Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not hold information on recent salmon production levels in the North Pacific.

Support is available under the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) to production initiatives in salmon farming that offer environmental benefits.

The European Fisheries Fund is a 7 year programme which provides support to the sea fishers, processing and aquaculture sector, as well as wider collective actions and support to coastal communities. Awards are made against identified criteria, including environmental benefits at all stages of the catching, production and processing chain. The Scottish element of the UK EFF operational programme (2007–2013) at present exchange rates is worth £80 million including match funding consisting of £45 million of European money matched by £35 million Scottish Government funding over the total programme period.

A list of projects awarded EFF funding is available on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/grants-subsidies.

Information published in 2012 by the Scottish Salmon Producer’s Organisation (SSPO) states that the worldwide retail value of Scottish farmed salmon is over £1 billion.

Scottish Government has a policy and regulatory framework in place to support the sustainable economic growth of the Scottish aquaculture industry including farmed Atlantic salmon. This was set out in A Fresh Start - the renewed Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture which was published in May 2009 and implemented by the Ministerial Group on Aquaculture (MGA). The industry is also specifically mentioned in the Government’s Economic Strategy and has sustainable growth targets of 50% by 2020, embedded in the Draft National Marine Plan.

In addition to the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill introduced in October, which is in part about supporting sustainable economic growth, we are also refocusing the MGA towards delivery of the 2020 targets contained in the Draft National Marine Plan and implementation of the Aquaculture and fisheries (Scotland) Bill.

I would also refer you to my answer to question S4W-10675 on 12 November 2012. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Town and Country Planning (Marine Fish Farms Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 2011 does not give sites planning permission to be developed. It grants planning permission for the operation of existing marine fish farms in the areas specified in the Order, providing they meet the criteria set out in the Order. It is for each individual farm to determine whether they meet these criteria.

Scotland, as part of the European Union, is already a signatory to the Convention for the Conservation of Salmon in the North Atlantic and is an active member of its implementation through the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO).

Financial service matters such as insurance are reserved to the UK Government, and the provision of insurance is a matter for the commercial market.

The Scottish Government is working with the UK Government, the other devolved administrations and the Association of British Insurers to agree a way forward and find a practical solution to flood insurance availability for those at risk of flooding post June 2013 when the current statement of principles between the Government and the insurance industry runs out.

The Scottish Government is committed to safeguarding the communities of Scotland from flooding. We are working to reduce flood risk across the whole of Scotland through the implementation of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 and the continued funding of large-scale flood protection schemes.

The response to the October 2012 flooding in Fife was managed effectively by the local authority and other local responders. The Scottish Government monitored the situation and was ready to provide support if requested. However, given the localised nature of the incident there was no need to activate the Strategic Co-ordinating Group or the Government’s Resilience Room. SEPA, through the Scottish Flood Forecasting Service, provided regular advice to responders in Fife allowing them to take appropriate action. SEPA regularly review their services with responders.

In 2007, all the existing flood defences in Scotland were assessed as part of the establishment of the Scottish Government’s Flood Defence Asset Database. Since then, a new National Flood Risk Assessment has been undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the outputs from which were approved by Ministers on 22 December 2011.

The assessment has identified areas where significant flood risk exists (“Potentially Vulnerable Areas”) – and for the first time we have a national picture of flood risk across Scotland. This represents a key milestone towards Scotland being able to target efforts to plan and invest in reducing impacts in areas most vulnerable to flooding, which will help Scotland become more resilient to the impacts of flooding.

It is difficult to attribute reductions in life expectancy directly to air pollution as, in practice, there will be a number of interacting factors influencing premature death including underlying medical conditions not directly related to air quality and lifestyle choices. To undertake such an assessment in relation to a specific pollutant source, such as biomass, would be even more complex and there is a high risk it would fail to generate any meaningful results.

The planning and permitting processes in Scotland are designed to ensure that emissions from biomass installations are minimised as far as is practically possible and that emissions remain within safe limits in relation to health. Ongoing compliance is also monitored by regulatory bodies such as SEPA.