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If an application for planning permission for a landfill site at Mid-Lairgs were to be made, the National Waste Strategy: Scotland and National Planning Policy Guidelines would be important factors in its determination by the local authority. The application would also be accompanied by an environmental impact assessment which, amongst other things, would examine the risk that the proposed site posed to the River Nairn. In addition the site would be regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000 and would have to meet the conditions in the EC Landfill Directive. The Directive requires sites to be situated and designed so as to meet the necessary conditions for preventing the pollution of soil, groundwater or surface water.

It is a European requirement to set up a 3 km protection zone around any infected farm. Within this radius there is a high risk of local disease spread.

I am satisfied that the slaughter of sheep stocks within infected areas is based on sound veterinary advice. This advice cannot be made publicly available as it contains certain information which if disclosed would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion between Ministers and Officials. The Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information provides an exemption in such circumstances.

Information from the Office International des Epizootics (OIE), the World organisation for animal health in Paris indicates that airborne spread of foot and mouth disease can be as much as 60km overland and 300km by sea. Those are maximum distances under favourable conditions. In practice the possibility of aerosol spread depends on a number of factors including, number and species of the affected host animal, weather conditions (wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity). Aerosol spread overland is also subject to variation caused by land features which might disrupt the plume of virus.However, insofar as this particular strain of virus is concerned, initial studies based on observations made in other countries suggest that aerosol transmission from infected premises has not been a prominent feature. So far this would appear to be being borne out in this country, as the spread appears to be by direct contact particularly through sheep. The position obviously is being monitored very carefully as the outbreak continues.

The tendering requirements for the trunk road unit contracts due to come into effect on 1 April 2001 are set out in the Public Works Contract Regulations 1991 which implemented the EC Works Directive (93/37/EEC). There is no requirement for such a 3 month notice under these Regulations.

Procedures for future tendering rounds will take into account experience gained during the present process.

Legal costs associated with recent Court of Session proceedings were awarded against the petitioners.

Trunk road contracts lie outwith the functions of local government and are not catered for in the local government financial settlement. Local authorities have known since1996 when the previous contracts were awarded that they could fail to secure the trunk road work. Some of the management work was lost in 1999. The contracts for the Operating Companies stood to be renewed in 2001. Agency agreements had been awarded without competition and could not therefore extend indefinitely.

Officials from the Food Standards Agency notified Scottish Ministers on 12 January that offal from the offspring animal may have passed into the food chain.

The Commission Proposals to the Council of Europe were published on 13 February. An official from the Scottish Executive was present when they were discussed at the Council's Special Committee of Agriculture on 26 February and 12 March. I attended the Agriculture Council on 19 February and an official attended a Council Working Group on Wednesday 28 February. On each occasion, our strong opposition was expressed to elements of the proposals that could adversely affect Scotland's beef industry.