Committee
Environment and Rural Development Committee, 22 Mar 2006
22 Mar 2006 · S2 · Environment and Rural Development Committee
Item of business
Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I will speak briefly to the amendments in the group. Amendments 33, 34 and 35 have been lodged to make it explicit that Scottish ministers will be able, by order, to make provision for licensing of bird gatherings as well as licensing of animal gatherings. I ask the committee to agree to the amendments.Amendments 39 to 44 are technical amendments that will ensure that Scottish ministers have powers to seize the carcases of animals, birds or amphibians, things that have been obtained from or produced by those creatures and items that have been used in connection with them, with a view to preventing the spread of disease. I ask the committee to agree to the amendments.Amendment 50 will extend the scope of proposed new sections 28C to 28H of the Animal Health Act 1981 so that they cover all animals that could be infected with the specified diseases. I ask the committee to agree to amendment 50.Amendments 94 to 97 are technical amendments that will widen the definition of animals that is given in section 87 of the 1981 act and will ensure that the definition of disease is not restricted to the one that is given in that act. The aim is to bring the relevant provisions into line with the wider focus on disease prevention that the bill will establish. I ask the committee to agree to amendments 94 to 97 inclusive.I move amendment 33.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Sarah Boyack):
Lab
Good morning and welcome to our 10th meeting of 2006. Before we kick off, I record the news that Margaret Ewing died yesterday. I am sure that colleagues wil...
Section 4—Tests and samples
The Convener:
Lab
Group 1 is on tests and samples. Amendment 28, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 29 to 32.
The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Rhona Brankin):
Lab
The amendments stem from Professor Julie Fitzpatrick's written response to the committee. As director of the Moredun Research Institute, she is concerned tha...
Amendment 28 agreed to.
Amendments 29 to 32 moved—Rhona Brankin—and agreed to.
The Convener:
Lab
Group 2 is on further testing and procedure. Amendment 119, in the name of Nora Radcliffe, is grouped with amendment 120.
Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD):
LD
Amendments 119 and 120 would require notification of farmers whose animals were being used to screen or test for diseases other than those for which they wer...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
To give ministers the ability to reuse samples that are collected during the course of statutory surveys and programmes will provide a number of obvious bene...
Nora Radcliffe:
LD
Can I ask a question?
The Convener:
Lab
Yes, if it helps.
Nora Radcliffe:
LD
If the information is useful in a general collective sense, it might be useful in an individual sense to the person whose animals are being tested. If the in...
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
The identity of the farm concerned will not be known by the researcher, so it would not be practical to inform the original owner. There could be occasions o...
Nora Radcliffe:
LD
I am not worried about possible negative effects; I just think that an additional positive effect could be won.
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
Excuse me while I confer with my officials.
The Convener:
Lab
Officials are not allowed to speak during this part of the process, so if we can get a swift answer, I will take it.
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
The chief veterinary officer has just advised me that any research that is done might not be in a form that would enable us to go back and inform an individu...
Nora Radcliffe:
LD
It sounds as though the situation is not as clear cut as I had thought.
The Convener:
Lab
You have obtained the commitment that we will get more information on the subject.
Amendment 119, by agreement, withdrawn.
Amendment 120 not moved.
Section 4, as amended, agreed to.
Section 5—Animal gatherings
The Convener:
Lab
Group 3 is on the definition of an animal. Amendment 33, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 34, 35, 39 to 44, 50, and 94 to 97.
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
I will speak briefly to the amendments in the group. Amendments 33, 34 and 35 have been lodged to make it explicit that Scottish ministers will be able, by o...
Amendment 33 agreed to.
Amendments 34 and 35 moved—Rhona Brankin—and agreed to.
The Convener:
Lab
Group 4 is on animal gatherings. Amendment 36, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 121 and 122.
Rhona Brankin:
Lab
Amendment 36 will clarify the conditions that may be imposed when granting or renewing a licence for an animal gathering. The purpose is to remove doubt abou...
Nora Radcliffe:
LD
I will speak only to my amendment 121. It is important that our approach to licensing animal gatherings has as light a touch as possible. Small agricultural ...