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-07782

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of sites of special scientific interest under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 or predecessor legislation are in favourable condition; what the target for this is in the national performance framework; whether the target has been amended and, if so, for what reason.

The latest figures tracking the proportion of protected features in favourable condition were released by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on 29 May 2012. They show that 77% of features at National (Sites of Special Scientific Interest), European (Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas) and international (Ramsar) levels were in favourable condition on 31 March 2012. The proportion of protected features on sites of special scientific interest in favourable condition by that date was 79%.

SNH is currently working on advice to the Scottish Government on options for the formulation of a new target under the updated national indicator: “to improve the condition of protected nature sites”. This indicator was updated as part of the refresh of the National Performance Framework in December 2011 with the aim of improving clarity and ensuring that indicators are underpinned by targets that are up to date and reflect the Scottish Government’s current priorities.

Question reference: S4W-07777

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many sites of special scientific interest under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 or predecessor legislation are in (a) satisfactory, (b) improving, (c) unfavourable and (d) unfavourable declining condition, and how many are in the management control of the owner or occupier.

The information requested in relation to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) is provided in the following table.

Total Number of SSSIs	1,439
Total number of SSSI features	3,711
of which are in satisfactory condition	2,392
of which are in improving condition	410
of which are in unfavourable condition	295
of which are in unfavourable/declining condition	435
of which are not assessed	179
Number of features which are wholly or partially under assured management of the owner or occupier	1,358

Question reference: S4W-07776

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many special areas of conservation under the EU habitats directive are in (a) satisfactory, (b) improving, (c) unfavourable and (d) unfavourable declining condition, and how many are in the management control of the owner or occupier.

The information requested is provided in the following table.

Total Number of SACs	239
Total number of SAC features	885
of which are in satisfactory condition	461
of which are in improving condition	153
of which are in unfavourable condition	188
of which are in unfavourable/declining condition	65
of which are not assessed	18
Number of features which are wholly or partially under assured management of the owner or occupier	499

Question reference: S4W-07778

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 26 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action can be taken against land (a) owners or (b) occupiers managing (i) sites of special scientific interest, (ii) special areas of conservation or (iii) special protection areas that have been classified as being in (A) unfavourable and (B) unfavourable declining condition.

Should action be necessary, Scottish Natural Heritage will in the first instance seek to encourage voluntary changes to land management under Rural Development Contracts – Rural Priorities. Where management not covered by Rural Priorities is required, SNH may enter into a Management Agreement. Should compulsory action be required, the available options are provided in the following table.

Statutory Power	Relevant Legislation	Power Exercised by	Circumstances
Deer control agreement (section 7 agreement)	s.7 Deer (Scotland) Act 1996	SNH and land owner(s)	For preventing or remedying damage to the natural heritage caused by deer.
Deer control scheme (section 8 control scheme)	s.8 Deer (Scotland) Act 1996	SNH, confirmed by Scottish Ministers	For preventing or remedying damage to the natural heritage caused by deer.
Nature Conservation Order	s.23 Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004	Scottish Ministers	For conservation of an SSSI or Natura feature.
Land Management Order	s.30 Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004	Scottish Ministers, following a formal proposal made to Ministers and the land manager by SNH	For conserving, restoring or enhancing a SSSI or Natura feature.
Species control order (from 2 July 2012)	s. 14D Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981	SNH, SEPA, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Ministers	For the eradication of invasive non-native plants or animals.

Question reference: S4O-01199

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making on rolling out an infrastructure for electric cars.

Question reference: S4O-01109

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made toward developing alternative methods of measuring GDP to reflect quality of life and the sustainability of Scotland’s development.

Question reference: S4W-07153

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03057 by Richard Lochhead on 25 October 2011, what plans it has in place to ensure the continuation of funding for the Scotland Rural Development Programme in 2013-14.

The budgetary figures set out in question S4W-03057 for 2013-14 for each scheme under the Scotland Rural Development Programme remain unchanged. The current programme will end on 31 December 2013 and we are working with others to press the Commission to give details of their plans to ensure a smooth transition between programmes so that crucial funding continues. The Commission has so far shared its initial views with member states in its Rural Development Committee. We are also undertaking work internally to ascertain options for ensuring funding continues for priority areas regardless of what happens with the transitional rules.

Setting out these transitional arrangements is not an issue simply restricted to Scotland and the rest of the UK but one that has been raised as a concern by a number of member states who are worried about the negative impact that could be caused by a break in funding.

Question reference: S4W-07155

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03057 by Richard Lochhead on 25 October 2011, how much it has budgeted for the Scotland Rural Development Programme in 2012-13 and how much of this remains.

Question reference: S4W-07156

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what transitional arrangements are in place to ensure that changes to the Scotland Rural Development Programme do not result in a drop-off in the support offered by the programme.

Setting out transitional arrangements is not an issue simply restricted to Scotland and the rest of the UK but one that has been raised as a concern by a number of member states who are worried about the negative impact that could be caused by a break in funding.

We and others have been pressing the Commission to give details of their plans to ensure a smooth transition between programmes so that crucial funding continues. The Commission has so far shared its initial views with member states in its Rural Development Committee. We are also undertaking work internally to ascertain options for ensuring funding continues for priority areas regardless of what happens with the transitional rules.

Question reference: S4O-01083

Current Status: Withdrawn