- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 January 2015
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of common skate being considered critically endangered, whether it will set objectives for the Loch Sunart to Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area to ensure that stocks are not only conserved and maintained but are actively restored.
Answer
It is recognised that common skate are critically endangered at a global scale. There is a relative abundance of common skate in the Loch Sunart to Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area (MPA). The conservation objectives for common skate in Loch Sunart to Sound of Jura MPA of conserving the species were set by Scottish Natural Heritage in discussion with Marine Scotland Science, based upon what is known about the prevalence of the species in that area. The management of MPAs is informed by the conservation objectives for each site and the best available evidence on the impacts of anthropogenic activities. The current consultation on MPA management for 20 MPAs and Special Areas of Conservation includes options on the management of the Loch Sunart to Sound of Jura MPA to achieve the conservation objectives. We are currently inviting responses on the options, and we will take into account formal views received via the consultation when developing the final management measures for these sites, including Loch Sunart to Sound of Jura MPA.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 January 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the quality of data that it receives regarding fishing activity in the sea lochs of the west of Scotland.
Answer
In terms of data available, Marine Scotland has logbook and landings data for all vessels in excess of 10 metres. Furthermore, we also have this data for under 10 metre vessels in membership of a producer organisation. This data is supplemented by vessel monitoring system data for all vessels in excess of 15 metres, as well as being available for some vessels in excess of 12 metres. Marine Scotland recognises that the data that it has is good but less than complete, in particular in relation to smaller vessels.
Under 15 metre vessels working in west coast sea lochs were subject to survey in 2012 as part of the ScotMap project. This project recorded information on the location and value of fishing as well as details about the vessel, crew, gear and target fisheries between 2007-11 and is mostly useful for assessing the socioeconomic effects of marine management decisions on fisheries. The data collected is the best available for this part of the Scottish fleet and is now at least three years old. The ScotMap project covered 55-86% (values shown below) of vessels from these areas (representing 47-87% of the value of the reported landings). Vessels working west coast sea lochs will generally be operating from the following ports:
Kinlochbervie (55%)
Lochinver (62%)
Mallaig (49%)
Oban (57%)
Portree (65%)
Stornoway (86%)
Ullapool (55%)
In addition to this, the Scottish Government is also actively engaged in a European Fisheries Fund project to improve data collection on inshore fisheries activity to support management decisions.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 January 2015
To ask the Scottish Government how it is planning to collect data regarding fishing activity in the proposed Marine Protected Areas.
Answer
Marine Scotland currently collects data on fishing activity including information on landings and vessel monitoring system data and this is supplemented with aerial and vessel based surveillance as determined by risk assessment. This data will be used for management of Marine Protected Areas and we will keep under review whether additional monitoring may be required.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 January 2015
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish a special area of conservation for porpoises.
Answer
The Scottish Government has been working closely with other UK administrations and statutory nature conservation bodies to consider whether it is possible to identify further Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for harbour porpoise.
The Scottish Government is awaiting finalised advice from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Scottish Natural Heritage on possible locations that may warrant consideration for designation as SACs for harbour porpoise.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 January 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the establishment of Special Areas of Conservation for porpoises.
Answer
The Scottish Government has had discussions on a regular basis about the EU Habitats Directive to support the identification and designation of Special Areas of Conservation including discussions on whether it is possible to further protect harbour porpoise in UK waters. A harbour porpoise project board was created to facilitate these discussions and provide a coordinated approach at the UK-wide level.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 January 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what sentences were given to people convicted of (a) illegal trawling, (b) illegal dredging and (c) damage to static fishing gear in the Argyll and Bute parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23731 on 9 January 2015. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 January 2015
To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions for (a) illegal trawling, (b) illegal dredging and (c) damage to static fishing gear there have been relating to alleged activities in the Argyll and Bute parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years and how many resulted in convictions.
Answer
Marine Scotland Compliance has powers to enforce fishery offences. This includes being able to refer cases regarding such offences directly to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) for consideration for prosecution.
Marine Scotland Compliance has not referred to the COPFS any cases of (a) illegal trawling or (b) illegal dredging in the Argyll and Bute parliamentary constituency in any of the last five years. However, there were two instances of illegal trawling in the seasonal Clyde closure detected and in both cases the masters were offered a £1,000 fixed penalty notice as an alternative to consideration for prosecution.
In terms of (c), Marine Scotland Compliance has no statutory powers to enforce offences in relation to damage to static fishing gear. This is a common law offence and a matter for the police.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2014
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 January 2015
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider designating the Firth of Lorne as a Special Area of Conservation for porpoises given the reported favourable conditions as a result of the absence of scallop dredging and the removal of nets.
Answer
The UK, with support from the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations, commissioned the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to undertake data collection and analysis in order to put together the most comprehensive set of data for harbour porpoise in UK waters. The JNCC has now issued initial advice to the government as part of this analysis process. The finalised advice will provide the basis for the UK Government, the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations to make decisions about Special Areas of Conservation for harbour porpoise in UK waters, including Scottish inshore waters and the Scottish offshore zone.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 31 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on local authority housing, including repairs and new building, in the North Ayrshire local authority area in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99, (d) 1999-2000, (e) 2000-01 and (f) 2001-02.
Answer
I regret that it is not possible to provide a reply prior to dissolution but I will write to the member as soon as possible.
The following is a further answer (published on 7 May 2003); see below.Ms Margaret Curran: The table below shows how much was spent on local authority housing, including repairs and new building, by North Ayrshire Council in the years from 1996 to 2002.North Ayrshire Council Local Authority Housing Expenditure
| 1996-97(£ million) | 1997-98(£ million) | 1998-99(£ million) | 1999-2000(£ million) | 2000-01(£ million) | 2001-02(estimate)(£ million) |
| Capital Expenditure | 10.90 | 6.81 | 6.14 | 7.54 | 7.20 | 7.38 |
| General Repairs and Maintenance (Funded Through Revenue) | 12.315 | 13.327 | 13.829 | 14.577 | 14.099 | 14.87 |
Note:Capital expenditure (including planned major repairs) is made up of annual HRA (Housing Revenue Account) borrowing consent, usable capital receipts and capital funded from rental income. General repairs and maintenance programmes are funded through revenue raised from rental income. This information is collected from individual local authorities and published annually by the Scottish Executive in the Statistical Bulletin - Housing Series.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 31 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what actions have been taken since 1 July 1999 to help North Ayrshire improve its record as one of the worst areas of unemployment and what success these have had in terms of the percentage of unemployment within the area and other socio-economic indicators.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is working closely with the Ayrshire Economic Forum to ensure that through investing in jobs and skills, and encouraging the growth of new businesses, we create sustainable economic growth and employment opportunities.In recognition of the particular economic problems of North Ayrshire, I announced last week an allocation of an extra £1.2 million to North Ayrshire Council for strategic local transport infrastructure projects.The Ayrshire Strategy for Jobs is a five-year strategy designed to create a more diverse economic base, to facilitate the acquisition of new skills, to enhance Ayrshire's competitiveness as a business location and to address problems of economic exclusion. The New Deal has helped nearly 3,000 people in North Ayrshire enter employment and there are special initiatives for those clients who face particular difficulties.The Executive-funded Training for Work (TfW) programme is also available to unemployed adults on a voluntary basis and, in 2002-03 aims to offer 500 work-related training opportunities to clients in Ayrshire. In February there were 221 trainees on TfW from North Ayrshire. Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire also provides training via programmes such as Skillseekers, the Individual Employment Fund and the Employment Initiative for SIP Areas.North Ayrshire has benefited directly from £775,358 from the European Regional Development Fund and £1,412,367 from the European Social Fund from the Objective 2 Programme 2000-06. These projects should cater for some 1,280 trainees. Under the Objective 3 Programme 2000-06 more than £14 million has been awarded to projects operating in North Ayrshire.Since July 1999, 39 projects from companies in North Ayrshire, creating and safeguarding jobs in the area, have benefited from over £13 million in Regional Selective Assistance.Through the Better Neighbourhoods Services Fund (BNSF) the Scottish Executive is providing £6.75 million over three years (2001-04) to improve services in the Vineburgh/Redburn and Ardeer areas of North Ayrshire, including a Jobs Access Fund, guidance and training to help people improve their employability, and an Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) programme.The claimant count unemployment rate between February 1999 and February 2003 for Scotland reduced by 1.5 percentage points, as against 1.3 percentage points for North Ayrshire, however claimant count unemployment rates have fallen in 26 out of the 30 wards in North Ayrshire. Furthermore, the gap between the average claimant count unemployment rate for Scotland and the average for the worst four wards in North Ayrshire has decreased by 0.5 percentage points.Average earnings in North Ayrshire have increased by 5.1% between 1999 and 2002 and the number of employee jobs in North Ayrshire has increased by 11% between 1999 and 2001, compared with 6.5% in Scotland.Overall attainment levels in publicly funded schools have remained fairly steady since July 1999, although the percentage of the S4 roll who attained five or more standard grades (or equivalent) has increased from 91% to 93% in 2002 in North Ayrshire (whilst the national average has remained at a constant 91%).
