Chamber and committees

Works undertaken on the MV AliCat and the MV Argyll Flyer were around £45,000 and £479,000 respectively.

A wide range of Scottish measures are currently in place to encourage the sought after transformation to a low carbon transport system, with investment both in existing networks and transport modes and in developing new and alternative transport options. Policy development and delivery work covers decarbonising vehicles, promoting sustainable communities, engaging with businesses and organisations, and improving road network efficiencies. Further detail will be set out in the second Report on Proposals & Policies.

The answer to question S4W-08559 provided, by contract year, the provisional outturn for contract year 1 (for the 12 month period July 2011 to June 2012) and contracted levels of grant subsidy payable for the remaining contract years. Fuel costs and the start up costs were also provided for contract year 1 in the response to that question.

Argyll Ferries Ltd’s published accounts for 2011-12 detail the subsidy payments received during the financial year which relates only to the nine month period between 30 June 2011 and 31 March 2012. The figures in the Argyll Ferries Ltd published accounts for 2011-12 includes the subsidy (i.e. operating grant), fuel grant, start-up costs and redundancy payments, under the terms of their contract with the Scottish ministers.

The total capital cost to David MacBrayne Ltd, as set out in their financial statements to March 2012, included the cost of works on the two vessels as well as their purchase price.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a safe diversion route at the Rest and Be Thankful, along the Old Military Road, in as short a timescale as possible. Works are continuing on the upgrading of this road within the Forestry Commission land. Good progress has been made and Transport Scotland has agreed accommodation works and the terms of compensation with the landowner. The final detail of the agreement with the landowner is currently being finalised by the respective solicitors.

Updates are provided on the Transport Scotland website at:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/road/maintenance/landslides/A83-rest-and-be-thankful.

The information requested is set out in the following tables.

We cannot stop landslides occurring, but we can manage the consequences more effectively. Following previous landslides at the Rest and Be Thankful, the Scottish Government invested £700,000 on mitigation measures, including protective netting, a new culvert and drainage system at the site of a previous landslide and geotechnical monitoring equipment.

To date this year we have spent a further £600,000 installing Phase 2 debris flow netting. We are also progressing works to establish an emergency diversion route along the Old Military Road at a current estimate of £2.4 million. The design and procurement of Phases 3 and 4 of landslide protection works are also underway and the £700,000 work is expected to start shortly.

In addition, we are currently undertaking a £100,000 study of the A83 to look at longer term options. It is envisaged that the draft report will be available for discussion at the next A83 Task Force Meeting in November. The finalised report will be made available on the Transport Scotland website.

The National Goose Management Review Group (NGMRG) has approved in principle an adaptive management trial designed to maintain or reduce populations of resident greylag geese on Islay. This trial work is the subject of ongoing discussion to agree target populations. A similar trial is underway in Orkney and two further trials are being developed on other Scottish islands. Scottish ministers are now turning to consider whether the principles of adaptive management can be applied to the larger migratory goose populations on Islay in a manner consistent with our international conservation obligations.

The Scottish Government is also considering the suitability of options within the next Scottish Rural Development Programme for supporting goose management in Scotland.

SNH has not requested funding assistance from the UK Government or the EU in order to assist Scottish ministers in meeting their international obligations to protect geese.

As biodiversity is a devolved responsibility it is for the Scottish government and not the UK government to fund conservation management issues within Scotland.

The mainstream EU funding which helps member states meet such obligations is through the co-financing of the Scottish Rural Development Programme or via the LIFE+ programme.

SNH has not made any applications to the EU's LIFE+ programme in order to control the goose numbers on Islay.

The purpose of the EU LIFE+ programme is to protect and enhance the features recognised as important under the Birds and Habitats Directives. The Machair LIFE+ Project, led by RSPB, does undertake certain management actions to limit the impacts of resident greylag geese on machair habitats. However, a project focused specifically on controlling goose numbers would be highly unlikely to meet the eligibility criteria for EU LIFE+ funding.