Chamber and committees

The fields were designated as surplus to agricultural requirements of the Scottish Government Bull Stud Knocknagael as their use was limited to arable cropping and winter forage production. This was due to their immediate proximity to housing estates and the public road which deemed them unsuitable for grazing bulls on the grounds of health and safety of the general public.

The Scottish Government Bull Stud Knocknagael will be self-sufficient in silage, hay and feed barley. Only concentrate feed and mineral supplements will be bought in as normal. Sufficient land has been retained to allow for a fully functional arable crop rotation which will allow adequate stocks of winter fodder to be secured, with cereals grown for feed with the surplus production sold on.

The Scottish Government submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening report, prepared by Deloitte planning consultants, to the Highland Council on 23 January 2013, requesting that the council provide a formal screening opinion. The Highland Council confirmed on 18 April 2013 that a formal EIA was not required. Both the report and the council’s response are available to the public on the Highland Council’s public access portal (Reference 13/00361/SCRE).

Whilst a formal EIA was not required, the Scottish Government has instructed a number of supporting documents and technical studies to inform the development proposals. These have been prepared following pre-application discussions with the planning authority and to meet statutory requirements. These shall be submitted with the planning application and will be available for public viewing via the council’s public access portal at that time.

The planning application submitted on behalf of the Scottish Government, was withdrawn while the Highland Council progress their proposed Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan. Once their local development plan is published, we intend to submit a revised planning application.

To support our further considerations, the Scottish Government will be working with its planning consultants, Deloittes to facilitate further community consultation events. This will provide an excellent opportunity for members of the local community to discuss the Scottish Government’s proposals in more detail and for us to receive more feedback on the proposal.

Following introduction of Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedures) Regulations 2008, neighbour notification is the responsibility of the planning authority.

The Scottish Government complied with all statutory requirements with regards to notifications including: serving a proposal of application notice on the planning authority and all community councils within whose areas the application site is located or adjoins, and submitting the appropriate ownership certificates with the planning application.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-13983 on 23 April 2013. 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.

The Scottish Public Finance Manual provides guidance to relevant public bodies on the proper handling and reporting of public funds, emphasising the need for economy, efficiency and effectiveness across all aspects of delivery and financial transactions.

The manual is reviewed on an on-going basis as required by changes in good practice and standards of propriety. Guidance for Accountable Officers on Best Value was published in 2006, updated in 2011, specifying the requirements for the duty of best value in public services:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Finance/spfm/BestValue

Sustainability is one of two cross-cutting best value themes that, alongside equality, are required to be embedded across all the activities by which relevant public bodies deliver their outcomes.

Scottish Ministers expect all accountable officers of the Scottish Administration and accountable officers of other public bodies to comply with the duty of best value placed upon them. Compliance with the duty of best value (as described in the SPFM) is an auditable requirement and subject to scrutiny under the terms of section 22(1)(c) of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 (“the PFA Act) for any organisation subject to audit by the Auditor General for Scotland.

The Lord Advocate, as head of the system of prosecutions in Scotland, has primary responsibility for the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences in Scotland.

(a) UK Security Services.

The Lord Advocate does not instruct the Security Services, but can instruct the Police Service of Scotland who may work in partnership with them.

(b) Special Demonstration Squad

There is no information held to suggest that officers of this Unit have ever provided mutual assistance to Scotland in terms of section 98 (5) of the Police Act 1996 and accordingly no information to suggest they had ever been subject to direction in that context by the Lord Advocate.

(c) National Domestic Extremism Unit

The Lord Advocate has no remit in instructing this Unit, but where relevant, could instruct the Police Service of Scotland as a law enforcement agency who may work in partnership with this unit in Scotland.

(d) Other police units with a UK wide remit when they operate in Scotland

Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA)

The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) was established by the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. In terms of section 22 of that Act SOCA may only carry out activities in Scotland in relation to an offence which it suspects has been committed (or is being committed) if it does so with the agreement of the Lord Advocate. In carrying out any such activities in Scotland SOCA must comply with such directions (whether general or special) as it may receive from the Lord Advocate or from the procurator fiscal. If it suspects that an offence has been committed (or is being committed) in Scotland, SOCA must report the matter to the procurator fiscal as soon as is practicable.

Terrorism Incidents

In a national terrorism incident, the Senior National Coordinator - Counter Terrorism (SNC-CT), who may be an officer from another UK jurisdiction, will assume strategic command for the operation. However in Scotland, the SNC-CT exercises such strategic command with the authority, but still subject to the direction, of the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland. Thus, the SNC-CT is also subject to the direction of the Lord Advocate, or appropriate prosecutor.

The Scottish Government has no jurisdiction over police units that have a UK-wide remit.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency may carry out activities in Scotland in relation to an offence which it suspects has been committed (or is being committed) with the agreement of the Lord Advocate.

Through VisitScotland, the Scottish Government is supporting the Open Championship with £220,000 and the Scottish Open with £1 million this year.