Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 971 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-06478

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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.

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.

Question reference: S2W-06476

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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.

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.

Question reference: S2W-06467

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
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.

Question reference: S2W-06493

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2004
Current Status: Answered by Frank McAveety on 8 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what contractual provisions in respect of marketing (a) each area tourist board and (b) VisitScotland have entered into in each year from 1999 to 2004, detailing how long these contracts have left to run.

Question reference: S2W-06030

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2004
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 5 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has in respect of the decline in numbers of black grouse and ptarmigan.

The last UK survey onblack grouse was in 1995-96 when it was estimated that there were 4,960 lekkingmale black grouse in Scotland. The next UK survey willbe conducted in 2005-06.Further information on the black grouse and the associatedconservation efforts can be found on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for blackgrouse website: www.blackgrouse.info

In 1990 the ptarmigan populationwas estimated to be 10,000 breeding pairs. The 1988-91 British Trust for Ornithology New Atlas ofBreeding Birds found that thedistribution of ptarmigan in Scotland had not changed substantially since theprevious Atlas Survey in 1968-1971. The Atlas Survey for 2008-2011 will be thenext official survey of this species.

Question reference: S2W-06029

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2004
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 3 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to classify black grouse, ptarmigan, red grouse and partridge as protected species of wild birds as defined by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Question reference: S2W-06109

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2004
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 24 February 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average rental values of agricultural land have been in each region in each year since 1993.

The Scottish Executive does not hold information on rental values of agricultural land at thelevel of detail requested. The annual SEERAD Tenanted Land Survey producesaverage rental values by farm type and these can be viewed in the EconomicReport on Scottish Agriculture (ERSA) at the following location:

ERSA 2003 Table A17

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/agri/ersa03-18.asp#3

The survey sample is notstratified by region, and as such it is not possible to produce a reliable timeseries of farm rents on a regional basis.

Question reference: S2W-06108

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2004
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 24 February 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average increase has been in land values in each region since 1993.

The Scottish Executive does not hold information on land sales at the level of detailrequested. However, a historic series of sales of equipped farms is publishedin the Economic Report on Scottish Agriculture (ERSA) and can be viewedat the following location:

ERSA 2003 Table C12

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/agri/ersa03-52.asp

The table shows salessubtotalled for Less Favoured Areas and Non-Less Favoured Areas as well as atthe Scotland level.

Question reference: S2W-06028

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2004
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 24 February 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking as a result of the action being taken by the European Commission against the UK over failures to ensure sufficient protection of wild birds, in so far as these affect Scotland.

Question reference: S2W-05162

Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2003
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 13 February 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the level of rents to be paid to the Crown Estate Commission for the installation and maintenance of underwater power cables to carry electricity from (a) Shetland, (b) the Western Isles and (c) Orkney to the mainland grid.