Sarah Boyack

24 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether representatives of Community Service Volunteers agreed to changes to funding for the voluntary sector.

Answer · Jim Mather: The concordat with local authorities reinforces the principle that local delivery decisions should be made locally to ensure the delivery of local outcome agreement. Third sector organisations such as Community Service Volunteers can make a contribution to de…

24 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it wrote to representatives of Community Service Volunteers to make them aware of the changes to funding for the voluntary sector and, if so, when.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17400 on 11 November 2008. 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/App…

24 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions have taken place with representatives of Community Service Volunteers to make them aware of the changes to funding for the voluntary sector.

Answer · Jim Mather: A three year grant to Community Service Volunteers for its Retired and Senior Volunteers Programme came to its planned and expected conclusion at the end of March. Various discussions have taken place over the last nine months or so at official and ministeria…

19 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much packaging for recycling is being stockpiled, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are not aware of any local authority in Scotland that is having to stockpile packaging as a consequence of the economic downturn.</p>

19 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much glass for recycling is being stockpiled, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are not aware of any local authority in Scotland that is having to stockpile glass as a consequence of the economic downturn.</p>

19 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much paper for recycling is being stockpiled, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are not aware of any local authority in Scotland that is having to stockpile paper as a consequence of the economic downturn.</p>

18 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new leasing arrangements for buildings occupied in Scotland by (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) Executive agencies involved (i) new leases and (ii) renewals of existing leases in each of the last five years. 

Answer · John Swinney: The information held within the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service (e-PIMS) over each of the five years shows the number of new lease arrangements entered into by non-core Scottish Executive bodies is as follows:</p> <p >2004: 11</p> <p >2005: …

18 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new leasing arrangements for buildings that it occupied involved (a) new leases and (b) renewals of existing leases in each of the last five years. 

Answer · John Swinney: The information held within the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service (e-PIMS) shows that the number of new lease arrangements for each of the past five years entered into by Core Scottish Executive is as follows:</p> <p >2004: 1</p> <p >2005: 2</…

18 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new buildings were procured in Scotland by (a) executive agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years and how many were (i) rented, (ii) leased, (iii) purchased and (iv) acquired under some other finance mechanism. 

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22033 on 27 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/…

18 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new buildings it procured in each of the last five years and how many were (a) rented, (b) leased, (c) purchased and (d) acquired under some other finance mechanism. 

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22033 on 27 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/…

17 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those areas of peat land where it (a) supports the restoration and conservation of peat bogs and (b) expects that further action to restore peat resources damaged by past drainage and inappropriate afforestation will be targeted.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has been working with a broad range of stakeholders to develop a co-ordinated approach to the protection of soils (including peatland), and will publish the Scottish Soil Framework in spring 2009. The framework will recognise Scottish …

17 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to identify peat bogs where peat depth is 50cm or greater and whether specific advice to land managers on the steps that they can take to prevent the release of CO2 and other greenhouse gases from such carbon stores is provided free of charge as part of the public…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has commissioned a study to advise on the costs and benefits of a targeted national peat survey, and on the state of our current knowledge on carbon stocks tied into peatlands. The report is due to be published by the Scottish Governme…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that Marine Scotland will take a regional seas approach as pioneered in the 2005 Irish Sea Pilot and, if so, how it will achieve this.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: <i>Sustainable Seas for All - a consultation on </i><i>Scotland</i><i>''s first marine bill </i>included proposals for a marine planning system. It is envisaged that this planning system will have three tiers. One of the proposed tiers will be at the internat…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that policy is coherent between Marine Scotland and other UK administrations.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The agreement of 24 November 2008 between the Scottish ministers, other devolved administrations and the UK Government under the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) will ensure that policy is coherent between Marine Scotland and other UK administrations.</p> <…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Marine Scotland will have a duty to coordinate its policy and actions with that of other UK administrations.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The agreement of 24 November 2008 between the Scottish ministers, other devolved administrations and the UK Government under the Joint Ministerial Committee will provide a statutory mechanism for the coordination of policy and actions between the UK administ…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Marine Scotland will have a duty to have regard to advice from Scottish Natural Heritage.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland will develop and implement Scottish ministers'' policies on marine issues in Scottish seas. SNH is the Scottish Government''s statutory nature conservation adviser and its functions include provision of advice to ministers on the development a…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Marine Scotland will champion the interests of Scottish ministers.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As part of the Scottish Government, Marine Scotland will take direction, where appropriate, from Scottish ministers and will be responsible directly to them for its activities and decisions. There will be appropriate safeguards in relation to transparency of …

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that marine conservation is central to the objectives of Marine Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine conservation will be a key priority for Marine Scotland and conservation priorities and objectives will be articulated through the National Marine Plan.</p>

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be possible to amend the structure of Marine Scotland through the Marine Bill.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Marine Bill will not provide for the structure of Marine Scotland.</p>

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the structure of Marine Scotland will be set out in the Marine Bill.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Following careful consideration, I announced on 9 February 2009 that Marine Scotland will be part of the Scottish Government.</p>

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which submissions to the Sustainable Seas For All consultation have been amended in person since the consultation closed and whether it will publish each of them in full.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: No responses to the Sustainable Seas for All consultation have been amended in person since the consultation closed.</p>

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which submissions to the Sustainable Seas For All consultation have been amended in writing since the consultation closed and whether it will publish each of them in full.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: One response from a local authority was amended in writing following the closure of the consultation. This accommodated amendments made by the Council''s Planning, Housing and Environment Committee which convened later than the closure date. The amended respo…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which submissions to its Sustainable Seas For All consultation have been amended by telephone since the consultation closed and whether it will publish each of them in full.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: No responses to the Sustainable Seas for All consultation have been amended by telephone since the consultation closed.</p>

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Marine Scotland will be structured.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: A senior management/organisational structure for Marine Scotland has been decided, comprising a Director and seven functional heads covering:</p> <p >Marine Planning and Policy;</p> <p >Aquaculture and Freshwater Policy and Licensing;</p> <p >Science;</p> …

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it will create a conflict of interest by establishing Marine Scotland as a branch of the Scottish Government with direct responsibility for marine science, planning, policy development, management and compliance monitoring measures.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: No. These issues fall to be considered currently by the Scottish Government or its agencies, or are new functions we believe are appropriate for Marine Scotland. Integrating responsibility for them within a single organisation will mean that it can bring to b…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it will create a conflict of interest by establishing Marine Scotland as a branch of the Scottish Government with responsibility for both promoting economic growth and marine nature conservation.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: No. These issues both fall to be considered currently by Scottish Government and related agencies.</p>

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will guarantee the independence of Marine Scotland from the Scottish Government with regard to decisions on planning permission for development of renewable energy.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We will be setting out our proposals for marine planning arrangements in the Marine Bill, to be introduced to Parliament shortly.</p>

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will guarantee the independence of Marine Scotland from the Scottish Government with regard to decisions on fishing licences.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is responsible, on behalf of Scottish ministers, for the administration of fishing vessel licences in Scotland and Marine Scotland will be part of the Scottish Government. There is therefore effectively no substantive change in the pla…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will guarantee the independence of Marine Scotland from the Scottish Government with regard to decisions on marine conservation.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland will integrate the existing roles and responsibilities of the Scottish Government Marine Directorate, Fisheries Research Services and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. That includes their current decision-making functions in relation t…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what way establishing Marine Scotland as a branch of the Scottish Government rather than as a non-departmental public body will promote the development of renewable energy sources.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland will take an overarching responsibility for marine management, including through the development of a marine planning framework and national marine plan, and allowing the development of local/regional plans. These will reflect strategic priori…