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: S4O-01511

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to improve cycling infrastructure.

Question reference: S4W-10269

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the sustainable development of the marine environment will be a plan-led rather than development-led process under the revised timetable for the National Marine Plan.

The publication of the pre-consultation draft national marine plan demonstrates the government’s commitment to a plan-led process. In addition, the sectoral planning process already underway for offshore wind, wave and tidal energy developments further represents the plan-led approach. Until the National Marine Plan is adopted, decisions regarding marine activities and developments will continue to be made under existing frameworks and the marine licensing regime. These take account of social and environmental impacts, promoting a sustainable approach to development and activities.

Question reference: S4W-10275

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how the National Marine Plan will help deliver the ministerial duty to protect and, where appropriate, enhance the health of the marine area.

Question reference: S4W-10271

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its resources Marine Scotland has allocated to completing the National Marine Plan.

Question reference: S4W-10263

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-07280 by Richard Lochhead on 31 May 2012, whether the cabinet secretary will make a statement on the publication of the National Marine Plan.

Question reference: S4W-10268

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) procedural or (b) resource reasons are for the changes to the timetable for the National Marine Plan.

The revised timetable for the National Marine Plan will enable the marine renewable sectoral plans and the proposals for marine protected areas to be fully integrated into the National Marine Plan. The revised timetable will allow the consultation on the Draft National Marine Plan, renewable sectoral plans and marine protected areas to be undertaken together in summer 2013. This will both benefit stakeholders and allow for a full integration of these issues into the plan.

The changes to the timetable also reflect the time necessary to consult with the UK Government in accordance with the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act, and the time required to respond appropriately to comments on the pre-consultation draft and to complete accompanying sustainability assessments.

Question reference: S4W-10272

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how the National Marine Plan will direct and guide sectoral plans that are published before it.

The revised timetable for the National Marine Plan will enable the marine renewable sectoral plans and the proposals for marine protected areas to be fully integrated into the National Marine Plan. The revised timetable will also allow the consultation on the Draft National Marine Plan, renewable sectoral plans and marine protected areas to be undertaken together. This will both benefit stakeholders and allow for a full integration of these issues into the plan.

Question reference: S4W-10270

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what level of priority it attaches to marine planning.

Question reference: S4W-10274

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how renewables sectoral plans will incorporate the marine ecosystem objectives that are a requirement of the National Marine Plan.

The spatial output of marine renewable sectoral plans will be integrated into the National Marine Plan. This will give the outputs of the sectoral plans statutory weight and also ensure that the wider set of marine objectives clearly apply to this and all other sectors. In addition, sectoral planning actively incorporates consideration of environmental impacts at all levels and includes sustainability appraisal and environmental impact assessment.

Question reference: S4W-10273

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it will sustainably manage the demands of marine activities ahead of publishing the National Marine Plan.

The publication of the pre-consultation draft national marine plan demonstrates the government’s current approach to managing the demands of marine activities. Until the National Marine Plan is adopted, decisions regarding marine activities and developments will continue to be made under existing frameworks and the marine licensing regime. These take account of social and environmental impacts, promoting a sustainable approach to development and activities.