Chamber and committees

NHS staff follow published guidance, for example the British Infection Association’s 2011 position statement on Lyme Borreliosis, when caring for a patient who may have Lyme disease. Lyme disease is easily treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early but if left untreated, there is a risk of developing serious long-term complications requiring specialist treatment.

Any incident of livestock worrying is a concern and that is why we are fully supporting the campaign launched recently by Police Scotland to highlight the importance of dog owners keeping their pets under control when walking in rural areas. This campaign, is being run in conjunction with the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, Scottish National Heritage and the representative body Land and Estates, and is timed to coincide with spring lambing season.

The responsibility for the behaviour of dogs lies with the owners, but we encourage all crofters and farmers to consider practical steps to help keep their animals safe including making sure fencing is checked regularly and signs are put up to warn of the dangers of livestock worrying.

We are fully supporting the campaign launched recently by Police Scotland to highlight the importance of dog owners keeping their pets under control when walking in rural areas. This campaign, is being run in conjunction with the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, Scottish National Heritage and the representative body Land and Estates, and is timed to coincide with spring lambing season.

Any incident of livestock worrying is a concern and that is why we are fully supporting the campaign launched recently by Police Scotland to highlight the importance of dog owners keeping their pets under control when walking in rural areas. This campaign, is being run in conjunction with the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, Scottish National Heritage and the representative body Land and Estates, and is timed to coincide with spring lambing season.

Any incident of livestock worrying is a concern and that is why we are fully supporting the campaign launched recently by Police Scotland to highlight the importance of dog owners keeping their pets under control when walking in rural areas. This campaign, is being run in conjunction with the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, Scottish National Heritage and the representative body Land and Estates, and is timed to coincide with spring lambing season.

A wide range of support and resources have been made available through our national education partners to assist schools in working with colleges, employers and other partners as part of implementing the recommendations of Developing the Young Workforce.

We continue to establish employer led DYW Regional Groups, to encourage and support employers to work with their local schools and colleges, the latest group being Argyll & Bute that I launched in Lochgilphead last Wednesday.

The multi-agency Lyme Borreliosis Group, which is a part of the Scottish Health Protection Network, is currently updating Health Protection Scotland’s Lyme disease poster and developing information to put on NHS Inform’s website, to help raise awareness of Lyme disease including where ticks can be found.

The Lyme Borreliosis Group, which is a part of the Scottish Health Protection Network, is developing communications tools to raise awareness of Lyme disease among health professionals and the public. Advice on how to prevent tick bites in the first instance and how to remove them if bitten, are key messages in the Groups communications. I also refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06306 on 31 January 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

It is estimated in the latest Exports Statistics Scotland (ESS) that £105 million worth of “Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing” products were exported to the EU in 2015. A published estimate for agriculture only is not available. Beef exports for the year up to 1 September 2016 are 6,609t which is worth 40m.

Scottish sheep meat abattoirs generated more than 25 per cent of their total turnover from sales outside the UK.