Chamber and committees

In 2010, Scottish Ministers pledged to plant 100 million trees by 2015 as part of the Climate Group's States and Regions Alliance Billion Trees initiative. This Scottish figure of 100 million trees was based on achieving 50,000 hectares of woodland creation over that period at an average stocking of 2,000 trees per hectare. On this basis, planting over the past three years equates to new planting of nearly 42 million trees, achieving 42% of the “pledge” to date. This figure does not by definition include additional planting associated with restocking.

The number of trees planted on the national forest estate since May 2011 is 23,000,000 which include both new planting and restocking. This figure is based at an average stocking density of 2,000 trees per hectare.

The number of trees planted on non-national forest estate land since May 2011 is 32,400,000 which include both new planting and restocking. This figure is based at an average stocking density of 2,000 trees per hectare.

Instrumental music tuition is a matter for local authorities and schools, who must decide which instruments to offer for tuition, taking into account local demand and priorities.

A range of issues affect the ability of new entrants to gain access to a farm, not just the availability of farm land. For example, access to capital, availability of financial support, suitable experience and the provision of equipment all have to be taken into account as well.

We are working with the new entrants panel and other new entrant groups to work towards finding solutions that provide the necessary opportunities to enable our future farming potential to be realised.

We will make an announcement, after the summer break, indicating how we will carry out a review of the agricultural holdings legislation. Right to buy for tenant farmers will be considered as part of that review. The outputs from that review will, therefore, determine what level of legislative changes will be required to be introduced.

As part of a review of the agricultural holdings legislation, the land reform review and the work of the new entrants panel, we will continue to work closely with all parts of the industry in the coming weeks and months to consider how best to encourage landowners, including those that are owner-occupiers, to increase the amount of farm land that will be available to tenant farmers.

The Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme is a demand-led scheme reliant on a number of factors. The Scottish Government will continue to encourage crofters to apply for Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme assistance and we will make an announcement regarding transitional arrangements in due course.

The Scottish Government is currently considering the options available to us in light of the recently released transition regulations from the European Commission. This is still in draft form and we, and most other programme bodies in Europe, are requesting that the European Commission change the regulation to allow a complete roll over of current programmes for 2014.

If this does not happen we can still take some action and we have been discussing other options with stakeholders, but we need certainty on what the European Commission regulations allow before we finalise plans.

Transport Scotland has a small fleet of vehicles comprising four cars, of which one (25%) is electric. The electric car is used for essential staff business travel between Buchanan House in Glasgow and the Traffic Scotland Control Centre in South Queensferry. Charging infrastructure has also been installed to support this return journey.

Transport Scotland’s Travel Plan 2010-2013 promotes public transport use for essential business journeys.

Transport Scotland has signed up to the 2020 Climate Group Transport Challenge which requires signatories to pledge action to promote the uptake of electric vehicles by trialling them in their fleet. The agency will continue to look at opportunities to install further charging infrastructure and consider use of electric and hybrid vehicles for any future vehicle fleet requirements.