- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a bracken clearance scheme.
Answer
There are no plansto introduce a bracken clearance scheme. I refer the member to the answer to questionS3W-3683 on 13 September 2007 which sets out the support available fromthe Government for bracken clearance.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: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to farmers, crofters and landowners who wish to remove bracken coverage on land.
Answer
Support has been availablethrough agri-environment schemes such as the Rural Stewardship Scheme, the EnvironmentallySensitive Areas Scheme and the Countryside Premium Scheme to assist farmers andcrofters to control bracken. Subject to the terms of agreements under these schemes,payments to farmers and crofters continue to be made for this purpose.
Within the CroftingCounties, crofters and other small farmers can qualify for support for bracken controlunder the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme.
In future, supportfor control of bracken will be available to land managers under options includedin the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 for which we expect to receiveEuropean Union approval by the end of this year.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect human health, in light of the increasing number of cases of Lyme disease caused by ticks in Scotland.
Answer
We are aware thatthe incidence of Lyme disease appears to be increasing and I have already discussedthis with the Minister for Environment. Health Protection Scotland (HPS) currentlypublishes guidance on Lyme disease on its website and distributes guidance tohealth boards for dissemination to clinicians involved in treating members of thepublic. HPS are also participating in research work with the UK Health ProtectionAgency.
The Scottish Governmentis currently considering the reasons for the increase in reported incidences ofLyme Disease and whether any additional action is required. We are consulting HealthProtection Scotland and Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, which is the specialist centre in Scotland for diagnostic testing for Lyme disease. In addition,the Minister for Environment has agreed to hold a meeting with a range of interestedparties including those with countryside and rural business interests and recreationalgroups, to discuss the impact of ticks and Lyme disease and to consider what actionmight be taken.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that air services to Orkney remain a key priority for airlines and are connected with the global airline networks.
Answer
The ScottishExecutive’s Air Discount Scheme acknowledges that air service provision inOrkney is a key priority and one of the by-products of the Scheme has been anincreasing frequency in air services serving Orkney. Through the servicesprovided by Loganair Ltd there are connections to the global airline networkthrough its franchise agreement with British Airways.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with British Airways and Loganair about their Orkney services and, in particular, about the impact of ground handling arrangements at Heathrow Airport.
Answer
The ScottishExecutive has had no recent meetings with either British Airways or LoganairLtd. We acknowledge that the delivery of ground handling arrangements has beenless than satisfactory and we will raise the issue with both airlines.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1484 by Michael Russell on 24 July 2007, when it will make an announcement about future arrangements for the Bull Hire Scheme and whether this announcement will address concerns of crofters about the cost of the scheme to them.
Answer
In a speech to the Scottish Crofting Foundation Annual Conference on 7 September 2007, I was able to confirm that bull hire arrangements willcontinue into 2008. The hire charges are unchanged from 2007.
If the current managementarrangements are to continue beyond 2008, a significant investment will be neededin new stud facilities to replace those presently available on the farms run bythe Crofters Commission on the Scottish Government’s behalf. I have therefore askedthe Crofters Commission to appraise the investment that would be required to modernisethe stud operation facilities at Inverness.
At the same time,I have asked the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting to provide advice on whether ascheme of the nature of the Crofters Cattle Quality Improvement Scheme might bethe best way of spending money to achieve the vision for crofting on which it isreporting to ministers.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to alleviate the damage caused and financial burden placed on farmers and crofters by increasing numbers of wild geese on the Isle of Tiree.
Answer
Support is availableto farmers and crofters from the Tiree and Coll local goose management scheme. Expenditureunder the scheme in financialyear 2006-07 amounted to £28,605.
Farmers and crofterson Tiree are able to apply for licenses from their local Rural Payments and InspectionsDirectorate office to take geese during the closed season in order to prevent seriousagricultural damage.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to designate Campbeltown Loch as recreational water.
Answer
We have no suchplans. The Scottish Government does not designate sites as recreational waters.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made on Scottish Water’s applications (CAR/L/1000560 and CAR/L/1015528) for discharge into Campbeltown Loch.
Answer
The determinationof applications for licences under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities)(Scotland) Regulations 2005 is a statutory duty of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). SEPA served notice on 31 August 2007 of SEPA’s proposed determination.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 12 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to any concerns of local residents in the Campbeltown Loch area who are opposed to the granting of Scottish Water’s applications (CAR/L/1000560 and CAR/L/1015528) for discharge into Campbeltown Loch.
Answer
The determinationof applications for licences under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities)(Scotland) Regulations 2005 is a statutory duty of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
As this processis now underway it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government toprematurely offer comment on the concerns of local residents which Ministersmay have to consider within a formal framework.
