Chamber and committees

International action to reduce emissions is vital in combating climate change.

The Scottish ministers recognise the importance of showing leadership on climate change. That is why the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill commits to reducing Scotland''s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050 and sets an ambitious interim target of reducing emissions by at least 34% by 2020 with a statutory requirement to move to a reduction of at least 42% as soon as the European Union adopts a 30% reduction target for 2020.

The Scottish ministers also recognise the importance of not waiting until the later years in the period to 2050 before making significant cuts in emissions. That is why the Bill requires statutory annual targets to be set in batches, with advice from an expert body and for these to be set so as to ensure delivery of the Bill''s point targets, in particular in the context of early action, that for 2020.

No. The waiving of SEPA''s charges for registering septic tanks has already been extended by two months to 31 May 2009, in response to a significant increase in septic tank registrations at the end of March, when the overall waiver of SEPA''s charges for most new permits ended. I believe a further extension of the waiver would be confusing to the public, and is unnecessary, as SEPA does not intend actively to pursue unregistered septic tanks.

As my colleague, Fiona Hyslop, told Parliament on 30 April 2009, we are bringing forward proposals for a new body, the Scottish Children''s Hearings Tribunal, which will be responsible for all functions associated with the Children''s Panel, including recruitment, selection and training of panel members.

The Tribunal will be led by a President who will have the power to work with volunteers to exercise its key functions and have the power to put in place structures, which may be known as area support teams, which reflect local issues in all of Scotland''s communities.

We will make more details available by the end of June when we publish our draft Bill to reform the Children''s Hearings system.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24372 on 9 June 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Legislation, Regulation and Guidance Sub-group of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime in Scotland (PAW Scotland), has made its recommendations.

These recommendations, along with additional technical advice as requested by the sub-group, are now with the wider PAW Scotland partnership for comment.

It is intended that the changes to the regulation of snaring in Scotland should be laid before Parliament before summer recess. Changes requiring primary legislation will be dealt with separately.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24372 on 9 June 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

No specific funding was allocated to Dumfries and Galloway Council for 2009-10 for pre-school education as such, as funding has been included within the overall local government finance settlement. It is the responsibility of each local authority, in conjunction with their Community Planning Partners, to allocate the funding on the basis of their local needs and priorities, taking into account their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Specific funding is not being made available for this purpose, but record levels of funding have been invested in local government over 2008-11. The commitment to deliver access to a teacher for every pre-school age child is contained within the concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA. As part of the concordat, the Scottish Government significantly reduced the level of ring-fencing around funding streams. It is for local authorities to allocate their resources on the basis of their local needs and priorities, taking into account their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Breeders of hawks in England and Wales currently only pay for permits required for the purposes of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) whereas breeders in Scotland currently also have to pay for registration as required by Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. The Scottish Government intends to bring forward amendments to Scottish legislation which would place Scottish breeders in the same position as those in England and Wales.