Question reference: S4W-09681
- Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 17 September 2012
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Current status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 27 September 2012
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) businesses and (b) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency takes to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
Answer
It is the responsibility of businesses themselves to ensure that they comply with applicable environmental regulations, and the vast majority of businesses in Scotland do so. Wherever possible, SEPA seeks to work with regulated businesses to help them comply with regulations. When businesses wilfully or negligently harm the environment, however, SEPA has a range of enforcement powers which it uses to ensure that the environment is protected, with an increased emphasis on focussing inspections on higher risk permits and poor performances.
SEPA needs, however, to have appropriate powers to do its job properly. Through our Better Environmental Regulation Programme and the Better Regulation Bill, SEPA will be given a range of more direct and proportionate enforcement measures to ensure it has the right range of interventions to tackle poor performance and better protect the environment.