- 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 what discussions it has had with fishing organisations regarding the "V-notch" conservation technique for lobsters and what support it has given to this initiative.
Answer
The Executive supports theuse of V-notching as a conservation measure. Following consultation withfishing organisations and other interested parties, an order was introduced in1999 prohibiting the fishing or landing of V-notched lobsters and crawfish.
- 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 what assessment it has made of the affect of the new pollution prevention and control regime on fisheries-dependent businesses.
Answer
Regulatory impact assessmentswere prepared and consulted on prior to the pollution prevention and controlregulations coming into force. These assessments looked at the potential impactacross all Scottish industries. The regulations are reviewed on an ongoing basis,including the impact that they have on the fishing industry.
- 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 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government on how an electricity interconnector between Shetland and the rest of Scotland would be funded and what contribution the Executive will make to the cost of construction, given the likely impact on its renewable energy targets.
Answer
The electricity network isprivately owned and operated and network upgrades are a matter for the networkowners in conjunction with the regulator, Ofgem. However, under the BritishElectricity Trading and Transmission Arrangement (BETTA) arrangements due to beintroduced in April 2005, the costs of upgrading the electricity networks in Scotlandwill be spread across all Great Britain consumers.
- 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 (a) Northlink Ferries, (b) the Smyril Line and (c) other ferry and cruise ship operators regarding the marketing of Shetland as a holiday destination.
Answer
This is a matter for VisitScotlandand the area tourist boards which both welcome opportunities to work withtransport operators serving Scotland and its islands.
Shetland Islands Tourism workswell with both Northlink Ferries and Smyril Line to market Shetland in its ownright and as a hub providing access to more remote areas of the North Atlantic.
- 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 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of rolling out broadband to (a) Scotland, (b) each constituency and (c) each Parliamentary region.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6115 on 8 March 2004.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/search_wa.
- 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 what support it has given fishing communities in Shetland since 1999.
Answer
Shetland Enterprise operational expenditure (grants, training etc.) since 1999 is as follows:
| Year | Expenditure (£ million) |
| 1998-99 | 2.578 |
| 1999-2000 | 3.096 |
| 2000-01 | 4.187 |
| 2001-02 | 2.7 |
| 2002-03 | 3.9 |
Business and community investments are also funded by the Shetland Development Trust.
Since 1999, financial instrument for fisheries guidance and Executive back-up funds have contributed some £4.85 million in grant payments (excluding decommissioning) to the fishing industry in Shetland.
Decommissioning payments over the same period have amounted to a further £4.5 million, with yet a further £747,636.53 made available in transitional aid.
- 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 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alter the funding mechanisms applicable to (a) Shetland College and (b) the UHI Millennium Institute.
Answer
The Executive has no plansto alter the funding mechanisms for Shetland College or UHI Millennium Institute. This is rightly amatter for (a) the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and (b) the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council.
- 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 what discussions it has had with fishing organisations regarding the closed season for velvet crabs in Shetland and what support it has given to this initiative.
Answer
Under the Shetland IslandsRegulated Fishery (Scotland) Order 1999, as amended, the Shetland ShellfishManagement Organisation (SSMO) is responsible for regulating certain shellfish fisheriesin Shetland waters, including velvet crab. The SSMO require to obtain theconsent of Scottish ministers to any fishery restrictions or changes to thesearrangements, and this was the case for the velvet crab closure.
Responsibility lies with theSSMO to canvass the views of fishermen and their representative organisationson any measures introduced under the order.
- 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 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) training providers and (b) fishing organisations regarding the future training of fishermen.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has not had any discussions with training providers or fishingorganisations about the future training of fishermen. However, there are arange of training programmes available to fishermen that are delivered andfunded by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Many of these have beendeveloped in conjunction with training providers and fishing organisations andinclude a modern apprenticeship in sea fishing, and training for work coursesfor redundant fishermen.
- 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 Nicol Stephen on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing a public service obligation for transport to and from Shetland and what organisations it has had discussions with about this issue.
Answer
The proposals contained inthe original report by the Highlands and Islands Strategic Transport Partnership(HITRANS) are being comprehensively evaluated. Work is now being progressedaimed at assessing and validating the operational and technical feasibility of the proposals. The Executive has had discussions with HITRANS, localauthorities, airlines, airport operators and specialist advisers.
