- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 7 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many hectares have been acquired and (b) what the cost has been to purchase land through the Forestry Commission Scotland’s reprovisioning exercise since 2009.
Answer
Through Forestry Commission Scotland’s repositioning programme, the amount of hectares acquired since April 2009 is 3,522 hectares and the total cost amounts to £11,549, 624.
Further details of the repositioning programme are available on Forestry Commission Scotland’s website at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-8f8el5.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 7 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive where woodland purchased through the Forestry Commission Scotland’s provisioning exercise (a) was located and (b) the date each purchase was completed since 2009.
Answer
Details of the repositioning programme is available on Forestry Commission Scotland’s website at: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-8f8el5.
This provides up to date figures on the area and value of land sold and purchased. Table 2 lists individual acquisitions by property name, Forest District and year of purchase.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2011
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 2 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure the safeguarding of national forestry treasures as set out in the Scottish Forestry Strategy.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 2 June 2011
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 21 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will offer those affected by the proposed job losses at the West Freugh satellite ground station.
Answer
The Scottish Government provides support through the PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) Partnership to all individuals facing redundancy. The local PACE Partnership is aware of potential job losses at West Freugh and has contacted the company to offer advice and support. To date QinetiQ has declined the offer of this support as they already have arrangements in place to provide support to any staff facing redundancy. However, PACE support will remain available through partner organisations and can be accessed by employees.
The type of support available through PACE will be tailored to meet individual needs and local circumstances but will include: Jobcentre Plus Scotland services; one-to-one counselling; comprehensive information packs; access to high-quality training; seminars on skills such as CV-writing and starting up a business.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 11 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what duties and roles the Forestry Commission’s Regional Advisory Committee for Scotland has in protecting and enhancing Scotland’s wildlife, historic environment, landscape and public access.
Answer
The role of the Regional Advisory Committee in Scotland is to adjudicate on disputed applications for grants or felling licences and in the case of unresolved objections from statutory consultees to the contents of Forest Enterprise Scotland''s forest design plans.
FC Scotland also has five Regional Advisory Forums comprising a range of relevant stakeholder representatives. These Fora provide general advice to FCS on national and local issues.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 11 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the funds raised through sales of woodland by Forestry Commission Scotland’s reprovisioning exercise has been reinvested in purchasing commercially viable land since 2009.
Answer
The total disposal income since 1 April 2009 is £27,771,204, with the amount reinvested in purchase price of properties of £8,107,591 equates to 29.2%. We expect the figures to be 40% by the end of March 2011.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 11 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes to assess the (a) economic and (b) environmental impact of replacing commercial woodland in the national forestry estate with wind energy projects and what mechanisms there are to ensure the long-term sustainable management of the estate.
Answer
Forest Enterprise Scotland is committed to maintaining annual timber production from the national forest estate at a sustainable level of between 3.3 and 3.5 million cubic metres per year. This guarantee of a stable and predictable timber supply helps to maintain confidence and sustain jobs in the timber harvesting, haulage and processing sectors. Forest Enterprise Scotland will therefore seek to maintain the productivity of the national forest estate by ensuring that potential timber production lost through removal of woodland for wind farms will be replaced by the creation of new productive woodlands through compensatory planting. In doing so, a broad assessment of future timber/carbon equivalence will be undertaken, this allowing for any forest re-design necessary for compliance with the UK Forestry Standard.
The environmental impact of woodland removal is assessed through Environmental Impact Assessments undertaken as part of the development management process, this being further informed by the Scottish Government''s policy on control of woodland removal - www.forestry.gov.uk/woodlandremoval.
The requirements for sustainable forest management are set out in the UK Forestry Standard and are embodied in the Scottish Government''s Scottish Forestry Strategy. In turn, the National Forest Estate Strategic Plan (2009-13), sets out how Forest Enterprise Scotland will implement the Scottish Forestry Strategy, seeking to balance the delivery of its social, economic and environmental objectives. Achievement of such sustainable forest management on the national forest estate is verified through independent certification against the internationally recognised UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS).
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 11 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the funds raised through Forestry Commission Scotland’s reprovisioning exercise has been reinvested in (a) tree planting and (b) purchasing land for the national forest estate since 2009.
Answer
The amount reinvested in new planting since 2009 is £2,837,581 which equates to 10.2% of the total income through the repositioning programme and the amount reinvested in purchase price of properties of £8,107,591 equates to 29.2% although we expect this figure to be 40% by the end of March 2011.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 11 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is legislation or guidance on reinvesting funds in replanting like-for-like woodland from wind energy technology projects that are sited on commercial woodland in the national forestry estate.
Answer
There is no legislation to this effect.
Revenue from wind farms is re-invested by Forestry Commission Scotland to support delivery of the Scottish Forestry Strategy, with one of the key outcomes sought being the development of innovative and competitive businesses which contribute to the growth of the Scottish economy. The National Forest Estate Strategic Plan, which was produced following a public consultation exercise, covers the period 2009-13 and sets out how Forest Enterprise Scotland will implement the Scottish Forestry Strategy, seeking to balance the delivery of its social, economic and environmental objectives. This includes a commitment to maintain annual timber production from the estate at a sustainable level of between 3.3 and 3.5 million cubic metres per year. This guarantee of a stable and predictable timber supply helps to maintain confidence and sustain jobs, in the timber harvesting, haulage and processing sectors.
- Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-39204 by Richard Lochhead on 10 February 2011, whether it has made representations to (a) Sodexo and (b) Graham’s Family Dairy to ensure that the dairy farmers supplying the Scottish Government are receiving a price per litre in excess of production costs and above the average market rate.
Answer
The Scottish Government contract with Sodexo is to provide catering service, not specific foods or products. Whilst we expect our contractor to pay a fair price, the arrangements between our contractor and their suppliers are commercially sensitive and for the contractor to manage.
Separately I have recently met with Robert Graham junior to discuss options to increase the sustainability of the Scottish dairy sector.
