Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-19793

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 26 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to community councils.

<>The Scottish Government does not provide funding to community councils as it is for each local authority to decide the level of funding for community councils in their area. A Scottish Government Survey of Community Councils carried out in October 2012 and published in December 2013 showed that local authorities used several different methodologies to allocate money for administration costs. The most popular (18 local authorities) is to allocate a core grant and then top it up using population/elector/community councillor numbers. The full report is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0044/00440438.pdf.

In addition local authorities have a Scottish local authority External Funding Officer who can advise community groups and community councils about potential external funding streams. Community councils can also apply for BIG Lottery funding.

Question reference: S4W-19458

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 26 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16274 by Paul Wheelhouse on 8 October 2013, what plans it has for the property on Shetland deemed surplus to requirements.

Question reference: S4W-19794

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 26 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what training is available for community councillors.

A Scottish Government Survey of Community Councils carried out in October 2012 and published in December 2013 showed that 91% of local authorities provided training opportunities for community councillors, with planning the most common type of training provided. The full report is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0044/00440438.pdf

As part of the Scottish Government’s work in collaboration with COSLA to enhance the role of community councils, the Improvement Service has established three Short-Life Working Groups consisting of a number of Community Council Liaison Officers who work for Scotland’s 32 local authorities. One of these groups will be evaluating further training and development needs for community councillors and will explore opportunities to share existing training materials and resources. The group’s work is at a very early stage.

Question reference: S4W-19791

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 26 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote participation in community councils.

As part of the Scottish Government’s work in collaboration with COSLA to enhance the role of community councils, the Improvement Service has established three Short-Life Working Groups consisting of a number of Community Council Liaison Officers who work for Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

One of these groups is considering ways to promote participation in community councils. The group’s work is at a very early stage but its findings will help inform future work to help promote participation in community councils.

Question reference: S4W-19795

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 26 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to support community councils that have become inactive.

Each local authority has a Community Council Liaison Officer working directly with active and inactive community councils in their area.

To help community councils in their work local authorities have access to a Model Scheme of Establishment, a Model Constitution and a Model Standing Orders in addition to a Model Code of Conduct and Good Practice Guidance for Community Councillors. These were developed in 2009 by a group which involved the Scottish Government, COSLA and representatives of community councils and local authorities. The materials can be found on the Scottish Government website.

Question reference: S4W-19745

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Friday, 14 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it uses primary or secondary legislation to introduce special road schemes and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S4W-19280

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government which fish farms that do not employ non-lethal seal management measures have (a) applied for and (b) been granted seal licences in each year since 2007.

Under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, prior to 2011, seal licences were not required by fish farms to control seals and none were issued.

A new seal licensing system was introduced under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and, since 2011, annual information on seal licences issued to fish farms can be found on the Scottish Government website at the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Licensing/SealLicensing

Marine Scotland only has information on the presence or absence of non-lethal measures in respect of those fish farm sites, which are included in applications for seal licences. We have no information on fish farm sites not involved in seeking a seal licence.

In 2011, 98% (230) of active fish farms used non-lethal measures. In the subsequent years, 2012 and 2013, 100% (230 and 225 respectively) of active fish farms used such measures.

According to the latest information received by Marine Scotland, the following non-lethal seal management measures are used by fish farms which have been granted seal licences:- 100% use tensioned nets, 62% use acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs), 2% use double nets, 9% use anti-predator nets and 22% use seal blinds.

The non-lethal measure that is generally considered to be most effective against seals is tensioned nets, which although designed to keep fish contained also help to keep seals out. All fish farms seeking a seal licence have such nets installed. There are, however, a number of restrictions on the ability of fish farms to make use of other non-lethal measures, usually due to their potential impact on other marine species.

Marine Scotland continues to work closely with the industry to extend the use of non-lethal measures.

Question reference: S4W-19281

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what non-lethal seal management measures are used by fish farms and what information it has on the percentage of farms that use these, broken down by measure.

Question reference: S4W-19282

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2014

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of fish farms (i) have applied for and (ii) been granted a licence to (A) shoot seals to prevent serious damage to fisheries and (B) protect the health and welfare of farmed fish in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S4O-02843

Asked by: Jean Urquhart, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what use it makes of academic research from Scottish universities and colleges in formulating health and wellbeing policy.

Chamber and committees