- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many rural development contracts have been awarded that include financial reward for the maintenance and enhancement of peatlands.
Answer
A total of ten applications containing peatland management options have been submitted to the Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities element of the Scotland Rural Development Programme. Eight of these have been approved.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17557 by Richard Lochhead on 14 November 2008, what its timetable is for consultation on the replacement of the Pet Animals Act 1951.
Answer
We anticipate that we shall issue a consultation paper on proposals for regulations to replace the Pet Animals Act 1951 towards the end of the year.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the regulations covering castration and tail docking of lambs following the Report on the Implications of Castration and Tail Docking for the Welfare of Lambs published by the Farm Animal Welfare Council in June 2008.
Answer
The government is presently consulting with stakeholders on the recommendations made by the Farm Animal Welfare Council in their report on the castration and tail docking of lambs in consultation with stakeholders. The report does not recommend a ban on these procedures and acknowledges that there are circumstances when there are animal welfare advantages to these procedures being undertaken.
The government''s response will be published in due course.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants have successfully entered into rural development contracts for organic production in each of the 11 Scotland Rural Development Programme regions.
Answer
The following table shows a breakdown by region of both how many applications for organic production have been submitted to the Rural Priorities scheme, under the Scotland Rural Development Programme and how many of these have been approved. In total, 69 cases have applied of which 61 have been approved.
Formal contract documentation is due to be issued to successful applicants shortly.
| | Applied | Approved |
| Argyll | 4 | 3 |
| Ayrshire | 0 | 0 |
| Borders | 9 | 9 |
| Clyde | 2 | 2 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 2 | 1 |
| Forth | 3 | 2 |
| Grampian | 20 | 15 |
| Highland | 10 | 10 |
| Northern Isles | 8 | 8 |
| Outer Hebrides | 0 | 0 |
| Tayside | 11 | 11 |
| Total | 69 | 61 |
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many farmers have ceased organic production in each year since 1999.
Answer
The Scottish Government do not collect comprehensive information relating to farmers who have ceased organic production. However, we do hold information on the number of farmers who have ceased participating in the Organic Aid Scheme each year and this is shown in the following table.
| Year | Organic Aid Scheme* Leavers |
| 1999 | 8 |
| 2000 | 8 |
| 2001 | 10 |
| 2002 | 15 |
| 2003 | 31 |
| 2004 | 162 |
| 2005 | 115 |
| 2006 | 105 |
| 2007 | 57 |
| 2008 | 16 |
Note: *The Organic Aid Scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 2006.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to place an obligation on local authorities to provide recycling services for business waste.
Answer
Under the terms of the concordat it is the responsibility of individual local authorities to determine how best to manage any business waste collected. Accordingly, we do not intend to place an obligation on local authorities to provide recycling services for business waste. The Scottish Government does however encourage local authorities to recycle business waste whenever possible.
It should of course be remembered that facilities already exist in a number of local authority areas to allow businesses to recycle their waste, and the Waste Aware Scotland Website has an excellent search facility to allow businesses to locate recycling facilities in their area. Additionally, Waste Aware Scotland are running a Waste Aware Business Campaign that aims to raise awareness of how businesses can deal with their waste more sustainably.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount paid out under the Organic Aid Scheme was in each year between 2003 and 2007.
Answer
The information requested is provided in the following table.
| Year | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Organic Aid Scheme* expenditure | £5.7 million | £3.5 million | £2.5 million | £3.0 million | £5.1 million |
Note: *The Organic Aid Scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 2006.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many payments were made under the Organic Aid Scheme in each year between 2003 and 2007.
Answer
The information requested is provided in the following table.
| Year | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Number of Organic Aid Scheme* payments | 746 | 606 | 496 | 546 | 666 |
Note: *The Organic Aid Scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 2006.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is made available to it and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency regarding waste types and arisings and how this information is used.
Answer
The main mechanism used for the collection of waste data from local authorities is the waste data flow system. This is a web-based system used by all local authorities in Scotland to report their waste arisings, recycling levels and disposal. The system is also used to monitor the quantity of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled under the Landfill Allowance Scheme. In addition, waste data is collected from other sources including waste management licence operator returns, the register of exemptions and supplementary surveys. the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have overall responsibility for the collation and management of all data collected.
The waste data gathered is used in various ways. For example, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency use it to produce publications such as the Waste Data Digest, which is an annual publication that sets out key waste facts and trends. The data is also used for target setting, performance and compliance monitoring, meeting reporting requirements and of course policy development. Further information on how the data is used can be found on SEPA''s website.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-18693 and S3W-18694 by Kenny MacAskill on 18 December 2008, whether the option of making adaptations to Annan Town Hall to address security concerns was explored and costed and, if so, what the cost of such adaptations was estimated to be.
Answer
The consultation exercise for South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway is not due to end until 2 March 2009. Decisions will not be made until after the consultation responses and the Scottish Court Service final proposals have been fully considered.
The reasons for the Scottish Court Service recommendation in relation to Annan are set out in the consultation document. Scottish Court Service have advised that the building lay out at Annan Town Hall precludes any adaptation to address the security concerns in that building. No costing was undertaken.
