- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to seek a debate on the conclusions of the strategic review of Scottish Natural Heritage in the Parliament before such conclusions are implemented.
Answer
It is standard practice for the outcome of such reviews to be reported to Parliament in advance of any action being taken to implement recommendations emerging from the review.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations with stakeholders are planned in relation to the strategic review of Scottish Natural Heritage that was announced on 26 August 2004.
Answer
Questionnaires will be issued shortly to stakeholders and other individuals or bodies who are interested in contributing their views will be able to access the questionnaire and information about the review via the Scottish Executive Website (
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Countryside/SNH/intro). In addition, the review team plan to hold a series of meetings with key stakeholders.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is within the remit of the strategic review of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) that was announced on 26 August 2004 to recommend transfer of functions to or from SNH.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what role the board, staff and trade union representatives of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will play in relation to the strategic review of SNH that was announced on 26 August 2004.
Answer
The board, staff and trade union representatives of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will play a central role in the strategic review. One of the review team members is an SNH member of staff and the management of SNH has two representatives on the review steering group. The review team, led by David Bills, has already met with the SNH Board and plans to hold meetings with SNH trade union representatives.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 13 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the appointment of a new Head of its Environment and Rural Affairs Department.
Answer
Arrangements for the appointment are at an advanced stage. An announcement will be made once the necessary approvals are in place.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 5 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that any trials or use of the Sonar 2087 do not breach the terms of the EU Habitats Directive in the sea areas for which it has responsibility.
Answer
This question relates to areserved matter which falls within the responsibility of the Ministry ofDefence.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 23 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to abolish means-testing for parents of disabled children who require housing adaptations, in light of its abolition in Northern Ireland.
Answer
The system of funding for housing adaptations in Scotland is based on separate legislation and is significantly different from that which applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish system was modified in October 2003 totarget grants according to applicants’ resources. For some priority categories,including housing adaptations for disabled people, any grant made by the local authority must be a minimum of 50% of eligible costs. In addition, social care budgets can still provide “top-up” funding where they see fit.
Concerns over the means-test for Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) in other parts of the UK were taken into account in making these arrangements for Housing Improvement Grant in Scotland. We will consider the outcome of the proposed reviews of DFG in England and Wales, but I have no plans at present to alter the Scottish system.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 15 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has in respect of guidance on shipping activities in Scottish waters, particularly in relation to any sensitive sea areas such as the Minch, in light of the recommendation that the management of shipping in Scottish waters should be reviewed in Scotland's Biodiversity - It's in Your Hands: A strategy for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in Scotland - Implementation Plans 2005-2008.
Answer
The regulation of shipping activityin UK waters falls under Merchant Shipping legislation which is the reserved responsibilityof the Department for Transport. The Scottish Executive however maintains regular contactwith the Department for Transport and its agencies on a range of related issuesincluding the proposal for a Western European PSSA (Particularly Sensitive Sea Area)which would include the Minches. Scottish Executive Transport Group officials alsohold formal biannual liaison meetings with their Department for Transport counterpartsto discuss shipping and maritime issues.
The Scottish Biodiversity Forumis conducting wide consultation on the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy draft ImplementationPlans, which will be completed later this year.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 15 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to address the lack of a lead agency for managing marine issues by establishing a marine policy body, as recommended in Scotland's Biodiversity - It's in Your Hands: A strategy for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in Scotland - Implementation Plans 2005-2008.
Answer
The Scottish Executive’s consultation Developing a Strategic Framework for Scotland’sMarine Environment closes on 30 July and it would be wrong to pre-empt the outcome.The material contained in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy draft ImplementationPlans (on which the Scottish Biodiversity Forum is currently consulting) will betaken into account as our policy thinking develops.
- Asked by: Robin Harper, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 15 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce primary legislation to ensure the coherent management of the marine environment, in light of the recommendation in Scotland's Biodiversity - It's in Your Hands: A strategy for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in Scotland - Implementation Plans 2005-2008 that marine regulation and management should be improved through the introduction of a legislative policy and organisational framework to ensure that damage to marine biodiversity is minimised.
Answer
The Scottish Executive’s consultation Developing a Strategic Framework for Scotland’sMarine Environment closes on 30 July and it would be wrong to pre-empt the outcome.The material contained in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy draft ImplementationPlans (on which the Scottish Biodiversity Forum is currently consulting) will betaken into account as our policy thinking develops.
