Questions · Elaine Murray

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle bovine tuberculosis.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: A review of the animal health and welfare strategy in 2004 resulted in the government developing a 10-year framework strategy for dealing with TB in cattle. Central to controlling the disease, is the programme of routine skin testing and compulsory slaughter…

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incidence of bovine tuberculosis is increasing in Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scotland continues to have a relatively low and stable incidence of bovine tuberculosis. The percentage of bovine herds confirmed as infected with tuberculosis, where infection cannot be attributed to introduced infection, has not exceeded 0.1% of al…

19 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the deliberations of the independent scrutiny of NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s healthcare services will be communicated to service users in the region.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22079 on 30 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/…

19 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long it anticipates that the independent scrutiny of NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s healthcare services will take.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22079 on 30 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/…

19 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether members of the public will be involved in the independent scrutiny of NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s healthcare services.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22079 on 30 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…

19 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what form the independent scrutiny of NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s healthcare services will take.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I will make an announcement in due course on this issue.

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S3F-1526 by Alex Salmond on 12 March 2009, which of the schools planned or under construction in Dumfries and Galloway were commissioned by the current administration.

Answer · Keith Brown: Consideration and decisions regarding individual school projects are, as they have always been, a matter for local authorities. Information supplied by Dumfries and Galloway Council indicates that the contracts for the rebuilding of three primary sch…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of children in primaries one to three were in classes of 18 or under in Dumfries and Galloway in (a) 2006 and (b) 2008.

Answer · Keith Brown: The figures are published in Pupils in Scotland 2008, available on the government website at the following link <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/02/23125339/79">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/02/23125339/79</a>.

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the 2008 woodfuel demand and usage data published by Forestry Commission Scotland, whether it will consider amending the Scottish Biomass Support Scheme to include reducing waste wood in landfill as a key driver.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme does not support projects which would use treated waste wood as this is subject to tighter regulations and is out with the State Aid rules for the Scheme. However, the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme can support projects using cl…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what Forestry Commission Scotland’s policy is regarding roe deer on its land.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Deer on the national forest estate are managed in accordance with the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 and the Scottish Government''s strategy Scotland''s Wild Deer: A National Approach. Forestry Commission Sc…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 or the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 offer any protection to animals that are genetically rare but whose species are not rare, such as white roe deer.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 provide protection for particular species which require special conservation attention rather than for rare or unusual individuals.

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that omitting sites of special scientific interest and Ramsar sites from protection under the EU environmental liability directive will cause confusion between operators and authorities, and among authorities themselves, where responsibility overlaps or covers certain…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We are confident the draft Regulations may be properly applied. No. We do not believe there will be confusion. The majority of respondents to our first public consultation exercise including Scottish Natural Heritage were not in favour of including S…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that sites of special scientific interest and Ramsar sites will be given second class status among sites of biodiversity and ecological importance if they are not protected under the EU environmental liability directive.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: No. Sites of special scientific interest and Ramsar sites are adequately covered under existing regimes, where protected sites will not be affected by the new regime. The Environmental Liability Directive (2004/35/CE) does not require that sites of special in…

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to change the regulations to transpose the EU environmental liability directive into Scots law from establishing environmental damage from conservation status to a measure of site integrity, in light of suggestions by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Scottish…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The draft Regulations will transpose the Environmental Liability Directive (2004/35/CE). This defines damage to protected species and habitats in terms of conservation status.

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to include sites of special scientific interest and Ramsar sites in the latest draft of regulations to transpose the EU environmental liability directive into Scots law in light of concern shown in responses to the Scottish Government’s second consultation on the matter.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The majority of respondents were not in favour of including sites of special scientific interest and Ramsar sites and, as these sites are not within the scope of the Directive, they have not been included in the draft Regulations.

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has not included sites of special scientific interest and Ramsar sites within the scope of its draft regulations on the transposition of the EU environmental liability directive into Scots law.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Environmental Liability Directive (2004/35/CE) covers only those sites mentioned in the draft Regulations. Other sites are already adequately dealt with under other regimes.