- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Scottish Water would be acting in the spirit of the law if it reverted to applying water charges when a charity changes premises, rather than continuing the present charitable organisations’ exemption.
Answer
The conditions for exemption are set down under the Water and Sewerage Charges (Exemption) (Scotland) Regulations 2002. Ministers expect that Scottish Water and its retail subsidiary will apply the exemption if Scottish Water determines that these conditions are fulfilled.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 23 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive when the first policy and financial management review of Architecture and Design Scotland will be undertaken and what the terms will be of this review.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that each public body is subject to a policy and financial management review at least once every five years. Architecture and Design Scotland started operating on 1 April 2005 and this first review of its activities will take place early so that it can contribute to our programme of simplification of public services - which includes a commitment to refine the responsibilities of Architecture and Design Scotland within the reshaped built environment sector.
The terms of reference for the first stage of the review will be:
1. An examination of the functions of Architecture and Design Scotland and how these are currently delivered at a strategic, operational and local level. This would include a review of the resources invested; the external changes that have occurred following its creation; the outcomes and benefits being achieved by Architecture and Design Scotland, and, in particular, how the body engages with national, regional and local delivery partners, including local government.
2. An examination of the effectiveness of Architecture and Design Scotland; assessing its impact with key decision makers and the public, drawing on stakeholder, customer and staff views on the strengths and weaknesses of the current structural and delivery arrangements, and determining whether changes in structure and behaviour are required.
As an essential part of the review process, officials will be consulting widely with interested parties.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reason is for the asymmetric attitude to the landing of tope from the Solway Firth, where it is legal on the Scottish side and illegal on the English side.
Answer
Legislation on the English side of the Solway Firth is a matter for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Landings of tope by Scottish vessels are at a very low level, totalling 12 tonnes since 2000. Therefore the Scottish Government sees little practical advantage at this point in introducing legislation to ban the landing of tope.
Moreover, the Scottish Government''s view is that it is better to place the issue of tope fishing within the wider context of fishing on all elasmobranches (sharks, skates and rays) rather than consider the issue on a species-by-species basis.
We will keep this situation under review.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Scottish Government has had with Her Majesty’s Government on the landing of tope from the Solway Firth.
Answer
There have been no discussions with Her Majesty''s Government on the landing of tope from the Solway Firth.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that one of the functions of good agricultural and environmental condition standards is to prevent environmental deterioration on farmed land.
Answer
Yes. Amongst the measures which comprise good agricultural and environmental condition are several relating to a minimum level of maintenance. These include protecting rough grazings and other semi-natural areas, protecting field boundaries and designated historic features, and avoiding the deterioration of non-productive landscape features such as shelter belts, copses and ponds.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15202 by Stewart Stevenson on 31 July 2008, whether it will list the titles of interventions proposed by Tactrans for consideration as part of the strategic transport projects review.
Answer
The interventions proposed by Tactrans for consideration as part of the strategic transport projects review formed one source of such interventions. A wide range of interventions were proposed by various sources: duplicate or complementary interventions were packaged together, where appropriate. The full list of interventions will be detailed in the appendices to the reports which will be published later this year.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it shares the concern expressed by the European Commission about the environmental benefits which have been delivered by set-aside, and when it will announce the detail of the measures it will introduce to safeguard those benefits.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcome the environmental benefits that have been delivered as a consequence of set-aside. Our consultation paper Future implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in Scotland invites views on measures that should be taken to maintain the environmental benefits of set-aside. The consultation period runs until 5 September 2008, and we will take a decision on appropriate measures in the light of consultation responses, views from our common agricultural policy (CAP) health check stakeholder group and the outcome of the EU-level discussions on the CAP health check.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the removal of set-aside could lead to environmental deterioration on farmed land.
Answer
Potentially, yes. The Scottish Government recognises that, although set-aside was introduced as a supply control mechanism, it brought environmental benefits. It is currently consulting about measures that should be taken to maintain these benefits.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether problems with the application of Aminopyralid herbicides to vegetation that ends up in compost and the consequent damage to gardens and crops in allotments have been brought to its attention and, if so, what action it will take take to address the situation.
Answer
We are aware that these problems have been reported. The relevant manufacturer, Dow AgroSciences Ltd, has indicated that, as a precaution, it is withdrawing from sale products which contain aminopyralid. In addition, the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) has formally suspended its authorisation of the substance while it undertakes further investigation of the concerns of allotment holders and others. I am assured that there are no implications for human health, but I will ask PSD to keep me informed of developments.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the UK Government’s stated support for the proposal that arable farmers be required to manage a small percentage of their land primarily for environmental purposes, what options it is considering to maintain or replace the environmental benefits of set-aside and whether it considers that making this requirement a condition of receiving the single farm payment would be an appropriate course of action in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government are aware of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs'' preferred option to require arable farmers to manage a small percentage of their land primarily for environmental purposes. Whilst this is clearly an option for Scotland, it would be wrong to pre-empt the outcome of our consultation on the Future implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in Scotland which seeks views on this issue.
