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: S4W-09148

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-08165 by Richard Lochhead on 9 July 2012, what elements of (a) common fisheries policy reform and (b) the implementation of inshore fisheries group management plans it considers will help marine species and habitats achieve favourable conservation status.

One of the Scottish Government's key aims in reforming the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is to deliver better and mutually supportive integration between the CFP and the marine environment legislation which will help Scotland to achieve favourable conservation status??.

The Scottish Government has also promoted the commitment within CFP reform to the achievement of fishing at levels which allow for maximum sustainable yield of fish stocks, a key determinant for the attainment of favourable conservation status.

The IFG plans (and the work of the IFGs more broadly) have the potential to help marine habitats and species achieve favourable conservation status in two ways:

Firstly, at a general level, the IFGs (and the process of developing and implementing the management plans) provide a mechanism to facilitate the integration of biodiversity considerations into the management of inshore fisheries. The management plans help the IFG members to understand how their activities and proposals might interact with features of biodiversity importance, and in particular designated sites and species.

Secondly, at a more specific level, the process of developing the management plans has allowed environmental bodies to advise where proposals are relevant to European Marine Sites or European Protected Species and, consequently, to help identify the actions that may be required to address issues arising during implementation (e.g. such work that may be required in order to inform an appropriate assessment under the Habitats Regulations).

Question reference: S4W-09157

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration is given to harbour porpoises in its special area of conservation network.

At present, no suitable locations in Scottish waters have been identified, in accordance with Article 4.1 of the EU Habitats Directive, for harbour porpoise to be considered a qualifying feature of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

However, there are 15 SACs in Scottish waters that list the presence of harbour porpoises as a non-qualifying feature (grade D). Although this means there are no conservation objectives specific to the species at these sites, there will be conservation measures in place for the qualifying habitat features which will indirectly benefit the harbour porpoises through prey resource availability.

The Joint Cetacean Protocol (JCP) will soon report up to date estimates of harbour porpoise density, distribution and population trends. Going forward, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) will commission a more detailed analysis of the JCP data resource to determine whether discrete and persistent areas of relatively high harbour porpoise density exist in the UK marine area. These areas will then be considered against the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive.

The results of this analysis are expected in late 2013 and, if appropriate, SAC proposals are expected to follow in late 2014.

Question reference: S4W-09153

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has with (a) the Crown Estate, (b) the renewables industry and (c) marine stakeholders regarding the potential for new wave and tidal lease sites.

The Scottish Government has had a range of discussions with The Crown Estate, the Renewables Industry and marine stakeholders regarding the potential for new wave and tidal lease sites during the ongoing development of Sectoral Marine Plans for Wave and Tidal Energy in Scottish Waters. The plans aim to identify the most sustainable locations where commercial scale wave and tidal energy developments could take place.

Question reference: S4W-09152

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how environmental data sets will be considered in future tidal and wave energy constraints mapping.

The Scottish Government considers a range of data sets during tidal and wave energy constraints mapping. Data sets representing relevant constraints are obtained from a range of sources. The constraint sets are allocated to one of three thematic restriction models, covering constraints arising from industrial activity, socio-cultural interests, and environmental factors. In the environmental model, environmental data sets are double weighted in the maps produced. Similar maps are produced for the industrial and socio-cultural themes. Following the completion of the three models, an overlay map of all three models is produced to identify areas of search for commercial scale wave and tidal developments. This process is likely to be followed in future wave and tidal energy constraints mapping.

Question reference: S4W-08214

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the need to increase the efficiency of biomass power plants.

Because of the multiple energy uses to which biomass can be put, the limits to supply, and the competition for that supply from other non-energy sectors, we need to encourage the most efficient and beneficial use of the available biomass resource. The Scottish Government would prefer to see biomass used in heat-only or combined heat and power (CHP) schemes, off gas-grid, and at a scale appropriate to make best use of both the available heat, and of local supply. That is one of the reasons why we have consulted on potential changes in this area under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland).

Question reference: S4O-01241

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that young carers are identified by schools at an early stage so that they can be given appropriate support.

Question reference: S4W-08966

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 28 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a submission to the European Commission regarding a prioritised action framework for the funding of the management of natura sites and, if so, what steps it has taken regarding this, and whether it will consult on the matter.

Question reference: S4W-08967

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 28 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how its common strategic framework and associated partnership agreement for the co-ordination of expenditure of EU funds will take account of its prioritised action framework for the funding of the management of natura sites, and whether it will consult on the matter.

Question reference: S4W-08819

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the proposed voluntary code of practice for the dairy industry is implemented in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-08822

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the introduction of pricing formulae for the sale of dairy products.

I met with Jim Paice, Defra Farming Minister and the other Devolved Administration Ministers, Alun Davies, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and European Programmes, Welsh Government and Michelle O'Neill, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, DARD (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development), Northern Ireland at the Royal Welsh Show last month where we discussed a range of dairy issues, including the need for a Price Formula for the sale of dairy products. This is one of the specific issues that are included in the voluntary code of practice that is currently being negotiated.