Jamie McGrigor

24 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an equivalent to the Mull sea eagle scheme will be rolled out across other areas of Scotland.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16510 on 9 October 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/webap…

24 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long the Mull sea eagle scheme will run and whether there are plans to extend the lifetime of the scheme by making it a priority within new Scotland Rural Development Programme agri-environment schemes for crofters and farmers.

Answer · Michael Russell: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has operated management schemes for Mull, Skye and Lochaber, in connection with the sea eagle re-introduction programme. The Skye and Lochaber scheme continues until 2011. I am aware of the concerns expressed by some farmers an…

18 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has concerns that the review of EU Directive 91/414/EEC has implications for food supply and food security issues in this country.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Yes. We have concerns that the outcome of the review could bring about a reduction in crop yields in future years, by removing many currently available pesticides without securing any meaningful benefit in terms of consumer safety.</p>

18 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on proposals, under the review of EU Directive 91/414/EEC, that might prevent the use of fungicides including triazoles, nematacides and the herbicide linuron.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We consider that, taking into account the best scientific data on the safety of these products, the proposals go beyond what might be reasonably required to mitigate the risks which these substances pose under realistic conditions of use. The loss of triazole…

18 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on concerns that the review of EU Directive 91/414/EEC, which restricts a number of pesticides currently used by farmers, will result in a significant reduction in crop production, especially in crops such as wheat, potatoes and brassica field vegetables.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We share these concerns, and along with the UK Government will be continuing to make them known when the proposals return to the European Parliament. We will also seek clarification of the precise impact which the current proposals would have if they were to …

18 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government, the European Union and farming representatives about the review of EU Directive 91/414/EEC.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I have been fully involved with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers in considering the impact of this review. We agreed a common UK line and expressed our concern at the June Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting. The main Scottis…

17 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its estimate of the difference in cost between providing the current combined ferry service on the Gourock to Dunoon route and a passenger only service on this route is £1.6 million, as stated by Councillor Roy Pederson in his submission to the European Commission’s inquiry into s…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish ministers are currently examining the options that are available for the route. The Scottish Government, Argyll and Bute Council and Inverclyde Council are working together in a tri-partite arrangement to deliver a Gourock to Dunoon service. We under…

8 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15623 by Richard Lochhead on 8 September 2008, why Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) payments for 2008 will not be paid in 2008 and when LFASS payments for 2009 will be made.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Payments under the 2008 Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) are scheduled to commence issuing in January 2009. They will follow the issue of payments under the 2008 Single Farm Payment Scheme (SFPS), which are on schedule to commence on 1 December 2008.…

18 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the extra input costs faced by farmers and crofters in the Highlands and Islands compared with other areas of Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government recognises that farmers and crofters in the Highlands and Islands face extra input costs. These are reflected in the current Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) which includes higher payment rates for the Highlands (classed as fr…

18 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money was spent on helping to set up the Vestas wind turbine factory at Machrihanish.

Answer · John Swinney: Vestas procured the buildings at its Machrihanish facility with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) funding the construction to a capped sum of £9.54 million. The buildings belonged to HIE on their completion and were leased to Vestas for the period 28 Mar…

18 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the investment of public money in Vestas and its importance to employment in Campbeltown, what measures it will take to ensure that the manufacturing of wind turbines continues at the Vestas site.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Vestas and the facility at Machrihanish to the people of Campbeltown and to the economy of Kintyre. Vestas is currently in consultation regarding the future of the facility and we are in dialogue with the c…

18 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the full 2008 Less Favoured Area Support Scheme payments to farmers and crofters will be paid in 2008 or 2009 and on what date.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate''s intention is to begin making LFASS 2008 payments early in 2009. It is hoped that the majority of eligible applicants will have been paid, in full, by the end of January.</p>

18 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance Scheme payments was paid to crofters and farmers in the Highlands and Islands in each year for which information is available.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The percentages are as follows:</p> <p >1994: 38.28</p> <p >1995: 37.79</p> <p >1996: 37.42</p> <p >1997: 35.46</p> <p >1998: 37.07</p> <p >1999: 37.21</p> <p >2000: 37.</p>

18 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total Less Favoured Area Support Scheme payments was paid to crofters and farmers in the Highlands and Islands in each year for which information is available.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The percentages are as follows:</p> <p >2001: 38.75</p> <p >2002: 37.98</p> <p >2003: 39.79</p> <p >2004: 40</p> <p >2005: 39.98</p> <p >2006: 40.38</p> <p >2007: 40.24.</p>

5 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to concerns expressed by crofters about aspects of the report of the Committee of Inquiry into Crofting and, in particular, proposals related to the replacement of the Crofters Commission and a requirement for croft houses to be tied to residency through a real burden.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15353 on 29 August 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/weba…

5 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to undertake an independent and commercial assessment of the key recommendations of the report of the Committee of Inquiry into Crofting.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government is currently giving careful consideration to its response to the recommendations in the report of the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting. We aim to publish our response in September 2008.</p>

30 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make public all relevant information regarding the repair work in the area of the A83 road affected by the landslide at the Rest and Be Thankful in November 2007, including technical survey reports and the minutes of meetings held on the subject.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Transport Scotland to place copies of appropriate papers on the Transport Scotland website as they become available.</p>

29 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers the short and long-term social and economic consequences to be of (a) a higher proportion of female than male school leavers entering higher and further education and (b) a higher proportion of male than female school leavers being unemployed.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The fact that a higher proportion of female than male schools leavers enter higher and further education is not unique to Scotland. This has been the case for the last 10 years and is similar to most other OECD countries. We believe that the issue of gender e…

29 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why a higher proportion of male than female school leavers is unemployed and what action it is taking to address this imbalance.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The higher proportion of male than female school leavers not in employment, reflects the gender split in both underachievement in school and unemployment in the adult population.</p> <p >We recognise that staying in learning post-16 is a priority for both ma…

29 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why a higher proportion of female than male school leavers enters higher and further education and what action it is taking to increase the proportion of men entering higher and further education.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Since the 1970s female students have achieved better school qualifications than males. The situation in Scotland in this regard is similar to most other OECD countries.</p> <p >Widening access to lifelong learning is a priority for this Scottish Government.…

29 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to simplify the process for local organisations accessing funds to maintain and repair core paths and whether it is aware of any concerns about the current system.

Answer · Michael Russell: The first point of contact for community organisations should be the local access authority, who should have a system in place for managing and maintaining the core path network, as indicated in the Guidance for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities…

29 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a one-stop-shop system to allow local access authorities to undertake repair and maintenance work on core paths on behalf of community councils.

Answer · Michael Russell: Systems for the management and maintenance of core paths should be set up at the local, not the national level. We expect access authorities to take a lead in this, working with others in the local area, especially local access forums.</p> <p >Access authori…

29 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how community councils can undertake repair work on core paths in instances where landowners and land managers are reluctant to repair them.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15261 on 19 August 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/webap…

29 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that local authorities spend adequate amounts on maintaining core paths.

Answer · Michael Russell: Under the concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA, this government is investing record levels of funding in local government and provides local authorities with the opportunity to determine where resources should be allocated including how much to…

29 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it estimates that local authorities will spend on maintaining core paths in each of the next four years.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15259 on 19 August 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/webap…

24 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14775 by Stewart Stevenson on 23 July 2008, how much additional funding to cover the increase in fuel costs has been given to NorthLink Ferries Ltd and CalMac Ferries Ltd since the signing of the relevant public service contracts.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have paid additional fuel supplements totalling £2.5 million to NorthLink Ferries Ltd since the Northern Isles contract started in July 2006 and £3.4 million to CalMac Ferries Ltd since the Clyde and Hebrides contract started in October 2007.</p>

1 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the retention of a universal rate for the postage of goods across the United Kingdom and, if so, whether it accepts that this is an important factor for businesses in remote and marginal communities.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government supports the retention of a universal rate for the postage of goods across the UK. Scotland’s geography and our proportionately larger rural and small business sectors render the continuation of the universal service obligation vital t…

1 Jul 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Royal Mail about the importance to businesses in remote and marginal communities of retaining a universal rate for the postage of goods across the United Kingdom.

Answer · Jim Mather: I last met Royal Mail Group on 21 May 2008 where we discussed a number of issues including the universal service rate. The Scottish Government’s position on the retention of a universal rate is set out in our response to the Independent Review of the UK Posta…

30 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what extra funding is being given to Caledonian MacBrayne and Northlink ferries in 2008-09 because of the rising cost of fuel and from which budgets this money is coming.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The procedures for dealing with variations in fuel costs are set out in the public service contracts between the Scottish Ministers and CalMac Ferries Ltd covering the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and NorthLink Ferries Ltd for the Northern Isles ferry se…

17 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it has been decided that the community of Northbay, Barra, will receive its broadband connection through the Connected Communities initiative and not through the upgrading of the BT exchange and ADSL.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14306 on 17 July 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/webapp/w…