- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what process Peatland ACTION follows when vetting applicants for funding.
Answer
The Scottish Government funds five direct delivery partners to carry out peatland restoration projects through the Peatland ACTION partnership - NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority and Scottish Water.
Operational and delivery aspects of the programme, such as vetting of individual applications seeking funding for their projects, are a matter for each respective delivery partner and I would refer the MSP to those organisations for further information.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of NatureScot's budget attributed to peatland restoration is delivered via Peatland ACTION projects.
Answer
100%. NatureScot deliver all their peatland restoration works via Peatland Action projects.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria Peatland ACTION uses for selecting contractors in relation to peatland restoration.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23371 on 11 December 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria Peatland ACTION uses to vet the design of peatland restoration plans.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23371 on 11 December 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to Peatland ACTION projects, for what reason the prior information notice (PIN) process is used rather than the contract notice and contract award notice process.
Answer
The Prior Information Notice (PIN) process is used to give advance notice of projects to the sector and then this is followed by the contract notice and contract award notice process. Publishing a PIN is not a mandatory requirement, but it can alert the market that there is an opportunity coming up within the next 12 months, allowing bidders to research and start to prepare your bid. It can also make it possible for the procurement officer to reduce the timescales needed to complete the procurement exercise.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much Peatland ACTION spent within Dumfries and Galloway in the current financial year, expressed both in monetary terms and as a percentage of overall spend.
Answer
Peatland ACTION has spent £56,800 towards physical restoration costs on projects within Dumfries and Galloway in this financial year. The total capital budget (not spend as that will be available once we complete the planned activities in this financial year) for Peatland Action in current financial year is £23m, so this spend is approximately 0.24% of overall budget.
-
Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on when the ripening and spawning season for razor clams takes place in Scottish waters.
Answer
As part of the scientific trial on electrofishing for razor clams, the Scottish Government has collected biological information related to the species. This has included live samples of razor clams which have been analysed to determine sex, stage of maturity, spawning time and length-weight relationships.
Scottish Government has worked closely with fishers to identify spawning season through first-hand experience and knowledge gathered through fishing. Annual progress reports are published online: 2018-2019 , 2019-2020 , 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 ).
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the current scientific trial regarding razor clams to include a closed season during their ripening and spawning season in Scottish waters.
Answer
An aim of the Scottish Government's scientific trial is to put in place appropriate regulatory arrangements to help ensure a sustainable fishery.
Officials are considering options for management measures, informed by scientific findings, and will engage with trial participants if further measures are considered necessary.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to accelerate new woodland creation in order to meet its targets.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023