and evaluating the Omega gauge. Extensive trials were carried out under both laboratory conditions and at sea.