Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-02620

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it has made, or plans to make, of the possible impact on sandeel populations of offshore wind farm developments in the outer Moray Firth.

Marine Scotland attended a meeting with the renewables developers (Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited and Moray Offshore Renewables Limited), the developers consultants (Brown and May Marine Ltd) and members of the Moray Firth District Salmon Fisheries Boards on 1 September. At the meeting developers indicated they have undertaken seabed habitat surveys as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). As a further element of the investigative work developers will also be expected to provide an assessment of the potential loss of sandeel habitat, due to the developments, and any likely impact on feeding opportunities for a range of protected predator species – including seabirds and migratory fish – in the Moray Firth.

Question reference: S4O-00219

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support farmers and crofters control bracken.

Question reference: S4W-02602

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on concerns raised by (a) the local community council and (b) some local residents regarding its decision not to facilitate further discussion on alternative routes to the West Loch Awe Timber Haul Route.

Question reference: S4W-02603

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01977 by Stewart Stevenson on 29 August 2011, for what reason it considers that the decisions are consistent with its role in the European Good Practice Wind Project.

Question reference: S4W-02601

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Forestry Commission Scotland destroyed documents relating to the alternative route for the West Loch Awe Timber Haul Route and the successful grant application for the chosen route and, if so, for what reason.

Question reference: S4W-02600

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what cost benefit and other economic analyses it carried out when making its decision on the West Loch Awe Timber Haul Route.

Question reference: S4W-02598

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01976 by Stewart Stevenson on 1 August 2011, for what reason it considers that articles 5(1), 6(e), 6.8, 8 and 8(c) of the Aarhus Convention do not override the position of the Forestry Commission Scotland regarding the West Loch Awe Timber Haul Route.

The Aarhus Convention is an international agreement that includes obligations of the signatories in terms of providing access to environmental information and public participation in decision making. The West Loch Awe Timber Haul Route was agreed following an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and associated public consultation.

Environmental information regarding the route has also been supplied under the Environmental Information Regulation.

Question reference: S4W-02599

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01976 by Stewart Stevenson on 1 August 2011, whether it considers that the decisions regarding the West Loch Awe Timber Haul Route were compliant under article 2.3(a) of the Aarhus Convention and, if so, for what reason.

Question reference: S4O-00153

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support farmers concerned about the implementation of electronic identification for sheep.

Question reference: S4W-01977

Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-01461 by Stewart Stevenson on 28 July 2011, whether it considers that the decisions regarding the proposed West Loch Awe timber route are consistent with its role co-ordinating the European GP Wind project.