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We received 7,893 claims under the 2002 Suckler Cow Premium Scheme (SCPS) by the final closing date of 31 December 2002. The numbers of producers (farmers and crofters) who have been issued advance payments are: (a) in November 2002 - 1,157; (b) in December 2002 - 1,386, and (c) in January 2003 (up to and including 20 January) - 3,989. The claim validation and payment process is continuing and by 27 January a further 584 producers' advance payments were issued. Further payments due on those 777 claims remaining will be issued as soon as possible.

The Scottish Executive will be contributing fully to the DEFRA Review of the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997. Given that the consultation on the review does not end until 4 April, it is premature to speculate what changes will be required to the regulations or the means by which they will be made.

The Scottish Executive will be contributing fully to the DEFRA Review of the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997. Given that the consultation on the review does not end until 4 April, it is premature to speculate what changes will be required to the regulations or the means by which they will be made.

The Interim Route Development Fund is focussed on investing in UK and European routes which show the greatest value to Scotland as a whole in terms of business links, inward investment and inbound tourism. Consultants are currently developing a meetings strategy, which will include Loganair and BA Citiexpress, in order to pursue opportunities for developing target routes.

The Executive is working in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland in carrying forward its route development initiative. Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Airports Limited are involved with respect to Highlands and Islands issues. Officials and appointed consultants have met, and continue to hold discussions with, the operators of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow Prestwick, Dundee and Highlands and Islands Airports.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council agreed that the Total Allowable Catch for sandeels in the North Sea for 2003 should be 918,000 tonnes and that the EC share of this should be 863,000 tonnes. Of this, 814,067 tonnes were allocated to Denmark and 17,794 tonnes were allocated to the UK.The Council further agreed that sandeel vessels should be restricted to a maximum of 23 days fishing per month within the regulated area and that the closure of the Wee Bankie sandeel fishery off the east coast of Scotland should be continued in 2003.

I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of Scottish Water to respond. His response is as follows: Preliminary investigations suggest the capital cost of upgrading Lerwick Wastewater Treatment Plant is in the region of £4 million, with additional operating costs of £75,000 per year.In terms of charges to business customers, in general wastewater charges are set each year based on overall cost estimates and it is not possible to assess the implication of a specific investment. However, trade effluent customers will be affected by an upgrade to the plant due to the introduction of secondary treatment. Scottish Water is speaking directly to those businesses affected to discuss possible options for minimising the impact of the increase.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32924 today. 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/webapp/search_wa.

In terms of the agreement between the ministers and NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd, the company is required to provide to the Executive regularly a range of information on performance, carryings and vessel capacity utilisation, to comply with the monitoring regime set out in the agreement. In addition, my officials are in regular contact with the company, and hold monthly progress meetings with the company. I consider these arrangements to be sufficient to allow the Executive to keep the operation of the contract under review.

I attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels from 16 to 20 December 2002, together with Margaret Beckett, Elliot Morley (DEFRA) and Ian Pearson (Northern Ireland Office).The main fisheries business before the Council centred on three subjects: reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP); a cod and hake recovery plan, and the total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2003. Regulations covering all three subjects were agreed as a package.On CFP reform, three new regulations were adopted: a new framework (or basic) regulation, a regulation establishing an emergency Community measure for scrapping fishing vessels, and a regulation amending the detailed rules and arrangements on Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector.The new framework regulation allows for the continuation of the 6- and 12-mile territorial limits, relative stability (including Hague Preference) as the method for allocating quotas, and the Shetland Box. It also paves the way for the introduction of Regional Advisory Councils and multi-annual management plans. The other regulations now require the phasing out by end-2004 of subsidies for the building of new fishing boats, and adjust the payments available for scrapping of vessels. On cod and hake recovery plans, the Council deferred a decision on the Commission's draft regulation from last December. As a consequence of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea advice calling for a total moratorium on cod and cod related fisheries, the Commission proposed an interim regulation (as Annex XVII to the TAC and quota regulation) as an alternative cod recovery plan.The centrepiece of Annex XVII is an effort control regime based on a limitation of days spent at sea by vessels catching cod in the North Sea, west of Scotland and Skaggerak and Kattegat. The regulation imposes different limitations on different vessels according to the type of gear in use. The aim is to exclude certain vessels altogether (for example pelagic trawlers) and to impose variable restrictions on other vessels according to how much cod they are deemed to catch. For example, most nephrops vessels will in practice have a 25-day limit per month, while whitefish demersal trawlers will be restricted to seven days per month. As a result of negotiations on such matters as the use of technical measures, decommissioning and steaming days, the UK's demersal trawlers will in practice be allowed 15 days per month rather than seven. The regulation also makes allowance for some flexibility in the use of such days. It allows some movement of days between months and between vessels.The intention is that this should be an interim measure, and that a more sophisticated regime (based on the earlier cod and hake recovery plan) should be agreed by the end of March for implementation by 1 July 2003. Declarations to that effect are recorded.On TACs and quotas, the Council agreed to broadly stable pelagic quotas (a reduction on mackerel but a significant increase on herring), stable nephrops TACs, and significant reductions in key whitefish TACs (such as cod, haddock, whiting, and anglerfish). The TAC reductions on cod and associated stocks of interest to the Scottish industry were of the order of 50% as compared to the Commission's original proposals of around 65%.In addition, the Council agreed to provide financial support to Spanish fishermen and mussel and oyster growers affected by the Prestige oil spill. No new money is involved: the agreement involved a re-allocation of existing Spanish structural funds.The Council also agreed the conclusions of the Commission's action plan for the Mediterranean, which will pave the way for the presentation of specific management measures for the area.In addition, the already agreed regulations for the management of deep-water fisheries were adopted as an "A point".Finally, the Commission also presented its proposal for a new management regime to limit fishing effort in Western Community Waters. No decision was taken on this. On agriculture, the Council agenda covered two main areas, food safety and animal welfare.The Council reached political agreement on measures to update food hygiene rules for products of animal origin (unanimous) and EU rules covering the use of additives in animal feed (by qualified majority).Conclusions were also agreed on animal welfare in third countries and on mutual assistance between member states regarding animal welfare. The Commission reported progress on developing further proposals for the protection of animals in transport.The Council was unable to reach agreement on a proposal for new rules governing feedstuffs for organic livestock. Under the relevant comitology procedures, the Commission will adopt the new measure under its own powers in January 2003. The Commission reported on the progress of its work to develop an EU level Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming and was remitted to continue its efforts and report further by the end of 2003.The Council approved, by qualified majority, arrangements to protect the EU market from a surge in low priced cereals from Russia and the Ukraine. The Commission reported on the agreements reached with the US and Canada to establish reduced tariff quotas for certain cereals, and the Council authorised the Commission to implement the deal from the beginning of 2003.Over lunch, the Commission presented a paper proposing a number of specific reductions in tariff levels, export subsidies and domestic support which it intends to submit to the World Trade Organization in the context of the Doha Round negotiations on agriculture. The UK welcomed the paper as an important first step in the process leading up to the Cancun Ministerial meeting in September but warned that our negotiating partners were likely to press for a more ambitious outcome.Under other business, Germany reported national action it had taken to reduce levels of acrylamide in food, and Italy raised concerns over the co-existence of genetically modified and conventional agriculture.