Parliamentary questions

Elaine Murray

2,411 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Marine Scotland will work with the Crown Estate.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As with any stakeholder Marine Scotland will work closely with the Crown Estate.

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Marine Scotland will provide opportunities for interested parties such as local communities and fishing interests and economic interests such as renewables companies, environmental organisations and animal welfare groups to be able to take part in the marine planning and decision-maki…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Schedule 1 of the Marine (Scotland) Bill sets out the consultation requirements when creating a marine plan. These proposals will allow interested parties to take part in the marine planning process.

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunities will be provided by Marine Scotland for local communities to get involved in the process of marine planning.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Marine (Scotland) Bill has proposed provisions with regards to consultation when preparing a national marine plan or regional marine plans.

7 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the relationship of Marine Scotland will be with the UK Marine Management Organisation.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22580 on 8 May. 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/Business…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage voluntary labelling schemes in shops and supermarkets advising customers of the welfare standards achieved by the producers of pig meat products.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government supports any scheme or initiative that enables consumers to make a more informed choice about the food they purchase.

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the high animal welfare standards achieved by the pig industry are adequately recognised by consumers.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is encouraged to note that more consumers are now considering animal welfare issues when making purchasing decisions.

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce a coastal protection zone in its marine Bill.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Marine (Scotland) Bill was submitted to the Scottish Parliament on 29 April 2009. It does not include provisions for a coastal protection zone.

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider extending the membership of inshore fisheries groups to include representatives of conservation and sea angling groups.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Membership of an Inshore Fisheries Group (IFG) is open to commercial fishermen who operate in the IFG area. An IFG must liaise with all relevant stakeholders, such as recreational sea anglers and conservation groups, as it develops its management plan. Where …

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons the decision was made to transfer the research functions of the Fisheries Research Service to Marine Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Science is central to our aspirations for marine management in Scotland, and to the role and responsibilities of Marine Scotland. We believe there are benefits for marine management in integrating science with policy development, delivery and other functions …

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Marine Scotland will be responsible for the regulation of the aquaculture industry.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Created on 1 April 2009, Marine Scotland assumed administrative responsibility for delivering the regulatory requirements under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (as amended) and the Coast Protection Act 1949 which apply to the aquaculture industry…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish an environmental court to consider appeals against the decisions of Marine Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Marine Bill proposes powers for subordinate legislation to set out an appeals process with regards to decisions relating to marine licensing. The appeals process will be subject to consultation.

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure transparency in the decisions made by Marine Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Full, detailed arrangements in relation to Marine Scotland are being worked up, as part of the transition process during the current operating year. However, as part of Scottish Government, Marine Scotland is accountable, through ministers, to the Scottish Pa…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether advice given to ministers by Marine Scotland will be published.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland, as part of the Scottish Government, operates in accordance with the requirements of the freedom of information (FOI) legislation and fully supports transparency and openness. In line with our Six Principles of FOI we publish information proac…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that Marine Scotland, which is part of the Scottish Government, will work effectively with the UK Marine Management Organisation, which is to be established as an non-departmental public body.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Arrangements will be agreed between the Scottish Government and the UK Government to ensure that Marine Scotland and the UK Marine Management Organisation will work effectively together when and where necessary.

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of the suggested steps outlined in the Zero Waste Think Tank’s Towards a Zero Waste Society: Building a vision for Scotland in 2025 report to be actioned over the six months following the report have been actioned.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We have taken forward a variety of actions in relation to this report including the consultation draft of the new National Waste Management Plan will outline Scotland''s approach to sustainable waste management and business opportunities arising from Scotland…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Zero Waste Think Tank’s Towards a Zero Waste Society: Building a vision for Scotland in 2025 report and reference to a policy on landfill bans being a key strategic decision for the National Waste Review, what stage its development of such a policy is at and whether this …

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Funded by Scottish Government Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) have let a research contract to consider in depth the practical, economic and environmental issues associated with banning more materials from landfill. This work is being led by WRAP''…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the Zero Waste Think Tank has achieved since its first meeting on 27 March 2008.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Zero Waste Think Tank will report with recommendations on a variety of issues including, business resource efficiency; waste, carbon and energy; waste regulation and other policy levers, and delivery. A full and final report from the Think Tank to ministe…

2 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to carry out its proposed consultation on a draft National Waste Plan for Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We aim to start the three months consultation in June of this year.

1 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from Dumfries and Galloway Council that traditional galas, common ridings, ridings of the marches and Remembrance Day parades in Dumfries and Galloway should be exempted from notification under the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Dumfries and Galloway Council wrote to me on 18 November 2008 requesting exemption of Common Ridings, Gala Day Parades, Fun Day Parades and other similar community events and Remembrance Day Parades from notification. I replied to the council on 22 A…

1 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought the views of community and marching organisations on the implementation of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 and the guidance to local authorities issued in December 2006.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: A Consultation into Marches and Parades was conducted in summer 2008, to assess the first year of implementation of the changes to the law and practice on marches and parades, introduced by the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006, an…

1 Apr 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reviewed, or intends to review, the requirements under the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 for traditional galas, common ridings, ridings of the marches and Remembrance Day parades to be notified to the relevant local authority.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I recently discussed the current notification system with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). COSLA and ACPOS have advised me that it would be premature to make amendments to t…

30 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what Forestry Commission Scotland’s policy is with regard to the control of fox numbers in the national forest estate.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Forestry Commission Scotland will control foxes to meet conservation interests (for example, in areas where there are populations of ground nesting birds) for research purposes and where deemed appropriate, to assist its neighbours in the agriculture and gam…

27 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21886 by Keith Brown on 27 March 2009, whether it is aware that the decision to procure replacement buildings for Lincluden, Cargenbridge and Troqueer primary schools via traditional procurement methods was taken by the education and community servic…

Answer · Keith Brown: Further information supplied by Dumfries and Galloway Council confirms that the committee in question, under the current council administration, took material decisions on 20 November 2007 completely to change the funding strategy for these schools, and on 29…

27 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21881 by Keith Brown on 26 March 2009, whether it agrees that there has been no increase in the percentage of pupils in primaries one to three in classes of size 18 or less in Dumfries and Galloway between 2006 and 2008.

Answer · Keith Brown: The percentage of primary one to primary three pupils in classes of 18 or fewer rose in Dumfries and Galloway from 15.1% in 2007 to 18.1% in 2008. In 2006 the equivalent figure was 18.2%.

26 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide in table form the total numbers of respondents to each of the consultations carried out in December 2006 and May 2008 respectively on the transposition of the EU environmental liability directive into Scots law and how many of those respondents were (a) in favour; …

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This information may be found in the Summary of Responses for each of the public consultation exercises published by the Scottish Government at: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/203481/0054256.pdf">http://www.scotland.gov…

26 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce legislation to ban private companies such as Integrated Dental Holdings from running dental practices that offer treatment under the NHS.

Answer · Shona Robison: No. There is a long history of dentists providing a mixture of NHS and private treatment and we see no problem with a properly constituted dental body corporate providing NHS dentistry. Dental bodies corporate require to have a majority of directors that are …

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that local authorities should offer financial support to local organisations that promote and support equality and diversity.

Answer · Alex Neil: Through the concordat, we have made clear that it is for councils to decide how best to allocate their funding to meet agreed national and local outcomes. They are accountable for their funding decisions. It is for councils to decide how they meet the public …

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what parts of its single outcome agreement with Dumfries and Galloway Council make reference to equality and diversity issues.

Answer · Shona Robison: The single outcome agreements (SOA) reflect the priorities and agreed outcomes for each council and include relevant supporting indicators and targets. It is for each community planning partnership (CPP) to derive its local outcomes which should be drawn from…

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding amounts previously allocated to Dumfries and Galloway Council as Quality of Life funding continued to be allocated following the ending of ring fencing.

Answer · John Swinney: I can confirm that the Quality of Life funding, which was previously separately identifiable, but not ring-fenced, continues to be allocated as part of the annual local government finance settlement. It is then for each local authority to allocate the total r…

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering trialling the inoculation of badgers to prevent the spread of tuberculosis to cattle.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There is no evidence to date to suggest that there is a significant reservoir of bovine tuberculosis infection in the badger population in Scotland. Current veterinary advice is that wildlife in Scotland does not represent a significant risk in terms of the …