- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 19 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an increased risk of the H5N1 flu virus spreading to reared game birds in Scotland through the importing of game birds from Europe for release in Scotland for sport shooting and, if so, what measures it will take in order to counter this risk.
Answer
Importation of game birds intothe UK from other European countries is done under strict EU-wide trade rules andis subject to veterinary supervision. As such this legal trade does not representa significant risk of spreading H5N1 avian influenza and the Executive is workingwith a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that all sensible precautions to minimisethe risk of avian influenza are taken. In particular, post import procedures havebeen strengthened as part of the process of minimising the risk of avian influenzaentering the UK.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 3 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns about the lack of a publicly-funded mountain weather forecast for outdoor users in Scotland freely available on the internet, given that the Welsh Assembly Government, the Sports Council for Wales and the Wales Tourist Board provide such a service for Wales.
Answer
On 28 April the Met Office willbe replacing the phone or fax mountain weather forecast service currently availableby a two-day forecast which will be available free of charge via the internet.
The Executive has received areport from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and is currently consideringa funding proposal for a more detailed mountain weather forecast service coveringScotland’s five main climbing areas: Glen Coe; Lochaber; CreagMeagaidh; Northern Cairngorms, and Southern Cairngorms.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 10 April 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, for purposes of implementation of the EU Birds and Habitats directives, sportscotland is a competent authority in relation to its functions of promoting or supporting sporting activities that may affect protected sites or species and, if not, what measures are in place to ensure that its activities are consistent with these directives.
Answer
In terms of Regulation 6 of theConservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994, the Scottish SportsCouncil trading as sportscotland is a competent authority. To the extentthat its activities are likely to affect protected sites or species, sportscotlandis required to act in a manner consistent with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 24 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what training has been undertaken by the board members and staff of sportscotland in relation to their responsibilities to protect and enhance the environment and wildlife.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24317 answered 24 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 24 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to sportscotland in relation to its duties to protect and enhance the environment and wildlife.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24317 on 24 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 24 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what duties apply to sportscotland in relation to ensuring that, in the exercise of its functions, it has to protect and enhance the environment and wildlife.
Answer
Sportscotland is subject to the same environmental dutiesand responsibilities which apply to the public sector in Scotland ingeneral. In addition, the Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs wrote toall non departmental public bodies in August 2004 requesting that each bodyaudit its current environmental impact and develop an environmental managementpolicy to seek to improve environmental performance on an ongoing basis.
Sportscotland has commissioned Natural Capital Ltd toadvise on the development of its environmental management system. Sportscotlandofficials have also made use of the information and advice available to themthrough seminars and information sessions organised by the Executive as well asthe web-based guidance to public sector bodies on delivering the biodiversityduty imposed by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.
The need for training of itsstaff and board members is one key issue being considered by sportscotlandas it develops its environmental management system. Staff have been made awareof the ongoing policy development and have attended briefing sessions. The boardhas also reviewed and adopted an Environmental Policy Statement.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Johann Lamont on 9 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have commenced greenspace audits.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally. However, as part of independent research part-funded by the Executiveon
Minimum Standards for Open Space, researchers contacted all Scottish localauthorities seeking information on progress towards the preparation of open spaceaudits and strategies. As of August 2004 the following local authorities indicatedthat they had begun preparation or completed an open space audit for all or partof their district.
Aberdeen City
Angus
City of Edinburgh
Dundee City
East Dunbartonshire
East Lothian
East Renfrewshire
Falkirk
Glasgow City
Highland
Inverclyde
Midlothian
Moray
North Lanarkshire
Perth and Kinross
Renfrewshire
Scottish Borders
Shetland Isles
West Lothian.
In addition, we understand thatthe following local authorities have commencedor completed work on an open space strategy.
Aberdeenshire
South Ayrshire.
A copy of the research reportMinimum Standards for Open Space is available from the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre (Bib. number 37111).
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 2 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address any issues in respect of increased waiting times to see epilepsy specialists resulting from a review of epilepsy patients as recommended in the new General Medical Services contracts.
Answer
We understand the importancefor patients of getting prompt access to specialist advice. Through re-design initiatives,we wish to see staff such as specialist nurses deployed to deal with follow-up treatment,in order to allow consultant neurologists to have more time to see new patients.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the removal, under certain circumstances, of the right to appeal against funding decisions under measure 2.4 of the European Social Fund Objective 3 Programme was a decision of the Scottish ESF Objective 3 Partnership or the Executive.
Answer
The Objective 3 ESF Programme Monitoring Committee took the decision on the appeals process for the 6th Round of the Programme in 2005. In arriving at a decision on the procedure the Programme Monitoring Committee, which is broadly representative of the partner organisations, took into account the likelihood that insufficient resources would remain in certain measures such as 2.4 to fund all the projects recommended for approval.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Objective 3 Programme Management Executive will be allowed to vire funding between measures of the European Social Fund Objective 3 Programme and, if so, when.
Answer
Any decision on virement of funds between measures within Priorities in the Objective 3 ESF Programme is taken by the Programme Monitoring Committee which is broadly representative of the Partner organisations. The Committee’s next meeting when virement of funds will be discussed is on 30 March 2006.
