- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what policy priorities it will ask the UHI PolicyWeb to investigate for the next meeting of the Convention of the Highlands and Islands.
Answer
The agenda items fordiscussion at the next meeting of the Convention of the Highlands andIslands on 29
March 2004 have already been decided and were informed by proposalsfrom convention members.
In the future, convention memberswill play an increasing role in determining the agenda for meetings and inpreparing and presenting convention papers. It will be for convention members toconsider whether they wish to utilise the resources and research facilities thatthe emerging UHI Millennium Institute PolicyWeb will be able to offer.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when, and at what venues, the Convention of the Highlands and Islands will meet in 2004.
Answer
The Convention of the Highlands andIslands will meet at Brodick Castle, the Isle of Arran on 29 March 2004, andin Thurso in October 2004. Details of the venue and date for the Octobermeeting are yet to be finalised.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 11 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the number of foreign fishing vessels operating in Scottish territorial waters.
Answer
Access to fisheries inScottish territorial waters (0–12 miles) is mainly restricted to UK vessels. SomeEU member states have limited access. In consequence the numbers of foreignvessels operating there is normally very small.
On 1 March 2004, surveillance bythe Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency indicated that no foreign fishingvessels were active in Scottish territorial waters.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 10 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what support measures for fishing communities it has implemented, showing how much has been (a) allocated and (b) disbursed under each measure in each year from 1999 to 2004, broken down by constituency.
Answer
The information is not available by constituency and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The details for measures administered by the Scottish Executive are given in the following tables:
| | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
| | Alloc £000's | Spend £000's | Alloc £000's | Spend £000's | Alloc £000's | Spend £000's |
| Adjustment of fishing effort | | | | | | |
| Renewal and Modernisation of the fleet | 669 | 333 | 0 | 363 | 1,563 | 98 |
| Aquaculture | 2,483 | 342 | 0 | 280 | 1,813 | 555 |
| Processing and Marketing | 1,885 | 2,763 | 0 | 2,280 | 5,844 | 1,438 |
| Port Facilities | 575 | 430 | 0 | 759 | 1,419 | 1,223 |
| Promotions | 275 | 352 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 165 |
| Operations by Members of the Trade | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,451 | 0 |
| Innovative Measures | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 426 | 0 |
| Decommissioning | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24864 | 24847 |
| Transitional Aid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
| | Alloc £000's | Spend £000's | Alloc £000's | Spend £000's | Allo £000's | Spend £000's |
| Adjustment of fishing effort | 5,000 | | | | | |
| Renewal and Modernisation of the fleet | 1,282 | 52 | 906 | 177 | 750 | 6 |
| Aquaculture | 1,438 | 739 | 1,063 | 1,497 | 813 | 33 |
| Processing and Marketing | 4,813 | 2,673 | 3,469 | 2,765 | 3,103 | 219 |
| Port Facilities | 1,238 | 191 | 876 | 292 | 751 | 22 |
| Promotions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Operations by Members of the Trade | 1,126 | 436 | 850 | 432 | 781 | 0 |
| Innovative Measures | 331 | 55 | 251 | 201 | 344 | 0 |
| Decommissioning | 0 | 0 | 31077 | 28541 | 0 | 0 |
| Transitional Aid | 0 | 0 | 10000 | 5516 | 0 | 0 |
TheSmart Successful Scotland strategic framework for the enterprise networksincludes a requirement to focus on rural economic development. Within thisframework local enterprise companies are able to respond to local circumstancesto assist with the diversification and development of changing local economies.
Note: 2003 figures fordecommissioning and transitional aid are not final.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the financial benefit to business and community organisations of the roll-out of broadband.
Answer
There is no estimate availableon the average financial benefit to organisations from broadband. However, our Enterpriseagencies have collated substantial case study evidence which illustrates thebenefits broadband can bring to individual businesses. These are accessiblefrom the following web link:
http://www.scottish‑broadband.co.uk/casestudylist.asp.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 10 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Shetland Islands Council about the five wind turbines north of Lerwick, the efficiency level they operate at and their potential contribution towards the Executive's targets for renewable energy.
Answer
I am not aware of anyspecific discussions on this matter. However, I understand that the wind farmat Burradale, which was recently extended, is operating at a higher thanaverage capacity factor, and that the project is making a welcome contributiontowards our renewable generation targets.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 10 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how it enforces the provisions of the Shellfish Regulatory Order applicable to Shetland.
Answer
Responsibility forenforcement of the Shetland Islands Regulated Fishery (Scotland)Order 1999 rests with the grantee, the Shetland Shellfish ManagementOrganisation (SSMO).
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with organisations in Shetland concerning the establishment of a “Shetland Brand” to identify products from Shetland.
Answer
This is a matter forShetland Islands Tourism, Shetland Enterprise, VisitScotland and other publicand private partners who are working closely to develop a brand for Shetland toinclude tourism, transport operators, products and businesses.
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) (a) vessels and (b) officers have been based in Shetland in each year since 1979.
Answer
No SFPA vessels are based in Shetland but they regularly patrol its waters. The numbers of SFPA officers based in Shetland since 1979 are as follows:
| Year | Number of SFPA Enforcement Staff |
| 1979 | 3 |
| 1980 | 3 |
| 1981 | 3 |
| 1982 | 3 |
| 1983 | 3 |
| 1984 | 3 |
| 1985 | 4 |
| 1986 | 4 |
| 1987 | 4 |
| 1988 | 4 |
| 1989 | 5 |
| 1990 | 5 |
| 1991 | 5 |
| 1992 | 5 |
| 1993 | 5 |
| 1994 | 6 |
| 1995 | 6 |
| 1996 | 5 |
| 1997 | 5 |
| 1998 | 5 |
| 1999 | 5 |
| 2000 | 5 |
| 2001 | 5 |
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2003 | 6 |
| 2004 | 6 |
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many fishing boats have been based at Whalsay in the Shetland Isles in each year since 1979.
Answer
Departmental records relating to individual ports are only available from 1985 onward. The number of fishing vessels based at the port of Whalsay between 1985 and 2003 is shown in the following table.
Active Fishing Vessels Based in The Port of Whalsay 1985 to 2003
| Year | Number of vessels |
| 1985 | 22 |
| 1986 | 24 |
| 1987 | 24 |
| 1988 | 22 |
| 1989 | 23 |
| 1990 | 22 |
| 1991 | 20 |
| 1992 | 21 |
| *1993 | 35 |
| 1994 | 37 |
| 1995 | 40 |
| 1996 | 37 |
| 1997 | 35 |
| 1998 | 47 |
| 1999 | 42 |
| 2000 | 44 |
| 2001 | 42 |
| 2002 | 40 |
| 2003 | 34 |
Note: *prior to 1993 a fishing vessel licence was not required for vessels 10 metres in overall length consequently these smaller vessels are excluded from the data between 1985 and 1992 inclusive.
