Ariane Burgess

8 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ask SEPA to provide advice to local authorities on the screening criteria for air quality impact assessments in relation to any whisky storage facility planning applications, in light of the final report, Review of the Human Health and Environmental Impacts of Non-Methane…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government will consider this point as part of wider discussions with SEPA around the recommendations arising from the review, and will issue its response in due course.

8 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the final report, Review of the Human Health and Environmental Impacts of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Malt Whisky Maturation in Scotland, in light of the evidence that it provides on impacts on human health and the e…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government is currently considering the recommendations and will issue its response in due course.

31 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to press the Scottish Information Commissioner to issue a decision on a complaint (Case ID: 202200650) about the non-disclosure by SEPA of environmental information relating to salmon farming, which was requested on 12 January 2022.

Answer · George Adam: The Scottish Government has no locus to intervene in this matter. The Scottish Information Commissioner is entirely independent of the Scottish Government. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency is also a distinct Scottish public authority from the Scot…

26 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering alternatives to the current methods of tagging fish, which involve inserting tags into them.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government uses a range of techniques to monitor and study fish populations which is critical to inform the management actions put in place to protect species. Internal tagging is used when there is no appropriate alternative method available to …

26 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to improve timely reporting by Salmon Fishery Boards of wild salmon catch statistics, including penalties for boards that are very late in publishing statistics.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: There are no obligations on District Salmon Fishery Boards to report or publish wild salmon catch statistics. The Scottish Government requires proprietors or occupiers of salmon fisheries to provide it with information each year relating to the fishery. Ref…

26 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering steps to reduce recreational fishing for (a) wild salmon and (b) trout, in light of the species’ reported decline.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government is not considering steps to reduce recreational fishing for salmon or trout in Scotland.  Recreational fisheries for salmon and trout are regulated by a body of legislation that determines where and when fishing can take place, by wha…

25 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on the marine environment in Scotland, whether it will make further representations to the UK Government and Marine Management Organisation on implementing improved measures for monitoring bycatch from all vessels operating in UK waters, including foreign-…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: While the management of Scottish waters is an area of devolved competency, the Scottish Government continues to work with the UK Government and other devolved administrations through the delivery of the Marine Wildlife Bycatch Mitigation Initiative (BMI) whic…

25 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on the marine environment in Scotland, what its position is on the reported response from the Marine Management Organisation, to a Freedom of Information request from the World Cetacean Alliance, stating that it only holds bycatch data on the only UK-regis…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: All vessels authorised to operate in Scottish waters do so under the appropriate licences, and are obliged to follow Scottish domestic management rules. This includes a mandatory requirement for all vessels, including EU vessels, operating in UK waters to rep…

18 Oct 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to cultural organisations that are operating in rural areas.

16 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the need for greater transparency on bycatch from supertrawlers, in light of the hundreds of dolphins that are reportedly killed in UK waters every year.

12 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when local authorities will receive an update on any new responsibilities and obligations on local government arising from the national Good Food Nation plan.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 ("the Act") requires Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and health boards to publish Good Food Nation Plans. Local authorities will be encouraged to share their views on the national Plan during the forthcoming con…

27 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to ensure that any electric vehicle (EV) chargers installed at Scottish Government agency locations across Scotland are made available for the wider public through the ChargePlace Scotland system, as is the case with the SEPA EV chargers in Elgin.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is owned by many different executive agencies and other public bodies (such as SEPA) which are funded by the Scottish Government, as well as a small proportion owned by the Scottish Government directly. Each indiv…

26 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it can offer to car sharing organisations that work to support the National Transport Strategy aim to promote car and ride sharing in preference to single occupancy car use, in light of reports that such work is being undermined by insurance premiums increasing by more th…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland provide funding sources, such as the Smarter Choices Smarter Places Open Fund, to encourage people to change their behaviours to drive less and to walk or cycle as part of their everyday short journeys or to use public transport for longer …

20 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, and in relation to how it can work with local authorities to deliver any necessary improvements to the school estate.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I understand that local authorities are keen to get clarity on Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP). We wrote to councils to explain that consideration of potential Phase 3 projects was still ongoing. It is important to recognise that w…

20 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its support for beaver translocation, what steps have been taken to ensure that Forestry and Land Scotland applies for a licence from NatureScot to release beavers in Glen Affric, following an extensive period of consultation and planning.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: In light of the change to the scale and scope of the project and because there is now only one landowner involved, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) will now conduct a further round of public engagements in 2023. FLS will work together with Trees for Life to …

20 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its support for beaver translocation, what action Forestry and Land Scotland has taken to apply for licences from NatureScot to translocate beavers from Tayside to areas outside of their normal range.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Forestry and Land Scotland submitted an application for a translocation licence to NatureScot on the 3 August 2023 and currently await a formal response.

19 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance and support can be given to local authorities to enable more communities to run Play Street events, including through simplifying the process of applying for temporary traffic regulation orders, designing traffic management schemes, loaning signs and cones to organising gro…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Local authorities are responsible under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 for the management and maintenance of local roads within their areas. Where necessary, this includes restricting local roads for events such as Play Streets. In certain circumstances Scotti…

14 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether, in line with the precautionary principle, it is time to implement an interim absolute sea lice limit on all marine salmon and trout farms currently operating in Scotland, while SEPA's proposed new regulatory framework is being developed over the next year…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21441 on 27 September 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-commi…

14 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will urgently bring forward the timelines for implementation of the SEPA sea lice proposals, Managing interactions between sea lice from finfish farms and wild salmonids.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Salmon Interactions Working Group report recommended that one lead body takes responsibility for interactions between wild and farmed fish. In response to the Group’s report, the Scottish Government identified that SEPA would become the lead regulator res…

12 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering mandating the use of fishing gear recovery technology on fishing gear, including pots, traps, gillnets and longlines, used in the inshore region (0-12 nautical miles), to reduce so-called “ghost fishing” and bycatch of marine mammals.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government is open to the use of technological advances to improve the selectivity of fishing gears, including static gear, within our inshore waters. We intend to use the fora of our FMAC Group and the RIFG network to explore how use of such tec…

12 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering a Norwegian-style system where vessels would be required to report the coordinates of lost fishing gear when such a loss occurs, if it occurs in the offshore region outwith the 12 nautical mile limit, so that the gear could be recovered during an annual summer “…

Answer · Lorna Slater: Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government is not considering a Norwegian-style system of funding and running an annual clean-up of fishing gear reported as lost. Scottish vessels are required to carry retrieval equipment aboard unless working exclusively within 1…

12 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide more information on its plans regarding “legislating current good practice to reduce bycatch of sensitive marine species”, as stated in its response to the Future Catching Policy consultation analysis report.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government recognises that bycatch and entanglement in any type of fishing gear can pose a risk to our iconic marine life and we remain committed to continuing to tackle this issue in our waters through our various domestic and international obli…

12 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of cetaceans known to have died as a result of fishing bycatch or entanglement in disused fishing gear in Scottish or UK territorial waters, in the last 10 years.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government are funding partners of the UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme, which deploys dedicated observers onboard UK fishing vessels, with the purpose of recording protected species bycatch across UK fisheries. Numbers of bycaught cetaceans are r…

6 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of any risk related to the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in domestic housing.

Answer · Paul McLennan: Assessments of risks related to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) are underway across the housing sector. Representatives from local authorities, the Scottish Housing Regulator, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, the Chartered Instit…

4 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much support the horticulture sector received through the Basic Payment Scheme in the latest year for which figures are available, also provided as a percentage of the total Basic Payment Scheme funding.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments are not specifically allocated to the horticulture sector. However, our Census Data does identify holdings that are either of specialist horticulture and permanent crop type or which have at least 2 hectares of horticultura…

30 Aug 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what further discussions it plans to have with the UK Government regarding lifting the 100KW deployment cap on its Feed-In Tariffs Scheme for renewable energy generation from community and farm-owned micro-hydro schemes in Scotland.

23 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Police Scotland, (b) local authorities and (c) Transport Scotland regarding road safety on the North Coast 500 route, and whether it will provide an update on what actions have been taken to address the reported excessive speed and dangerous driving o…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland are in regular discussions with a range of operational partners, including Police Scotland and local road authorities, to explore ways to enhance road safety in the north of Scotland. This includes discussion through the Road Safety Framewo…

23 Aug 2023 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with delivering the Bute House Agreement commitment to ensure that community housing trusts are adequately funded so that they can support the delivery of enhanced rural home building plans.

Answer · Paul McLennan: I am pleased to announce a package of support, co-funded with Nationwide Foundation, of up to £960,000 over the next three years. It will support the staff capacity and expertise within Communities Housing Trust and South of Scotland Community Housing to brin…

22 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how islands and remote communities can best engage with the Scottish Government in the early stages of infrastructure investment and strategic transport planning to explore the potential to build more fixed links and reduce their reliance on ferries.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) was published in December 2022 and will inform the Scottish Government’s transport investment programme over the next 20 years and help to deliver the National Transport Strategy. STPR2 recommends a poten…

15 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding any need for greater transparency on bycatch from supertrawlers, in light of reports of hundreds of dolphins being killed in UK waters every year.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: While the management of Scottish waters is an area of devolved competency, the Scottish Government continues to work with the UK Government and other devolved administrations through the delivery of the Marine Wildlife Bycatch Mitigation Initiative (BMI) whic…