Chamber and committees

This is a matter for NHS boards. The information requested is not held centrally.

The existing legislation enables local authorities to deal with defective or dangerous buildings. They can serve notice on the owner to carry out emergency work to secure the premises, where there is a danger to the public. If the owner does not carry out the work they are guilty of an offence under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003. The local authority can then do work in default of the owner.

This is a matter for local authorities. Limited information on defective buildings notices issued by individual local authorities since 2005 should be available on their online Building Standards Register.

The only data held centrally is the Building Standards Annual Return for 2010-11. This recorded 96 notices served on owners of defective buildings. A breakdown by local authority is found in the following table:

All building owners have a general responsibility to maintain their property. There is no specific additional responsibility for the owners of unoccupied listed buildings. If it appears to a local authority that such a building is defective or dangerous they are empowered under sections 28-30 of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 to carry out remedial works and to pursue the building owner for the expense incurred.

There are no plans to allow the new Police Service of Scotland or Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to introduce charges for call-outs to derelict buildings.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04694 on 4 January 2012. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Scottish Government officials continue to be in regular contact with the Ministry of Justice regarding the commencement of sections 12 and 50 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 which make provision for a fatal accident inquiry to be held in Scotland into the death abroad of any service personnel domiciled in Scotland. These provisions have not yet been commenced by the Ministry of Justice, but we understand that it is their intention to do so as soon as practicable.

The Scudamore review was as a direct result of the UK Government’s decision to move responsibility for nutrition and food labelling in England from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to the Department of Health and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2010. These changes in England removed significant capacity in the FSA’s nutrition and labelling functions for Scotland, undermining our drive to improve public health through diet.

Given the importance of food safety to Scotland’s health, we asked Professor Jim Scudamore to head an independent review to determine the best outcome for Scotland’s long term interests. They recommended creating a new Scottish body for food safety, food standards, nutrition, food labelling and meat inspection, utilising the experience and capacity which exists already in Scotland.

We have accepted that majority recommendation. We did not seek any change in the FSA’s functions, but we must react to the machinery of government changes in 2010. A new body will allow a Scottish approach to be taken to tackle poor diet and food-borne diseases and should support our food and drink industry in growing its strong, international reputation for safe, quality food.

We have accepted all of the Panel’s recommendations. This means that the new body will be at arms-length from the Scottish Government. The body will encompass nutrition and labelling policy, and meat inspection policy and operational delivery, in addition to food safety and standards. We will establish a new body which is independent, evidence-based, consumer-focussed and transparent.

Creating a new Scottish Food Standards body will require primary legislation, and we plan to consult on options before the end of this year.

Scotland’s 32 local authorities are at varying stages of implementing the Disabled Persons Parking Places (Scotland) Act 2009.

No discussions have taken place between the Scottish Ministers and Aberdeen City Council regarding the implementation the Disabled Persons Parking Places (Scotland) Act 2009.

We are not aware of any correspondence being received from members of the public specifically regarding the non-implementation of the Disabled Persons' Parking Places (Scotland) Act 2009.