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: S2W-26258

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals have been submitted by farmers and crofters under the EU agricultural subsidies appeals procedure in each full year since its introduction, broken down by area covered by each SEERAD area office.

The EU Agricultural SubsidiesAppeals procedure became operational in November 2000. The information requestedis set out as follows by year of submission.

Year Submitted	Area Office	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3
2000	Ayr	3	1
	Benbecula	0
	Dumfries	2
	Elgin	0
	Galashiels	0
	Hamilton	0
	Inverness	2	1
	Inverurie	3	1
	Kirkwall	0
	Lairg	0
	Lerwick	0
	Oban	1	1
	Perth	4	1
	Portree	0
	Stornoway	0
	Thurso	1
	Totals	16	5

Year Submitted	Area Office	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3
2001	Ayr	7	2
	Benbecula	5	1
	Dumfries	3
	Elgin	2
	Galashiels	5	1
	Hamilton	3	1
	Inverness	14	1
	Inverurie	20	4
	Kirkwall	4
	Lairg	0
	Lerwick	3	1
	Oban	3	1
	Perth	9	1
	Portree	1
	Stornoway	5
	Thurso	0
	Totals	84	13

Year Submitted	Area Office	Stage 1	Stage 2
2002	Ayr	28	3
	Benbecula	1
	Dumfries	25	3
	Elgin	13	4
	Galashiels	20	2
	Hamilton	24	2
	Inverness	22	2
	Inverurie	48	5
	Kirkwall	23	2
	Lairg	2
	Lerwick	5	1
	Oban	9	1
	Perth	41	6
	Portree	2
	Stornoway	0
	Thurso	9
	Totals	272	31

Year Submitted	Area Office	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3
2003	Ayr	18	3
	Benbecula	1
	Dumfries	35	8
	Elgin	5	2
	Galashiels	24	7
	Hamilton	16	5	1
	Inverness	22	3
	Inverurie	42	4	1
	Kirkwall	4	1
	Lairg	2
	Lerwick	9
	Oban	9	4
	Perth	47	8	1
	Portree	2	1
	Stornoway	3
	Thurso	15	1
	Totals	254	47	3

Year Submitted	Area Office	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3
2004	Ayr	7	2
	Benbecula	6
	Dumfries	15
	Elgin	0
	Galashiels	13	1	1
	Hamilton	10	1
	Inverness	9	3
	Inverurie	8	4	1
	Kirkwall	2	1
	Lairg	4	1
	Lerwick	4	1
	Oban	2	1
	Perth	11	5
	Portree	2
	Stornoway	1
	Thurso	6	1
	Totals	100	21	2

Year Submitted	Area Office	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3
2005	Ayr	89	9
	Benbecula	16
	Dumfries	67	4	2
	Elgin	13	2
	Galashiels	64	10	1
	Hamilton	37	3
	Inverness	35	3	2
	Inverurie	124	12
	Kirkwall	25	5
	Lairg	15	1
	Lerwick	13	4
	Oban	13	1
	Perth	69	8	1
	Portree	8
	Stornoway	10
	Thurso	23	3
	Totals	621	65	6

Question reference: S2W-26250

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any charge is made for the registration of buyers of first sale fish under the Registration of Fish Sellers and Buyers and Designation of Auction Sites (Scotland) Regulations 2005.

Question reference: S2W-26255

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many buyers of direct sale fish have registered under the Registration of Fish Sellers and Buyers and Designation of Auction Sites (Scotland) Regulations 2005.

Question reference: S2W-26251

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost to business of supplying sales notes under the Registration of Fish Sellers and Buyers and Designation of Auction Sites (Scotland) Regulations 2005 in respect of fish landings from under-10-metre vessels.

In the Regulatory Impact Assessmentwhich accompanied the Registration of Fish Sellers and Buyers and Designationof Auction Sites (Scotland) Regulations 2005 the Scottish Executive estimatedthat during 2004 there were in excess of 70,000 landings in Scotland and20,000 were by under 10m vessels. All businesses affected by the scheme alreadymade some resource available to collate landing information with a view to providingit to the fishermen who supply them. However, we were aware that the greatestscale of regime change would be in the sector which buys directly from vesselsand we therefore provided them with additional time to make any necessarychanges before they were obliged to submit sales notes. We have also providedsales notes and templates for use by businesses as well as developing an onlinesales note. It was on this basis that the costs to businesses were estimated tobe minimal.

Question reference: S2W-26249

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hoteliers and restaurateurs were sent the consultation on the regulatory impact assessment in respect of the Registration of Fish Sellers and Buyers and Designation of Auction Sites (Scotland) Regulations 2005.

The Regulatory ImpactAssessment to accompany the Registration of Fish Sellers and Buyers andDesignation of Auction Sites (Scotland) Regulations 2005 was sent to fishing industryrepresentatives for comment during the consultation process rather thanindividual hoteliers and restaurateurs. However, during the summer of 2005 weplaced adverts in the hospitality trade press to publicise the scheme andrequested the assistance of the British Hospitality Association and VisitScotlandto contact their members. Furthermore, we wrote to trade organisations on therecommendation of VisitScotland to publicise the scheme.

Question reference: S2W-25691

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 15 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm its policy in relation to the burning of tallow by renderers in their plants, in light of the recent announcement by the UK Government.

The regulation of the burningof tallow in rendering plants in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency(SEPA). The Executive has asked SEPA to discuss with the rendering industry thetechnical options available to operators to comply with the Waste Incineration Directivein order to keep compliance costs as low as practicable. Our policy in the longerterm will be dependent on the outcome of a study initiated by the European Commissionto establish whether it is appropriate that the use of tallow as a fuel falls withinthe scope of that Directive and the EU Animal By-Products Regulation.

Question reference: S2W-24818

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions each department issued guidance in respect of regulations laid for the purpose of transposition of EU directives to those affected 12 weeks or more before the regulation came into force in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005.

Question reference: S2W-24820

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the Transposition guide: how to implement European directives effectively, issued by the UK Government Cabinet Office.

Question reference: S2W-24819

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how many regulations were brought forward by each of its departments for the purpose of transposition of EU directives in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005.

Question reference: S2W-24817

Asked by: Mr Jim Wallace, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 25 April 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005 each of its departments failed to meet timetables in respect of transposition of EU directives.