- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a ministerial statement on any decision to place Chardon LL mai'e, or any other GM crop, on the UK national seeds list.
Answer
I set out the position onthe national seed listing of Chardon LL in my ministerial statement on 10 March 2004.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage has the responsibility for implementing surveillance of the conservation status of priority habitats and species in Scotland under Article 11 of the EC Habitats Directive.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6758 on 19 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current European Commission guidance is on the area and number and/or distribution of sites for active raised bog and degraded raised bog capable of regeneration needing to be protected with Special Area for Conservation status within Scotland.
Answer
Article 4.1 of the Habitats Directive provides guidance on the selection process for SpecialAreas of Conservation. This states that member states should propose a list ofsites based on the criteria laid out in Annex III of the Directive and relevantscientific information. On the basis of these criteria, member states will designateareas according to their relative value for the conservation of each naturalhabitat type identified in Annex I of the Directive.
Theweb link to the Habitats Directive is:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/nature/habdir.htm.In accordance with Article4.2 the UK list of raised bog sites has been the subject of detailed discussionwith the European Commission.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hectares of (a) active raised bog and (b) degraded raised bog capable of regeneration there are in Scotland.
Answer
It is estimated that approximately3,300 hectares of bog habitat meets the definition of active raised bog, andthat approximately 5,500 hectares meet the definition of degraded raised bogcapable of natural regeneration.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of ruminant feeding studies there have been by independent researchers using Chardon LL mai'e and the results of such studies.
Answer
A cattle feeding study wascarried out by researchers at Reading University to investigate the effect of T25 (Chardon LL) maizeon ruminants. The study has been completed and the researchers intend to submittheir study to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. The Advisory Committeeon Releases to the Environment (ACRE) will be asked to fully assess the datawhen the peer review process is complete.
The researchers haveconfirmed that the study does not reveal any adverse effects on the health ofruminants fed T25 maize.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any studies comparing the biodiversity impact of GM crops with organic crops are planned.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is not aware of any planned studies comparing the biodiversity impactof GM crops with organic crops.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is anticipated that the commercial growing conditions of genetically modified crops, such as Chardon LL mai'e, will replicate the conditions of the UK farm scale evaluation trials.
Answer
Yes. We are seeking anamendment to the existing part C consent which will prevent glyphosate ammoniumbeing used in conjunction with conventional herbicides on Chardon LL maize.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with members of the Welsh Assembly Government in respect of the approval of Chardon LL mai'e; on what dates the discussions took place, and what the outcomes were.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has regular contact with the Welsh Assembly Government and the other UKAdministrations on a range of issues, including GM crops.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any areas of active raised bog or degraded raised bog capable of regeneration proposed for Special Area for Conservation protection within the Dumfries and Galloway bioclimatic 'one.
Answer
There are three designatedraised bog candidate Special Areas of Conservation in Dumfries and Galloway (atCarsegowan Moss, Raeburn Flow and Solway Mosses North) with all three supportingboth active bog and degraded bog still capable of natural regeneration.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the area of (a) active raised bog and (b) degraded raised bog capable of regeneration is included in currently proposed Special Areas for Conservation
Answer
It is estimated that 68% of the active raised bog and 34% of the degraded raised bog habitat in Scotland isincluded in designated candidate Special Areas of Conservation.
