- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 07 September 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken in response to the letter of 10 August 2001 from the Director of Transport and Environmental Standards of Scottish Borders Council asking it to make representations to Her Majesty's Treasury regarding an exemption from the landfill tax for the council in respect of waste paper and cardboard, given the potential implications of the tax for the council's budget in the context of the current situation in the waste paper and cardboard recycling markets.
Answer
I replied to the letter from Scottish Borders Council on 5 September 2001 advising that the Scottish Executive would not be prepared to make representations to Her Majesty's Treasury on its behalf as requested.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service is or has been locating possible sites for building private prisons and, if so, where these sites are.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Work is under way to identify possible sites for new prisons in the central belt.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many acts of self-harm were logged at each Scottish Prison Service prison in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001 to date.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
| Self-Harm 1999-2000 | Self-Harm 2000-01 | Self-Harm 01.04.01-31.08.01 |
| Aberdeen | 0 | 18 | 3 |
| Barlinnie | 31 | 26 | 4 |
| Castle Huntly | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cornton Vale | 81 | 23 | 21 |
| Dumfries | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Edinburgh | 26 | 11 | 1 |
| Glenochil | 13 | 20 | 3 |
| Greenock | 27 | 8 | 2 |
| Inverness | 18 | 12 | 6 |
| Low Moss | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Noranside | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Perth | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| Peterhead | 14 | 4 | 1 |
| Polmont | 30 | 29 | 11 |
| Shotts | 27 | 6 | 4 |
| Zeist | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 296 | 166 | 60 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the report in the Sunday Herald on 19 August 2001 regarding toxin emissions in cement production at the Blue Circle factory near Dunbar, it will commission a study into the incidence of cancer or foetal abnormalities in or around the area.
Answer
The Executive is satisfied with the monitoring procedures in place for measuring emissions from the Blue Circle factory at Dunbar and has no plans to commission such a study.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1096 by Henry McLeish on 11 October 1999 and in the light of the recent announcement of redundancies at Viasystems' Tyneside plants and reports that it intends to close its UK operations, whether it plans to discuss issues relating to the award of regional selective assistance (RSA) with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in particular the award of RSA to Viasystems' North Tyneside plant and any impact this had on Viasystems jobs in the Scottish Borders, and, if so, what concerns it will be conveying to the DTI.
Answer
The Scottish Executive maintains regular contact with the Department of Trade and Industry with regard to the administration of Regional Selective Assistance and where necessary, discusses individual cases which may impact on employment in different regions of the UK.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any use of additional pollution abatement equipment at the Blue Circle cement factory near Dunbar, given that the factory combusts waste known as "recycled liquid fuel".
Answer
This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Prison Estates Review will be published.
Answer
I propose to consult on the published review later this year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's recommended level is of authorised emissions of dioxins to air from cement factories burning waste known as "recycled liquid fuel" and what levels are recommended by the World Health Organisation and EU respectively.
Answer
The use of substitute liquid fuel in a cement kiln is treated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency as a process of co-incineration falling within the scope of the EC Hazardous Waste Incineration Directive. That directive requires a dioxin limit of 0.1 nanogrammes per cubic metre for hazardous waste incinerators.The World Health Organisation (WHO) does not set standards for emissions from processes. WHO standards for dioxins are in terms of "Tolerable Daily Intakes" or "TDIs". The main source of these intakes is our food. The WHO currently recommends a TDI of between 1 and 4 picogrammes of dioxins per kilogramme of body weight. The European Union's Scientific Committee on Food defines its recommended limits on intake in terms of a "Tolerable Weekly Intake" which is currently set at 14 picogrammes of dioxins per kilogramme of body weight. For the UK, limits on intake are currently subject to consideration by the Food Standards Agency's Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the report in the Sunday Herald on 19 August 2001 regarding toxin emissions in cement production at the Blue Circle factory near Dunbar, it will commission an independent analysis of the production processes there and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
The Executive has no plans to commission an analysis of the production processes at the Dunbar plant. The toxicity of substances used in building materials is controlled through environmental and health and safety legislation. Responsibility for assessing the effectiveness of monitoring procedures for emissions at particular sites lies with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and for occupational health matters with the Health and Safety Executive.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2001
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the cement production methods at the Blue Circle factory near Dunbar give no cause for concern either to the health of those living in the vicinity or to those who occupy buildings built with cement from there.
Answer
The Executive is satisfied with the monitoring procedures in place for measuring emissions from the Blue Circle factory at Dunbar and with the environmental and health and safety legislation which regulates the cement manufacturing process.
