Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government provides grant assistance to improve health and livestock productivity through the following routes:

The Scottish rural development programme (SRDP), where £45M of funding is available to improve beef efficiency.

The rural affairs, food and environment strategic research portfolio for 2011 to 2016, where approximately £10.7M will be allocated towards research into animal health, welfare and sustainable production systems in 2015 to 2016.

The veterinary and advisory services, animal health and welfare programme, which will receive £230k of Scottish Government Grant funding in 2015 to 2016, helping to support the development of the Scottish animal health planning system (SAHPS), which allows for the recording and analysis of data to improve animal health and production.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

“HMP&YOI Grampian informs G4S of prisoner escort requirements for Lerwick Sheriff Court on the same day as the establishment receives notification from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.”

There are no plans to reintroduce wolf or lynx to Scotland.

To help inform a decision on the possible reintroduction of beavers in Scotland, Scottish Ministers are listening to the views of stakeholders and considering very carefully the Scottish Natural Heritage publication Beavers in Scotland – A Report to the Scottish Government. The decision will also be informed by reports published by Scotland’s Rural College on the socio-economic impacts of beavers in Knapdale and Tayside which acknowledge that beavers can cause agricultural damage as well as deliver ecological benefits. Any decision that beavers can remain in Scotland would require appropriate management arrangements to be in place.

To help inform a decision on the possible reintroduction of beavers in Scotland, Scottish Ministers are considering very carefully the Scottish Natural Heritage report Beavers in Scotland – A Report to the Scottish Government as well as listening to the views of a range of stakeholders. A decision on the future of beavers in Scotland will be announced in due course.

The Scottish Government intends to make an announcement about priorities for the new funding for mental health shortly. That will include details about how funding will be allocated to NHS boards, and other organisations in the public and third sector to deliver better access and shorter waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services, to test new approaches to meeting people’s mental health needs in primary care, to promote mental wellbeing through physical activity and to improve patients’ rights.

The Scottish Government is aware of this study. The research paper to which this question refers can be found at: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0131527

Marine Scotland has the following grant funding arrangements in place for 2015-16:

The Scottish Association of Marine Science - towards a programme to enhance harmful algal and bio toxin risk assessment bulletins for Scottish shellfish aquaculture (£25,000).

Rivers and Fisheries Trusts Scotland - towards a programme of sea trout post smolt sweep netting (£80,000).

North Atlantic Fisheries College Marine Centre Shetland - Inshore Scottish Fisheries Research: a three year funded project for the development of a scallop biomass survey, a fisheries management tool to include biological data and a review of spatial management measures in inshore fisheries (£50,000).

North Atlantic Fisheries College Marine Centre Shetland - third year of a four year programme, which includes data collation/input/storage and analysis of landings and effort monitoring to 5nm grid, to aid inshore fisheries management (£27,000).

Fisheries Innovation Scotland - an initial three year commitment towards a non-profit-distributing organisation with the remit of bringing together the Scottish fisheries sector (capture, processing and retail) with government and scientists, to spearhead an on-going programme of research, knowledge exchange and education (£150,000).

St Andrews University - Marine Mammals scientific research programme to aim to improve our understanding of marine mammals distributions, behaviours and sensitivities to assist with improved management of human impacts across Scotland (£400,000)

Clyde Forum - Support Clyde 2020 initiative which is dedicated to the recovery of the Clyde marine ecosystem.(£20,000)

Local coastal partnerships- Local integrated coastal zone management and marine planning initiatives. Includes particular support to Shetland to develop a Marine Planning Partnership and a statutory marine plan for their water out to 12 nautical miles. (£364,000)

British Oceanographic Data Centre - UK OSPAR monitoring database (MERMAN) funded by DEFRA and Marine Scotland (£6,000)

Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership - UK wide climate change impacts partnership translating climate change science into advice for policy makers (£20,000)

Marine Environment Data and Information Network - UK wide marine data initiative to improve management and archiving of marine data (£100,000)

Data Archive Centre for Species and Habitats (DASSH) -Joint funding to DASSH to archive marine species and habitats data (£24,000)

Marine Science Co-ordination Committee (MSCC) -UK wide high level policy group overseeing UK marine science (£40,000)

Fisheries Legacy Trust Company Services Ltd & Seafish - Contribution to Kingfisher Charts - Yellow Card & Fortnightly Bulletin production (£17,500)

Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) - Contribution to marine climate change project, jointly funded by Scottish Natural Heritage. (£10,000)

Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme - Joint industry project involving the Carbon Trust, Department of Energy and Climate Change, Marine Scotland, Crown Estate and offshore wind developers for the purpose of reducing the consenting risk for offshore wind farm developments on the UK (£100,000).

Scottish Enterprise/Highland and Islands Enterprise - Funding to allow staff to work closely with offshore wind developers to allow better understanding of supply chain issues (£75,000).

Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme - Ocean Energy - Project with Crown Estate, Welsh Government and Marine Scotland to reduce consenting risks in a strategic and coordinated manner within the wave and tidal energy sectors (£20,000).

University of Aberdeen - Funding to gain a better understanding of potential impacts of offshore wind developments on marine mammal populations (£100,000).

Universities of Aberdeen/Edinburgh/Glasgow/Sheffield/St Andrews/Stirling /Strathclyde/Scottish Association for Marine Science - Funding for studentships to provide assistance to develop young scientists. (Total of £260,000).

Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum - to administer a programme of core research on aquaculture (£25,000).

The First Minister and the US Deputy Secretary of State discussed a range of issues relating to matters affecting Scotland and the US. The Scottish Government remains concerned at the continued detention of Shaker Aamer and fully supports the effort of the UK Government in securing his release and the closure of Guantanamo Bay.

Curriculum for excellence aims to provide a flexible approach to learning. Learning in physical education (PE) is designed to ensure that children and young people develop the physical skills and concepts for taking part in a wide range of sport and physical activity; and schools can choose to deliver swimming as part of the experiences and outcomes in PE.

Statistics published in June 2015 showed that our investment in physical education is delivering results, with 99% of primary schools now providing two hours of PE per week. This demonstrates remarkable progress since 2004-05 when less than 10% of schools were meeting this target; and is testament to the Scottish Government's £11.6 million investment in PE over 2012-13 to 2015-16, through a programme jointly managed by sportscotland and Education Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-26399 on 13 July 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx