Questions · Elaine Murray

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19918 by Michael Russell on 20 January 2009, whether it will make further funding available to Dumfries and Galloway Council if the trial use of a falcon to deter gulls from the centre of Dumfries is successful.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22989 on 7 May 2009. 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/Bu…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19918 by Michael Russell on 20 January 2009, how it will monitor the success of the trial use of a falcon to deter gulls from the centre of Dumfries.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22989 on 7 May 2009. 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/Bu…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19918 by Michael Russell on 20 January 2009, whether it will monitor the success of the trial use of a falcon to deter gulls from the centre of Dumfries.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22989 on 7 May 2009. 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/Bus…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19918 by Michael Russell on 20 January 2009, how much funding it has made available to Dumfries and Galloway Council to trial the use of a falcon to deter gulls from the centre of Dumfries.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: A task force to look at the urban gull problem in Dumfries was set up following the Urban Gull Summit held in Dumfries in June 2008. One of the group''s recommendations was to trial the flying of a falcon over the town centre to deter nesting and breeding att…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering changing the planning powers of the national park authorities.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Changes to implement the Scottish Government''s modernisation and improvement of the planning system are in the process of being introduced. This will affect every planning authority in Scotland. There are no specific plans to change the planning powers of th…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that increasing the availability of employment for local young people in the Cairngorms National Park should be a priority.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22986, on 13 May 2009. 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/B…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that increasing the availability of employment for local young people in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park should be a priority.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In the National Parks, as elsewhere, the lead authorities responsible for supporting young people into work, and creating routes to employment include Scottish Enterprise, Skills Scotland, Job Centre Plus and each of the four local authorities. Both National …

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is a need to increase the availability of affordable housing in the Cairngorms National Park.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Cairngorms National Park Authority to address in the Park Plan and the Local Development Plan. The Cairngorms Park Plan specifies affordable and sustainable housing as one of its seven priorities for action. The last annual report on …

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is a need to increase the availability of affordable housing in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is a matter for the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority to address in the park plan and the local development plan. I understand that the Park Authority is working collaboratively with the four local housing authorities in the park to i…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that national park authority boards should have increased engagement with local people.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Both National Park Authorities give a high priority to engagement with their local communities. For instance, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority has a programme of community action planning, Community Futures, which has helped to encou…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons it is not progressing with stage 2 of the National Parks Review.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In November 2008, Michael Russell the then Minister for Environment announced the recommendations of the National Parks Review, and expressed the view that these had significant potential to produce improvements in the delivery of national parks policy. In th…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will examine how the national park authority boards can improve the way that they share effort, experience and best practice.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The National Park Authorities participate in the Scottish Environment And Rural Services (SEARS) initiative which involves practical co-operation of this kind with other SEARS partner bodies. In addition, the national park authorities co-operate and share exp…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering changing the method of appointing the convener and deputy convener of Cairngorms National Park Authority Board.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22970, on 13 May 2009. 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/B…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering changing the method of appointing the convener and deputy convener of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority Board.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22970 on 13 May 2009. 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/Bu…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the proportion of directly elected members on the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22970, on 13 May 2009. 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/B…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the proportion of directly elected members on the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority Board.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22970, on 13 May 2009. 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/B…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to reduce the size of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22970, on 13 May 2009. 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/B…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to reduce the size of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority Board.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22970 on 13 May 2009. 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/Bu…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is examining how to widen the sharing of corporate services and increase the harmonisation of employer arrangements between the national park authorities.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22970 on 13 May 2009. 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/Bu…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the designation of a marine national park.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Where communities are supportive, ministers will consider proposals for a Marine National Park once the work to improve the wider legislative framework for the marine environment is completed. The proposals for Scottish Marine Regions may fulfil some of the p…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering the designation of additional national parks.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Ministers have no immediate plans to bring forward proposals for designation of new national parks.

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any national parks strategy group established by it would be chaired by a minister.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22970 on 13 May 2009. 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/Bu…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to establish a national parks strategy group.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is one of a number of recommendations from the National Parks Review. There has been a public consultation on these recommendations. The report of the findings is due in early May and I intend to announce decisions on the recommendations later this year.…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will assess the effectiveness of the national park authorities in implementing park plans.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The National Park Plans were prepared by the National Park Authorities in partnership with many organisations, businesses and individuals. Similarly the implementation of the park plans is a collective effort and it is the National Park Authorities who are as…

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to assess the contribution of the national park authorities to the Scottish Government’s national objectives.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The National Park Authorities operate within the context provided by the National Performance Framework: their business plans and annual reports will show their contribution to National Outcomes. Sta

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons the National Parks Review Report was not published until November 2008.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The report of the review was published following the completion of both the report and an accompanying consultation paper.

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will propose that the conclusions of the National Parks Review Report, published in November 2008, be the subject of a debate in the Parliament.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I would be willing to consider this subject and find a suitable slot in the parliamentary programme.

14 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the conclusions in the National Parks Review Report, published in November 2008, will be subject to wider consultation.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Public consultation on the conclusions in the National Parks Review Report commenced at the same time as the publication of the report. The consultation findings will be published later this summer.

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the capacity of available facilities to safely capture and dispose of products containing ozone depleting substances (ODS), with particular reference to plastic foam insulation from steel-clad buildings, rather than this waste being sent to designated land…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21461 on 10 March 2009. 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/…

9 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance or instruction the Scottish Environment Protection Agency gives to landfill operators to ensure that construction waste does not contain hazardous waste such as plastic foam insulation containing ozone depleting substances (ODS) from steel-clad buildings.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Construction waste containing hazardous wastes may be disposed of to appropriate landfill. For guidance on the handling of waste containing ozone-depleting substances, and on landfill generally, I refer the member to the website quoted in the answer …