Chamber and committees

Further to the statementmade by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth during the Stage1 Debate of the Budget Bill, work on a carbon impact assessment tool is at an earlystage. We are developing a methodology for the tool and will consider how best toroll it out across government. Selection of pilot projects will be part of thaton-going process.

The Scottish Government, in consultationwith the fishing industry and environmental NGOs, is taking a number of steps toensure sustainable cod fisheries, in particular under the new Conservation Creditsscheme. A key factor in designing and implementing such steps will be the expectedimpact on cod mortality. However, given the innovative nature of several of thesemeasures and the fact that the Scottish fleet is responsible for only a part ofoverall cod mortality, it is not possible to give firm estimates of what overallcod mortality is expected to be in 2008.

It is not possible to anticipateexact numbers of vessels which would be eligible to benefit from EU days at seaderogations during 2008, but we can assume levels would be similar to those during2007. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7738 on 11 January 2008 in which I provided the totalnumber of Scottish-registered vessels benefiting from additional days for derogationsfor 2006 and 2007.

This year, however, Scotland willfor the first time be operating its own arrangements, with additional days at seaawarded domestically through Conservation Credits, a scheme which will reward fishermenfor taking part in initiatives with real conservation benefits. The details of theConservation Credits scheme, including the level of credits to be made available,are still in the process of being decided, with the full involvement of the industry,scientists and environmental NGOs.

All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The first stage of the schemewill become operational on 1 February 2008 with an enhanced scheme following later in the spring.

A Conservation Credit SchemeSteering Group has been established to oversee the implementation and operationof the scheme over the course of 2008. Membership of the steering group includesFisheries Research Services’ scientists who will report regularly on discard levels.

The conservation creditscheme does not contain any specific derogations. The details of the first stageof the Scheme including the level of credit available in which ICES area and inrespect of which activities will be finalised by 1 February 2008.

A Conservation Credit SchemeSteering Group has been established to oversee the design, implementation and operationof the scheme. That group is made up of representatives of environmental NGOs, Fisheries Research Services Marine Lab and the Scottish fishing industry. Its firstmeeting took place on Friday 11 January 2008 and further monthly meetings are plannedin the coming months.

The ideas underpinning the conservationcredit scheme were developed over many months prior to December 2007 in full consultationwith all the above stakeholders.

Under our Conservation Creditsscheme, fishermen will be rewarded with extra days at sea in return for measuresdesigned to reduce cod mortality in the Scottish fleet.

These measures will be workedup by the Conservation Credit Steering Group. They will include real timeclosures of cod spawning areas and in respect of juvenile cod and moves towardsmore selective gear for both nephrops and whitefish fleets.

Responsibility for consentingto applications to undertake offshore seismic surveys, rests with the Secretaryof State. Applications are made using Petroleum Operations Notice No. 14A and appropriateguidance is available on the Department for Business, Enterpriseand Regulatory Reform website at http://www.og.dti.gov.uk/regulation/pons/index.htm.

The regulation of oil and gasexploration is a function reserved to the Secretary of State.

The Department forBusiness, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) have advised that it has carriedout the draft Appropriate Assessment for Block 17/3 (Inner Moray Firth) in accordancewith the requirements of the Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC), the WildBirds Directive (Directive 79/409/EEC), and the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservationof Habitats) Regulations 2001 (as amended).

A public consultationon the draft Appropriate Assessment is being held until 14 March 2008.

Scottish Natural Heritage is considering BERRs draft appropriateassessment.