- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 8 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into the impact on Scotland of the Lighter Evenings (Experiment) Bill.
Answer
No specific research has beenundertaken.
- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 11 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the final two years of the Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme will be funded to a level that will allow all applications to be granted in full.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24811 on 12 April 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 11 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether further funding will be made available to the Forestry Commission in order to cover planting grant applications within locational premium areas during 2006-07.
Answer
Funding has already been includedin the Forestry Commission Scotland budget in respect of grant applications forlocational premium areas, up to the limits announced, for 2006-07 and 2007-08.
The budget allocation for the Scottish Forestry GrantsScheme is limited in the same way as any other grant scheme. It is therefore notpossible to provide an open-ended commitment to meet all applications for the scheme.
Forestry Commission Scotlandis already in discussion with stakeholders on the new forestry grants scheme tofit in with the new Rural Development Regulation, which comes into effect on 1 January2007. As part of the transition arrangements Forestry Commission Scotland had alreadyindicated a closure date of August 2006. Due to unprecedented demand for grant aid,closure for normal applications has now been brought forward to take immediate effect.Applications for grant aid in Locational Premium areas will still be consideredup to August 2006 as originally planned. Forestry Commission Scotland will be issuinga press release later today giving further details.
Forestry continues to contributeacross a wide range of agendas. For its role in relation to climate change we haveprovided a further £6 million which will take the budget for forestry grants to£26 million for 2006-07, and £28 million for 2007-08.
- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 11 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all applications for forestry plantings within locational premium areas will be fully granted in 2007-08.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24811 on 12 April 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 20 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the establishment of the Strategic Timber Transport Fund, announced in October 2004.
Answer
Ministers established the £13million Scottish Strategic Timber Transport Fund to help pay for timber transportinfrastructure projects which will benefit local communities and the environment.Forestry Commission Scotland has since been working with officials from the EuropeanCommission, and the Timber Transport Forum, to ensure that the scheme to disbursemonies from the Fund complies with EC requirements.
Forestry Commission Scotlandhas just this week received the go-ahead from the EC, and is now taking accountof recommendations from the Timber Transport Forum which has been considering someinitial project applications. I expect to be able to announce the first successfulprojects within a month.
- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 7 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to ensure that facilities for all non-motorised road users are included in trunk road upgrading schemes to enable such facilities to fit the surrounding network and be suitable for inclusion in forthcoming core path plans.
Answer
The Scottish Executivepublished
Cycling by Design in December 1999. This representedinternational best practice in providing for cyclists through a system ofdesign guidance and audit, and implemented undertakings given in the earliertrunk road cycling initiative.
Transport Scotland nowhas the operational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.
- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 7 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to increase the provision of routes for non-motorised road users in trunk road corridors outwith current schemes.
Answer
As part of the Trunk Road CyclingInitiative Transport Scotland is increasing the provision of routes for non-motorisedroad users in trunk road corridors outwith current schemes by taking forward a numberof projects. These include re-determination of suitable existing rural footwaysfor joint use and the following longer distance routes:
| A82 Corridor | Great Glen Cycleway from Fort William to Inverness |
| A82 Corridor | Torlundy to Fort William Link for the 2007 MB World Championships |
| A7 Corridor | Selkirk – Galashiels Link |
| A1 Corridor | Bilsdean Link for the North Sea Cycleway |
| A86-A889 Corridor | Laggan Community Links |
| A82 Corridor | West Loch Lomond Cycleway between Balloch and Arrochar Rail Stations |
| A828 Corridor | Oban to Fort William Cycleway |
The above projects are in additionto the work carried out by the Executive over recent years to NMU routes outwithroad improvement schemes such as the A9 and A75 Cycleways.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for more informationif required.
- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Environment and Rural Development last met officials from NFU Scotland and what matters were discussed.
Answer
I last met with officials ofNFU Scotland on Thursday, 23 February 2006. We discussed a range of topics including food chainsupply and competition issues, the burden of regulation on farmers, the prospectsfor re‑opening beef export markets and Less Favoured Area support.
- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 2 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive why only non-condensing boilers can be fitted under the central heating scheme managed by the Eaga Partnership on its behalf when condensing boilers are around 15 to 20% more fuel efficient and therefore cheaper to operate.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:
The efficiency of boilers used in the central heating programme is set out in the Technical Specifications covering the installation of central heating systems. The specifications were approved by a working group, which included all the major power companies and other experts in the field and complies with Part J of the Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards Scotland Regulations. While more efficient boilers are available, the decision to select the boilers used in the programme was made after careful consideration of boiler efficiency, environmental impact and cost.
It is the intention of Communities Scotland to review the technical specification covering the installation of central heating systems before announcing the type of boiler that can be fitted under the extended programme between 2006 and 2008.
- Asked by: Alex Fergusson, MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to cease the annual briefing with members of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists which it has traditionally held to mark the publication of the farm income figures and, if so, for what reasons.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will be holding its annual briefing with the members of the Guild of Agricultural journalists on Tuesday 31 January at 9.30am.
