Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5O-00500

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the IT system for common agricultural policy payments.

Question reference: S5W-05189

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of all (a) demersal, (b) pelagic and (c) shellfish landings into Troon Harbour in each year from 2011 to 2015 inclusive.

Question reference: S5W-05033

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of statistics published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), which show that the number of fish farms that rated poor rose from 42 in 2014 to 58 in 2015, what action it will take to address this.

Question reference: S5W-05032

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what account has been taken of the effects on the marine environment in moving toward the 2020 target of a 50% increase in fish exports.

The Scottish Government supports the aquaculture industry’s sustainable growth including production targets of 210,000 tonnes marine (whole wet) finfish and 13,000 tonnes shellfish by 2020 as outlined in the UK Multi Annual National Plan for Aquaculture and Scotland’s National Marine Plan.

Any increased production will result from either a modification to an existing development or a new development. In both cases the application will be assessed (by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency - SEPA) on an individual basis taking into account any potential impacts on Scotland’s water environment out to a distance of 3 nautical miles in accordance with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.

Question reference: S5W-05031

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made a comparison of fish farm regulations, in terms of environmental conditions, between Scotland and Norway.

Question reference: S5W-03833

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether any ministers or officials will be attending the Conference of the Parties on the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP13) in December 2016.

Question reference: S5W-03595

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the proposed Strathy South wind farm since February 2016 with (a) the applicants, (b) Scottish Natural Heritage, (c) The Highland Council and (d) the European Commission.

A key function of the Public Local Inquiry was to allow all interested parties to engage in debate on the issues of key importance in an open forum. The Scottish Government wishes to avoid disadvantage to any interested party through holding closed discussions on substantive points outside of the inquiry, although we will continue to take into account representations on the application received regarding any relevant matter until a decision is taken.

The applicant has on numerous occasions requested updates on the timescale for a decision however no information has been given. The Scottish Government requested confirmation of the description of the development from the applicant which was received.

There have been no discussions with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) about the proposal but SNH has provided the Scottish Government by email with a pro-forma appraisal of the impacts of the proposed development on the Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands SPA, SAC and Ramsar site consolidating the information it presented to the Public Local Inquiry. SNH has also informed the Scottish Government of the publication of a final version of a report presented to the Public Local Inquiry on Greenshank collision mortality estimates.

No discussions have been had with the Highland Council or the European Commission.

Question reference: S5W-03593

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how the evidence regarding the potential vulnerability of hen harriers to wind turbines, which has been published since the close of the public inquiry into the proposed Strathy South wind farm, will be considered in the determination of the wind farm's application.

Question reference: S5W-03596

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how the recent extension to the Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve will be considered in the determination of the application for the Strathy South wind farm, which would be on a site adjacent to the reserve boundary.

Scottish Planning Policy states that development which affects a National Nature Reserve should only be permitted where the objectives of designation and the overall integrity of the area will not be compromised; or any significant adverse effects on the qualities for which the area has been designated are clearly outweighed by social, environmental or economic benefits of national importance. The Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve overlaps with the Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands Ramsar site, Natura 2000 sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest which are protected under the relevant statutory regimes.

The Scottish Government will continue to take into account all material considerations and representations on the application received regarding any relevant matter, until a decision is taken.

Question reference: S5W-03594

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have expressed (a) concerns and (b) support regarding the proposed Strathy South wind farm.

To date, the Scottish Government has received 27 public representations in support of the application and 245 in opposition.

Scottish Ministers are also aware of representations RSPB Scotland has received from its supporters who object to the proposed wind farm. RSPB Scotland has informed the Scottish Government of the details of 653 objections it has received by postcard, and 1425 objections via its website.