Parliament Workbench
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Official Report · Chamber

Environmental Justice

Question Time SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

Thursday 14 March 2002 Meeting of the Parliament Questions 6 contributions · 3 speakers

Speakers

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The record

6 contributions
Robin Harper Green Lothians
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To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to promote the aim of environmental justice. (S1O-4850)

Ross Finnie LD The Minister for Environment and Rural Development · West of Scotland
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In his speech to the environmental resources management forum on 18 February, the First Minister set out our commitment to environmental justice. That is a commitment on which the Scottish Executive will deliver. The member will agree that many of our existing programmes will contribute to delivering environmental justice. However, as the member is also aware, environmental justice covers a wide range of issues and we are currently considering how we can embrace and co-ordinate those to deliver that aim.

Robin Harper Green Lothians
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I am prepared to agree that some of the minister's intentions might achieve his aims.

The Scottish Green Party welcomes the First Minister's recent speech on environmental justice. I will be watching with interest to see whether the Executive puts any of his warm words into practice.

Will the minister consider the appeal for environmental justice by the people of Munlochy and Newport-on-Tay? They are currently having genetically modified crop trials imposed on their communities without any proper consultation. Is the minister prepared at least to delay the permission for the latest crop trial in Fife, which I understand is imminent, until the local community has had the opportunity to present its case in full?

Ross Finnie LD The Minister for Environment and Rural Development · West of Scotland
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I welcome Robin Harper's warm welcome for the First Minister's commitment to environmental justice. As Mr Harper will be aware, the current European Union regulation, 90/220/EEC, is seriously lacking in its failure to provide for adequate public consultation on crop trials. As the member will also be aware, a revised directive, 2001/18/EC, gives far more provision for that.

In its pursuit of environmental justice, the Executive has just completed a consultation on the subject. As a result of that, we will be in a position to introduce secondary legislation to address the problem.

George Reid SNP The Deputy Presiding Officer · Mid Scotland and Fife
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Does the minister agree that the report published last Thursday by the Transport and the Environment Committee on petition PE327 presents a strong case for environmental justice? Will the minister read what the report says about illness in the community of Blairingone and about the potentially toxic elements of waste in streams? To allay public anxiety, will the minister now publicly endorse the committee's recommendations that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the health authorities should carry out an investigation into illness in the area and that their conclusions should be made public?

Ross Finnie LD The Minister for Environment and Rural Development · West of Scotland
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I am grateful to the member for advance notice of that question. I am also well aware of his personal interest in the issue, largely as a result of several unsavoury incidents in his constituency.

I have read the committee's report and, as Mr Reid is aware, the Executive will be obliged to respond formally to it. I hope that the member will forgive me if I do not anticipate that formal response. I assure him that we take seriously the issues that have been identified in the report. We acknowledge that both SEPA and the health authorities will require to be involved and that, as a consequence of the seriousness of the issue, they will require to respond as soon as possible.

In this meeting

Everything on 14 Mar 2002 →
  1. Scottish Parliament Thursday 14 March 2002 Debate · 1
  2. Nuclear Power Stations Debate · 137
  3. National Health Service Debate · 92
  4. Business Motion Business motions · 53
  5. Scottish Executive Budget 2000-01 Questions · 9
  6. Bus Transport (Aberdeenshire) Questions · 6
  7. Voluntary Sector (Child Care) Questions · 8
  8. Education (Support for Deaf Children) Questions · 8
  9. National Health Service (Nurses) Questions · 8
  10. Regulation of Care (Health Management Structures) Questions · 4
  11. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Questions · 8
  12. Youth Crime Questions · 9
  13. Environmental Justice Questions · 6
  14. Domestic Abuse Questions · 11
  15. Housing Stock Transfer Questions · 6
  16. Cancer Services Questions · 6
  17. Ferry Services (Tendering Procedure) Questions · 6
  18. Cabinet (Meetings) First Minister’s Questions · 8
  19. Prime Minister (Meetings) First Minister’s Questions · 6
  20. Rented Housing First Minister’s Questions · 16
  21. European Union Directives (Genetically Modified Crop Trials) First Minister’s Questions · 14
  22. Scottish Qualifications Authority Bill: Stage 1 Bill debate · 57
  23. Scottish Qualifications Authority Bill: Financial Resolution Bill debate · 5
  24. Point of Order Procedure · 2
  25. Decision Time Decision time · 38
  26. BSE and New Variant CJD Members’ business · 12

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