- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it has in relation to UK policy on the approval of genetically modified crops, foods and feeds for import or cultivation by the European Union.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has consistentlysupported the EU and UK policy that there should be rigorous, scientificallybased, case-by-case scrutiny of applications for the approval of GM crops, foodsand feeds. When the application includes the potential import or cultivation ofa GM crop, the Executive as part of the UK competent authority contributes to the UK voting position.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 11 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, or intends to take, in relation to (a) European Communities - Measures Affecting the Approval and Marketing of Biotech Products (DS291, DS292, DS293), (b) Comments by the European Communities on the Scientific and Technical Advice to the Panel, Geneva, 28 January 2005 and (c) Further scientific or technical evidence in response to the other parties’ comments by the European Communities, Geneva, 10 February 2005.
Answer
There is no reason for the Scottish Executive to take action on these documents, which relate to a WTOdispute on biotechnological products.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 11 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it has in relation to how the United Kingdom votes on applications to the European Union to import or cultivate genetically modified crops, foods and feeds.
Answer
The Executive’s role is toensure that the regulatory processes to import or cultivate GM crops, foods orfeeds operate properly and that applications are subject to robust and detailedscrutiny. When the application includes the potential import or cultivation ofa GM crop, the Executive as part of the UK competent authority contributes to the UK votingposition.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 7 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it plays in the setting of bye-laws by harbour authorities.
Answer
It is for individual harbourauthorities to decide what byelaws are required to meet local circumstances andoperational needs. In considering applications for harbour byelaws, the Scottish Executive will ensure that what is proposed is compliant with therelevant legislation and that any objections are considered as part of thedecision making process.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 7 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a harbour authority can consent to a programme of ship-to-ship oil transfers without amending its bye-laws to take account of such the transfer operations.
Answer
It is a matter for a harbourauthority to determine whether its byelaws are adequate to meet the needs ofits existing and planned operational activities. If amendments or additions toits byelaws are required a harbour authority will apply to the ScottishExecutive seeking the necessary powers.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 7 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-27199 by Ms Margaret Curran on 26 July 2006, when it will announce the outcome of its review of Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer
The on-going, limited reviewof the early operation of freedom of information in Scotland is providingthe opportunity to consider how the act is working in practice. The outcome of thereview will be announced in due course.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 5 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether doctors, veterinarians and farmers are considered to be “operators” under the EU Environmental Liability Directive and would be considered liable for remediation costs in respect of environmental harm if that harm arose from their use of genetically modified vaccines, crops or other organisms unless Scottish implementing regulations define “operators” otherwise.
Answer
The Directive defines “operator”quite widely to include any person who operates or controls an activity, businessor undertaking, irrespective of its private or public, profit or non-profit character.Therefore doctors, veterinarians and farmers can under certain circumstances fallwithin the scope of the EU Environmental Liability Directive.
However, there would have tobe “significant damage” to water, land and the environment and this is highly unlikelygiven that an environmental risk assessment is undertaken before a geneticallymodified organism is authorised for release.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 4 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan which are found in Scotland do not fall within the scope of the EU Environmental Liability Directive and would not be protected under Scottish implementing regulations unless the scope of the directive is extended.
Answer
The protection and enhancementof priority species and habitats in Scotland is delivered through a range of mechanisms, includingthe UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP), the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy andthe designated sites network.
Underthe UK BAP 226 Species Action Plans (SAPs) covering 278 species have been drawnup for Scotland. Each SAP sets out a series of actions to promote andenhance the species, or group of species, to which it relates, and identifies alead partner(s) with responsibility for their implementation.
Separatelythe Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) is concerned with the prevention andremediation of significant damage to certain protected species and habitats. Thelist of species which fall within the scope of the ELD and must be included is definedin Article 2(3) of that Directive. This comprises species in Article 4(2) or AnnexI of the Birds Directive and species on Annexes II & IV of the Habitats Directive.Member states also have the option to include additional species for which nationallyprotective regimes exist.
Iintend to consult on the Scottish Implementing Regulations for ELD shortly and inview of this am unable to comment on which species will or will not be protectedunder ELD, beyond those which must be included.
Afull list of the 278 Scottish UKBAP species is provided (Source: SNH). A list of45 Scottish UKBAP species which have European designations which fall within thescope of ELD is also provided (Source: JNCC/SNH).
ScottishUKBAP Species as Determined by SNH
| Acrobolbus wilsonii | Wilson’s pouchwort |
| Adelanthus lindenbergianus | Lindenberg’s featherwort |
| Alauda arvensis | skylark |
| Alectoria ochroleuca | a Lichen |
| Alosa alosa | allis shad |
| Alosa fallax | twaite shad |
| Amphianthus dohrnii | sea-fan anemone |
| Andreaea frigida | icy rock moss |
| Andrena gravida | banded mining bee |
| Arabis glabra | tower mustard |
| Argentina silus | greater silver smelt |
| Aricia artaxerxes | northern brown argus |
| Artemisia norvegica | Nowegian mugwort |
| Arthothelium dictyosporum | a lichen |
| Arthothelium macounii | a lichen |
| Arvicola terrestris | water vole |
| Ascophyllum nodosum mackii | knotted wrack |
| Athyrium flexile | Newman’s lady fern |
| Atrichum angustatum | lesser smoothcap |
| Atrina fragilis | fan mussel |
| Austropotamobius pallipes | freshwater white-clawed crayfish |
| Bacidia incompta | a lichen |
| Balaenoptera acutorostrata | minke whale |
| Balaenoptera borealis | sei whale |
| Balaenoptera musculus | blue whale |
| Balaenoptera physalus | fin whale |
| Bankera fuligineoalba | a tooth fungus |
| Bartramia stricta | rigid apple moss |
| Bellemerea alpina | a lichen |
| Bembidion testaceum | a ground beetle |
| Biatoridium monasteriense | a lichen |
| Bidessus minutissimus | a water beetle |
| Blera fallax | a hoverfly |
| Boletopsis leucomelaena | poroid fungus |
| Boloria euphrosyne | pearl-bordered fritillary |
| Bombus distinguendus | great yellow bumblebee |
| Brachyptera putata | a stonefly |
| Brosme brosme | tusk |
| Bryoerythrophyllum caledonicum | Scottish beard-moss |
| Bryoria smithii | a lichen |
| Bryum calophyllum | matted bryum |
| Bryum neodamense | long-leaved threadmoss |
| Bryum turbinatum | pear-fruited bryum |
| Bryum uliginosum | cernuous bryum |
| Bryum warneum | sea bryum |
| Bufo calamita | natterjack toad |
| Buxbaumia viridis | green shield-moss |
| Calamagrostis scotica | Scottish small-reed |
| Caloplaca aractina | a lichen |
| Caloplaca luteoalba | orange-fruited elm-lichen |
| Caloplaca nivalis | snow caloplaca |
| Campylopus setifolius | silky swan-neck moss |
| Caprimulgus europaeus | nightjar |
| Carduelis cannabina | linnet |
| Caretta caretta | loggerhead turtle |
| Carex muricata ssp. Muricata | prickly sedge |
| Carterocephalus palaemon | chequered skipper |
| Catapyrenium psoromoides | tree catapyrenium |
| Centaurea cyanus | cornflower |
| Cerastium nigrescens | Shetland mouse-ear |
| Cetorhinus maximus | basking shark |
| Ceutorhynchus insularis | a weevil |
| Chara baltica | Baltic stonewort |
| Chara canescens | bearded stonewort |
| Chara curta | lesser bearded stonewort |
| Chara muscosa | mossy stonewort |
| Chelonia mydas | green turtle |
| Chrysura hirsuta | a ruby-tailed wasp |
| Cladonia botrytes | stump lichen |
| Cladonia peziziformis | a lichen |
| Clubiona subsultans | a spider |
| Clupea harengus | herring |
| Cochlearia micacea | mountain scurvy-grass |
| Cochlearia scotica | Scottish scurvygrass |
| Collema dichotomum | river jelly lichen |
| Colletes floralis | the northern colletes |
| Coregonus albula | vendace |
| Coryphaenoides rupestris | roundnose grenadier |
| Crex crex | corncrake |
| Cryptocephalus decemmaculatus | 10 spotted pot beetle |
| Cryptocephalus primarius | a leaf beetle |
| Cryptocephalus sexpunctatus | 6 spotted pot beetle |
| Delphinus delphis | common dolphin |
| Dermochelys coriacea | leatherback turtle |
| Dianthus armeria | Deptford pink |
| Didymodon mamillosus | Perthshire beard-moss |
| Ditrichum plumbicola | lead-moss |
| Donacia aquatica | a reed beetle |
| Doros profuges | a hoverfly |
| Dorycera graminum | a picture winged fly |
| Dromius quadrisignatus | a ground beetle |
| Dyschirius angustatus | a ground beetle |
| Emberiza schoeniclus | reed bunting |
| Epione parallelaria | dark-bordered beauty |
| Epipactis youngiana | Young’s helleborine |
| Eubalaena glacialis | northern right whale |
| Euphrasia campbelliae | an eyebright |
| Euphrasia heslop-harrisonii | an eyebright |
| Euphrasia rotundifolia | an eyebright |
| Eurodryas aurinia | marsh fritillary |
| Filago pyramidata | broad-leaved cudweed |
| Formica aquilonia | Scottish wood ant |
| Formica exsecta | narrow-headed ant |
| Formica lugubris | hairy wood ant (northern) |
| Formicoxenus nitidulus | shining guest ant |
| Fumaria purpurea | purple ramping-fumitory |
| Funiculina quadrangularis | tall sea pen |
| Gadus morhua | cod |
| Galeopsis angustifolia | red hemp-nettle |
| Galium tricornutum | corn cleavers |
| Gentianella uliginosa | dune gentian |
| Globicephala melas | long-finned pilot whale |
| Grampus griseus | Risso’s dolphin |
| Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa | mole cricket |
| Gyalecta ulmi | elm gyalecta |
| Gyalideopsis scotica | a lichen |
| Halecania rhypodiza | a lichen |
| Hamatocaulis vernicosus | slender green feather-moss |
| Hammerschmidtia ferruginea | a hoverfly |
| Hemaris tityus | narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth |
| Herbertus borealis | northern prongwort |
| Hieracium attenuatifolium | Shetland hawkweeds |
| Hieracium northroense | Shetland hawkweeds |
| Hieracium zetlandicum | Shetland hawkweeds |
| Hirudo medicinalis | medicinal leech |
| Hoplostethus atlanticus | orange roughy |
| Hydnellum aurantiacum | orange corky spine fungus |
| Hydnellum caeruleum | blue corky spine fungus |
| Hydnellum concrescens | concrescent corky spine fungus |
| Hydnellum ferrugineum | reddish-brown corky spine fungus |
| Hydnellum peckii | brown corky spine fungus |
| Hydnellum scrobiculatum | pitted corky spine fungus |
| Hydnellum spongiosipes | a corky spine fungus |
| Hydrelia sylvata | waved carpet |
| Hydroporus rufifrons | a diving beetle |
| Hygrocybe calyptriformis | pink meadow waxcap |
| Hygrocybe spadicea | date-coloured waxcap |
| Hyperoodon ampullatus | northern bottlenose whale |
| Hypocreopsis rhododendri | ascomyte fungus |
| Hypogymnia intestiniformis | a lichen |
| Jamesoniella undulifolia | marsh earwort |
| Juniperus communis | juniper |
| Jynx torquilla | wryneck |
| Lacerta agilis | sand lizard |
| Lagenorhynchus acutus | Atlantic white-sided dolphin |
| Lagenorhynchus albirostris | white-beaked dolphin |
| Lamprothamnium papulosum | foxtail stonewort |
| Lanius collurio | red-backed shrike |
| Lejeunea mandonii | Atlantic lejeunea |
| Lepidochelys kempii | Kemp’s ridley turtle |
| Lepus europaeus | brown hare |
| Limonium binervosum agg. | sea lavender |
| Linnaea borealis | twinflower |
| Lipsothrix ecucullata | a cranefly |
| Lipsothrix errans | a cranefly |
| Lipsothrix nervosa | a cranefly |
| Lophius piscatorius | sea monkfish |
| Loxia scotica | Scottish crossbill |
| Luronium natans | floating water plantain |
| Lutra lutra | European otter |
| Lycopodiella inundata | marsh clubmoss |
| Margaritifera margaritifera | freshwater pearl mussel |
| Marsupella stableri | Stabler’s rustwort |
| Megaptera novaeangliea | humpback whale |
| Melampyrum sylvaticum | small cow-wheat |
| Melanapion minimum | a weevil |
| Melanitta nigra | common scoter |
| Mentha pulegium | pennyroyal |
| Meotica anglica | a beetle |
| Merlangius merlangus | whiting |
| Merluccius merluccius | a hake |
| Mesoplodon bidens | Sowerby’s beaked whale |
| Mesoplodon mirus | True’s beaked whale |
| Microglossum olivaceum | earth-tongue |
| Micromesistius poutassou | blue whiting |
| Miliaria calandra | corn bunting |
| Molva dypterygia | blue ling |
| Molva molva | ling |
| Muscicapa striata | spotted flycatcher |
| Najas flexilis | slender naiad |
| Nitella gracilis | slender stonewort |
| Noctua orbona | lunar yellow underwing |
| Nomada ferruginata | a cuckoo bee |
| Opegrapha paraxanthodes | a lichen |
| Orcinus orca | killer whale |
| Orthodontium gracile | slender thread-moss |
| Orthotrichum gymnostomum | aspen bristle-moss |
| Orthotrichum obtusifolium | blunt-leaved bristle-moss |
| Orthotrichum pallens | pale bristle-moss |
| Orthotrichum sprucei | Spruce’s bristle-moss |
| Osmia inermis | a mason bee |
| Osmia parietina | a mason bee |
| Osmia uncinata | a mason bee |
| Ostrea edulis | native oyster |
| Paradiarsia sobrina | cousin German |
| Passer montanus | tree sparrow |
| Peltigera lepidophora | ear-lobed dog-lichen |
| Perdix perdix | grey partridge |
| Perileptus areolatus | a ground beetle |
| Pertusaria bryontha | alpine moss pertusaria |
| Petalophyllum ralfsii | petalwort |
| Phalaropus lobatus | red-necked phalarope |
| Phellodon confluens | strongly scented pine fungus |
| Phellodon melaleucus | black and white scented pine fungus |
| Phellodon tomentosus | goblet scented pine fungus |
| Phocoena phocoena | harbour porpoise |
| Physeter macrocephalus | sperm whale |
| Pictus scoticus | pict-moss |
| Pilularia globulifera | pillwort |
| Pipistrellus pipistrellus | pipistrelle bat |
| Plagiothecium piliferum | hair silk-moss |
| Plebejus argus | silver-studded blue |
| Pleuronectes platessa | plaice |
| Pohlia scotica | Scottish pohlia |
| Pollachius virens | saithe |
| Potamogeton compressus | grass-wrack pondweed |
| Potamogeton rutilus | Shetland pondweed |
| Procas granulicollis | a weevil |
| Protapion ryei | a weevil |
| Pseudocyphellaria norvegica | a lichen |
| Pyrrhula pyrrhula | bullfinch |
| Raja batis | common skate |
| Reinhardtius hippoglossoides | Greenland halibut |
| Rhabdomastix laeta | a cranefly |
| Rheumaptera hastata | argent and sable |
| Rhynchaenus testaceus | ajumping weevil |
| Riccia huebeneriana | violet crystalwort |
| Salix lanata | woolly willow |
| Sarcodon glaucopus | green footed spiny-cap fungus |
| Sarcodon imbricatus | scaly tooth |
| Sarcodon scabrosus | bitter spiny cap fungus |
| Saxifraga hirculus | yellow marsh saxifrage |
| Scandix pecten-veneris | shepherd’s needle |
| Schismatomma graphidioides | a Lichen |
| Sciurus vulgaris | red squirrel |
| Scomber scrombrus | mackerel |
| Seligeria carniolica | water rock-bristle |
| Semiothisa carbonaria | netted mountain moth |
| Silene gallica | small-flowered catchfly |
| Sium latifolium | greater water parsnip |
| Solea vulgaris | sole |
| Sphagnum balticum | Baltic bog-moss |
| Sphagnum skyense | Skye bog-moss |
| Spiranthes romanzoffiana | Irish lady’s-tresses |
| Spiriverpa lunulata | a stiletto fly |
| Stenella coeruleoalba | striped dolphin |
| Sterna dougallii | roseate tern |
| Streptopelia turtur | turtle dove |
| Styela gelatinosa | sea squirt |
| Tenella adspersa | lagoon sea slug |
| Tetrao tetrix | black grouse |
| Tetrao urogallus | capercaillie |
| Thelenella modesta | warty wax-lichen |
| Thinobius newberyi | a rove beetle |
| Thyasira gouldi | northern hatchet-shell |
| Tipula serrulifera | a cranefly |
| Tolypella nidifica | bird’s nest stonewort |
| Torilis arvensis | spreading hedge parsley |
| Trichomanes speciosum | Killarney fern |
| Trichopteryx polycommata | barred toothed-striped |
| Triops cancriformis | tadpole shrimp |
| Triturus cristatus | great crested newt |
| Tulostoma niveum | stalked puffball |
| Turdus philomelos | song thrush |
| Tursiops truncatus | bottlenosed dolphin |
| Valerianella rimosa | broad-fruited corn salad |
| Vertigo angustior | narrow-mouthed whorl snail |
| Vertigo genesii | round-mouthed whorl snail |
| Vertigo geyeri | Geyer’s whorl snail |
| Weissia rostellata | beaked beardless-moss |
| Weissia squarrosa | spreading-leaved beardless-moss |
| Woodsia ilvensis | oblong woodsia |
| Xestia alpicola alpina | northern dart |
| Xestia rhomboidea | square-spotted clay |
| Xylena exsoleta | sword-grass |
| Ziphius cavirostris | Cuvier’s beaked whale |
| Zygaena loti scotica | slender Scotch burnet |
| Zygaena viciae argyllensis | New Forest burnet |
Scottish UKBAP Speciesautomatically covered by EULD
| Alosa alosa | allis shad |
| Alosa fallax | twaite shad |
| Austropotamobius pallipes | freshwater white-clawed crayfish |
| Balaenoptera acutorostrata | minke whale |
| Balaenoptera borealis | sei whale |
| Balaenoptera musculus | blue whale |
| Balaenoptera physalus | fin whale |
| Bufo calamita | natterjack toad |
| Buxbaumia viridis | green shield-moss |
| Caprimulgus europaeus | nightjar |
| Caretta caretta | loggerhead turtle |
| Chelonia mydas | green turtle |
| Crex crex | corncrake |
| Delphinus delphis | common dolphin |
| Dermochelys coriacea | leatherback turtle |
| Grampus griseus | Risso’s dolphin |
| Hyperoodon ampullatus | northern bottlenose whale |
| Lacerta agilis | sand lizard |
| Lagenorhynchus acutus | Atlantic white-sided dolphin |
| Lagenorhynchus albirostris | white-beaked dolphin |
| Lanius collurio | red-backed shrike |
| Lepidochelys kempii | Kemp’s ridley turtle |
| Loxia scotica | Scottish crossbill |
| Luronium natans | floating water plantain |
| Lutra lutra | European otter |
| Margaritifera margaritifera | freshwater pearl mussel |
| Melanitta nigra | Common Scoter |
| Mesoplodon bidens | Sowerby’s beaked whale |
| Mesoplodon mirus | True’s beaked whale |
| Najas flexilis | slender naiad |
| Orcinus orca | killer whale |
| Phalaropus lobatus | red-necked phalarope |
| Phocoena phocoena | harbour porpoise |
| Pipistrellus pipistrellus | pipistrelle bat |
| Saxifraga hirculus | yellow marsh saxifrage |
| Stenella coeruleoalba | striped dolphin |
| Sterna dougallii | roseate tern |
| Tetrao urogallus | capercaillie |
| Trichomanes speciosum | Killarney fern |
| Triturus cristatus | great crested newt |
| Tursiops truncatus | bottlenosed dolphin |
| Vertigo angustior | narrow-mouthed whorl snail |
| Vertigo genesii | round-mouthed whorl snail |
| Vertigo geyeri | Geyer’s whorl snail |
| Ziphius cavirostris | Cuvier’s beaked whale |
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 4 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which Scottish sites of special scientific interest do not fall within the scope of the EU Environmental Liability Directive and would not be protected under Scottish implementing regulations unless the scope of the directive is extended.
Answer
The Environmental LiabilityDirective is concerned with the prevention and remediation of significant damageto certain protected species and natural habitats in the wider environment.
Its application is not definedby reference to the boundaries of designated sites, such as Sites of SpecialScientific Interest (SSSIs). Certain species and habitats present on such siteswill, however, be covered by the implementing regulations.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2006
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 4 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when the consultation on the implementation of the EU Environmental Liability Directive will take place in Scotland and whether there will be regional meetings as part of the consultation process.
Answer
A consultation on the transpositionof the EU Environmental Liability Directive will be issued in the autumn of thisyear. The Scottish Executive will offer meetings with key stakeholders duringand after the consultation period and would also be happy to arrange discussionswith interested parties on request.
