- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 26 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the £0.133 million outturn efficiency for the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.
Answer
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority''s (LLTNPA) outturn efficiency savings of £0.133 million arose from reductions in management and overhead costs including savings on heating, security, printing and stationery and staff travel costs.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 26 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the £0.12 million outturn efficiency for the Cairngorms National Park Authority in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.
Answer
Cairngorms National Park Authority''s (CNPA) outturn efficiency savings of £0.12 million arose from reductions in management and overhead costs including savings on rent, staffing costs and computer support costs.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 26 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the £0.04 million outturn efficiency for the Crofters Commission in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.
Answer
The savings were achieved through the deletion of two specific posts which became vacant and which were considered non-essential in view of changes to the commission''s priorities.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 26 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the £4.52 million outturn time-releasing efficiency for Scottish Natural Heritage in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage''s (SNH) time-releasing efficiency of £4.52 million in 2008‘09 was delivered through: the absorption of additional work within its existing resources without adversely affecting the organisation''s performance; rationalising the system for monitoring and managing commissioned research, and, improving its recruitment process by introducing more on-line recruitment and reducing the need for contractors.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 26 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the £11.9 million outturn efficiency for the Forestry Commission Scotland in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.
Answer
Forestry Commission Scotland achieved its efficiency outturn by disposing of assets that were not delivering strongly against Scottish Government objectives.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what was (a) discussed and (b) decided at the UK Aquaculture Forum held in Edinburgh on 10 February 2010.
Answer
The UK Aquaculture Forum discussed various issues relating to the industry, and how best to share research, development projects and regulatory approaches identified and adopted in each of the UK countries. Specific topics included
A Fresh Start: The Renewed Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture; the Northern Irish Aquaculture Initiative; a report on the working of relevant European institutions, and the aspirations of the salmon, trout and shellfish sectors.
The group concluded that the forum provided a platform to discuss and where possible agree a common UK approach to responding to the EU decision-making process. Industry representatives welcomed the initiative. It was agreed that the group would meet twice a year, with the next in October 2010.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 29 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 21 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it played a role in the freeze on teacher and health service pensions and, if so, what.
Answer
The responsibility for deciding on and applying the annual up-rating of public service pensions is a matter reserved to Westminster and in particular the Minister of State for Pensions and the Ageing Society. It is therefore not within the devolved powers of the Scottish Government to set or apply a different policy for Scottish pensioners.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 19 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the recommendation of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in its Consultation on Proposals for a new Border Rivers Order for the River Esk that, when enforcing legislation in the River Esk area, the Environment Agency should be able to bring a case to court in either the Scottish or English judicial system irrespective of where the offence is committed.
Answer
The purpose of this byelaw is to enable enforcement officers to deal with any offences committed in-river, without having to prove on which side of the medium filum of the river the offence was committed. The medium filum in places forms the legal border between Scotland and England. It is not a fixed point because the mid-point of the channel moves owing to the passage of water causing changes to the river bank.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its memorandum of understanding with Norway on co-operation and best practice in aquaculture, signed on 17 August 2009, has been published.
Answer
A copy of the
Memorandum of Understanding is available on the Marine Scotland Website at
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Fish-Shellfish/international.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on control and treatment of fish diseases since its memorandum of understanding with Norway on co-operation and best practice in aquaculture was signed on 17 August 2009.
Answer
Since August 2009, we have set up the Healthier Fish and Shellfish working group as one of the outcomes of the renewed Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture. This group is chaired by Professor Randolph Richards CBE, Institute of Aquaculture, Stirling University and is building on existing good practice in the field of fish health and biosecurity.
In addition, we controlled the Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) outbreak in South West Shetland which occurred in various sites in the area from December 2008 to May 2009. The Scottish Government''s compartmentalisation of the industry into hydrographically discrete management areas appears to have been effective in limiting the disease outbreak to one area.
The Norwegian Government sent a representative to speak at an Aquaculture Science and Research event held by the Scottish Government in Glasgow last year, and regular discussions have taken place between officials in both countries. The Memorandum of Understanding Committee will meet in Edinburgh later this year.
