- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the Lewis Peatlands Ramsar site overlaps with the (a) Lewis Peatlands candidate Special Area of Conservation and (b) Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area.
Answer
The Lewis Peatlands Ramsar site is identical to the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area in extent (58,984.23 ha) and boundary. The Lewis Peatlands candidate Special Area of Conservation is smaller (27,945.59 ha) and lies entirely within the Lewis Peatlands Ramsar site.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 19 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many deer were killed in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 (i) under control agreements made under section 7, (ii) under control schemes made under section 8, (iii) as part of emergency measures taken under sections 10 and 11 and (iv) by occupiers or persons authorised by occupiers acting under section 26 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.
Answer
This information is not held centrally and I have asked the Director of the Deer Commission for Scotland to respond to you. A copy of the response shall be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering increasing the funding available for the Biodiversity Action Grants Scheme.
Answer
We are delighted that the Biodiversity Action Grants scheme has been very well received and we decided to top up the scheme from contingency funds for 2004-05. Decisions on future funding for the scheme will depend both on the availability of resources, and on the level and quality of applications in future years.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 18 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to consult interested parties regarding the proposed Quality and Standards III investment programme for Scottish Water.
Answer
In January 2003, ministers established the Quality and Standard 3 project group made up of a range of stakeholders and experts to advise on the extent of the industry’s investment requirements. This process has included a range of stakeholders the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Drinking Water Quality Regulator, the Water Industry Commissioner and Scottish Water as well as Cosla, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Homes for Scotland, CBI, Scottish Consumer Council, Water Customer ConsultationPanels, Communities Scotland and various interests across the Scottish Executive.
In July 2004, ministers issued a formal consultation, Investing in Water Services 2006-2014 (Bib. number 33325) to some 6,000 individual and organisations . This was supported by the Water Customer Consultation Panels hosting a number of seminars throughout Scotland in August for stakeholders to discuss the issues raised in the consultation. In addition, we commissioned research to investigate the attitudes and priorities of Scottish Water’s domestic customers.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 17 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many alleged offences under the Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985 have been reported to procurators fiscal in each year since 1999, and, of these, how many have proceeded to prosecution and how many have resulted in a conviction.
Answer
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2002-03, only two charges were reported to Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Servicie - both were prosecuted and both were convicted. In FY 2003-04, three charges were reported, three were prosecuted and (to date) only one has been convicted. The two remaining charges are still subject of court proceedings.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 17 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when the specialist environmental prosecutors, announced on 9 February 2004, will begin work and whether it will publish their names and office addresses.
Answer
The network of specialist environmental prosecutors, announced on 9 February 2004, was fully operational from that date. The names and contact details are available to the relevant reporting agencies but there are no plans at present to publish more widely the names and office addresses of the specialistprosecutors.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 17 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full and part-time wildlife crime officers are employed by Scottish police forces and, of these, how many are civilian employees.
Answer
Within Scottish police forces, there are two full-time police staff employed on wildlife crime and 86 police officers who have wildlife crime designated as part of their normal police duties.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 17 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that its decisions regarding the proposed Quality and Standards III investment programme for Scottish Water are consistent with its sustainable development principles, in particular with the “polluter pays” principle.
Answer
The Quality and Standards three process takes place within a statutory framework which places great value on sustainable development. Scottish ministers, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the responsible authorities are required under section 2(4) of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 to act in a way best calculated to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development principles. In addition, under section51 of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, Scottish Water must “act in such a way best calculated to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 17 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many alleged offences against protected wildlife have been reported to procurators fiscal in each year since 1999 and, of these, how many have proceeded to prosecution and how many have resulted in a conviction.
Answer
Complete and accurate information on the number of offences against protected wildlife reported to procurators fiscal prior to 2002 cannot be provided without disproportionate cost. Information available for financial years 2002-03 and 2003-04 relates to cases reported under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and is as follows:
| Number of Cases Under Wildlife and Countryside Act and Protection of Badgers Act | FY 2002-03 | FY 2003-04 |
| Reported | 18 | 36 |
| Proceedings taken | 13 | 19 |
| Alternative to prosecution | 1 | 5 |
| Conviction | 10 | 8 |
| Proceedings not yet completed | - | 4 |
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 17 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has received from Scottish Natural Heritage regarding the proposed Quality and Standards III investment programme for Scottish Water.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage is a key stakeholder involved in the Quality and Standard three project group which is advising on the extent of the industry’s investment requirements, post 2006. This work has informed the content of the recent consultation, Investing in Water Services 2006-2014. In addition, Scottish Natural Heritage has also submitted a response to this consultation.
