Elaine Murray

28 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how an owner-occupier of a C(S)-listed building can apply for it to be delisted.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: An owner-occupier may apply for a building to be delisted by writing to Historic Scotland''s Listing Team, giving the address of the property and setting out why they consider it no longer meets the criteria for inclusion on the list. The team will then inves…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32597 by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2010, whether organisations other than the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation can propose amendments to the specification of the protected geographical indication for Scottish farmed salmon.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Any group satisfying the conditions of Articles 5(1) and (2) of the EC Regulation 510/2006 and having a legitimate interest may lodge an application for Scottish farmed salmon if they so wish. It is up to Defra to decide if an application is appropriate and m…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32600 by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2010, whether the amended single document accompanying the specification for the protected geographical indication for Scottish farmed salmon will be published and, if so, where it will be made available for publ…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: It is for the industry to come forward with an application to amend the specification and single document. Any proposed amendment must comply with the requirements set out in Article 9 of the EC Regulation 510/2006. Where there is a proposed amendment to the …

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which stages in the lifecycle of farmed salmon must take place in Scotland in order to conform with the requirements of the protected geographic indication for Scottish farmed salmon.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The current specification of the PGI does not state which stages of the production process for Scottish Farmed Salmon must take place within the geographical area.</p>

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32604 by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2010, what the role of the Scottish Futures Trust is in the collection of data on local authority waste management infrastructure requirements.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) has no official role collecting data on local authority waste management infrastructure requirements. However, as a one off exercise in partnership with COSLA, SFT is collecting data to enable the public and private sector to …

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32605 by Richard Lochhead on 29 March 2010, whether the Scottish Futures Trust will provide funding for (a) joint and (b) individual local authority waste management programmes.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I have asked Barry White, Chief Executive of the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) to respond. His response is as follows: </p> <p >SFT''s role is to support local authorities, acting individually or in collaboration with others, in securing value for money in t…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32666 by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 April 2010, when the copy of its memorandum of understanding with Norway on aquaculture cooperation was first published on the Scottish Government’s website.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: A copy of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was published on the Scottish Government website on 31 March 2010. The delay in publishing was due to the extensive revamping of the Marine Scotland sections of the website.</p> <p >A draft copy of the MOU was …

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32853 by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2010, for what reason slippage in the payment of invoices in 2008-09 was reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report 2008-09 as an outturn efficiency.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The answer to question S3W-32853 explained the reason for a £20,000 underspend in the animal health and welfare publicity budget for 2008-09. This underspend was not part of the outturn efficiency of £20,000 from that budget as reported in the Efficiency Outt…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-9994 by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 March 2010, how applications can be made for funding to support innovations in combating wildlife crime.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: An application form and further details of the scheme are available on the Scottish Natural Heritage website at <a href="http://www.snh.gov.uk/funding/our-grants/what/wildlife-crime-(paw)/">www.snh.gov.uk/funding/our-grants/what/wildlife-crime-(paw)/</a>.</p>…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-9994 by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 March 2010, who is eligible to apply for the funding to support innovations in combating wildlife crime.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33323 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-9994 by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 March 2010, for how long funding will be made available to support innovations in combating wildlife crime.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33320 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-9994 by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 March 2010, how much funding has been made available to support innovations in combating wildlife crime.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Up to £220,000 is available for a two-year programme over 2009-10 and 2010-11 to support innovations in tackling wildlife crime. Projects are assessed by PAW Scotland and grant arrangements are managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Other projects which …

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to proposals from Dogs Trust that all dogs should be required to be microchipped in the interests of animal welfare.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government fully support microchipping and have advised dog owners to microchip their animals in the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs (paragraph 5.12). This paragraph details the procedure, explains the many advantages of microchipping an…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any assessment of the impact on greyhound racing should a requirement to microchip all racing greyhounds be introduced in Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is not aware of any assessment of the impact on greyhound racing if all racing greyhounds were required to be microchipped. However, all greyhounds registered with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain require greyhounds to be permanent…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with representatives of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain regarding the welfare of racing greyhounds.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government officials met with representatives of the National Greyhound Racing Club in October 2007 and with representatives of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain in September 2008. The welfare of greyhounds was the main topic at both meetings.</p>…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 protects racing greyhounds from the potential risks presented by racing and, if so, which sections of the Act apply.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Section 24 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 makes it an offence to fail to meet the needs of a protected animals (racing greyhounds are protected animals) and one of these needs is to protect an animal from suffering, injury and disease. H…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 protects the welfare of racing greyhounds.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Section 24 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 makes it an offence to fail to ensure that the needs of a protected animal are met. All dogs, including dogs used in greyhound racing, are protected animals.</p> <p >The act describes an animal'…

22 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can provide an estimate of the number of racing greyhounds in Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not keep information about the number of racing greyhounds.</p> <p >However, the <i >Independent Review of the Greyhound Industry in Great Britain</i> by Lord Donoughue of Ashton, published in November 2007, estimated that there …

1 Apr 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-9994 by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 March 2010, where the five claimants are based whose single farm payments have been reduced due to a connection with poisoned birds, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The five claimants are located within the following Local Authority areas “ Scottish Borders (1), Aberdeenshire (1), Angus (1) and South Lanarkshire (2).</p>

29 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it played a role in the freeze on teacher and health service pensions and, if so, what.

Answer · John Swinney: The responsibility for deciding on and applying the annual up-rating of public service pensions is a matter reserved to Westminster and in particular the Minister of State for Pensions and the Ageing Society. It is therefore not within the devolved powers of …

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £1.393 million outturn efficiency for Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh achieved efficiency savings of £1.393 million in 2008-09 by the following sources:</p> <p >Levering in donations (£1 million) for the Gateway Visitor Centre to supplement Scottish Government capital funding.</p> <p >Secu…

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £0.02 million outturn efficiency for Animal Health and Welfare Publicity in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Animal Health and Welfare publicity budget for 2008-09 was under spent by £0.02 million, as the invoices for the cost of issuing the Code of Practice on the Welfare of Equidae and reprinting the welfare codes on cattle, sheep, pigs and laying hens were la…

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £11.9 million outturn efficiency for the Forestry Commission Scotland in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Forestry Commission Scotland achieved its efficiency outturn by disposing of assets that were not delivering strongly against Scottish Government objectives.</p>

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £0.429 million outturn efficiency for the Contract Research Fund in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The efficiency savings arise entirely from the securing of co-funding for research projects while obtaining 100% of the contract outputs.</p>

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £2 million outturn efficiency for the merger of the Rowett Research Institute and the University of Aberdeen in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As a consequence of the Rowett Research Institute merging with the University of Aberdeen the Scottish Government no longer has to make financial provision of £2 million annually for depreciation and cost of capital charges for the Rowett. This accounting cha…

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £0.032 million outturn efficiency for the Scottish Sustainable Development Forum in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The outturn efficiency for the Scottish Sustainable Development Forum (SSDF) was delivered by incorporating the secretariat function within the remit of the Sustainable Development Commission Scotland and setting a fixed budget at the start of the year for ev…

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £0.793 million outturn efficiency for Fisheries Research Services in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Fisheries Research Services achieved £0.793 million efficiency savings in 2008-09 through more effective asset management, accessing wider Scottish Government arrangements for the provision of services, rationalising internal processes and procedures and …

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £0.138 million outturn efficiency for Other Agriculture in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: These savings were achieved through a combination of minor improvements such as rationalising arrangements for stakeholder engagement, making greater use of web‘based forms of publicity and a greater than anticipated saving in awards made in respect of Cherno…

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £2.86 million outturn efficiency for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency achieved £2.86 million efficiency savings in 2008-09 through the streamlining of operations, the adoption of a more risk-based approach to tasking surveillance aircraft and through the sale of surplus assets.</p>

26 Mar 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the £0.928 million outturn efficiency for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in 2008-09 was achieved, as reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2008-09.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The £0.928 million outturn efficiency for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in 2008-09 was achieved by the following:-</p> <p >1 - Absorption of New Duty Work by Current staff</p> <p >Total Savings Achieved: £709,000</p> <p >By implementing mor…