Mark Ruskell

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to reduce emissions from heavy goods vehicles.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The types of HGVs being used to transport goods in Scotland are a commercial matter. Nevertheless, the Scottish Government understands the importance - and challenge - of reducing emissions from across transport, including HGVs, and look to work in partnershi…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the use of electric vehicles, and what support it provides toward the (a) up-front cost and (b) roll-out of preferential road access.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We are taking forward a range of actions to accelerate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Our strategy is set out in detail in our EV Roadmap, Switched On Scotland (www.transport.gov.scot/report/j272736-00.htm). The Roadmap is currently being…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes the Non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive to businesses.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government actively promotes the GB-wide non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Keen to maximise its up-take and its benefits to business, we provide a wide range of support programmes aimed specifically at Scottish businesses. Reso…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that its aviation policies comply with international (a) climate obligations and (b) civil aviation organisation agreements.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: While aviation policy is largely Reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government ensures that all its policies are compliant with all legal and international obligations through a robust policy development and impact assessment process including Enviro…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes energy-efficient driving.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government grant funds the Energy Saving Trust for a range of transport programmes, which includes fuel efficient driver training sessions. These sessions are promoted to organisations through the local EST transport advisor network and are usual…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing compulsory soil testing to reduce the use of fertiliser.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We announced the introduction of compulsory soil testing last year, and since then we have been working on the detail with a range of scientific, environmental and industry stakeholders. We are considering options for compulsory soil testing to be part of the…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to overcome barriers in (a) getting agreement and (b) securing finances for communal work on multi-tenanted properties.

Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Homeowners are responsible for the maintenance and repairs needed to keep their homes in good condition. The maintenance of a tenement is usually governed by rules and conditions set out in the title deeds for the flats within the block. Title deeds may set o…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage recycling and separate food waste collections in rural and island communities.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 require separate collection of dry recyclable materials and, with the exception of specified rural areas, food waste. Our circular economy strategy “Making Things Last” was published earlier in 2016, and sets out our amb…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is addressing the barriers that affect the uptake of agroforestry.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is encouraging the uptake of agroforestry through a new grant as part of the Forestry Grant Scheme within Scotland Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. This is the first time a grant specifically for agroforestry has been available i…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether all rail projects considered under the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) process require an assessment of the potential wider economic benefit.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: An assessment of potential wider economic benefits is recommended where wider economic impacts are likely to occur.

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-02362 by Fergus Ewing on 15 September 2016, whether the US regulations will only allow imports from countries where it is against the law for companies to deliberately kill marine mammals regardless of whether individual exporting companies engaged i…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: As already stated in the answer to question S5W-02631 on 15 September 2016, there is legislation in place to prevent the deliberate killing of marine mammals. It is a matter for individual companies wishing to export fish or fish products to the US to seek t…

24 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-02631 by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016, whether the deliberate killing of marine mammals under controlled circumstances complies with the US regulations that prohibit imports from fisheries where marine animals are intentionally harmed.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: It is for those individual companies wishing to export fish or fish products to the US to seek their own legal advice on compliance with the relevant US regulations.

21 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the re-introduction of the white-tailed eagle.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The reintroduction of white-tailed eagles, also known as sea eagles, to Scotland since 1975 has been closely monitored by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), with support from land managers and volunteers.…

21 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether decisions by Food Standards Scotland regarding food action alerts in relation to E.coli are made on the basis of isolating pathogenic E.coli strains, or on the basis of detecting the presence of stx genes alone.

Answer · Shona Robison: Decisions taken by Food Standards Scotland are based on consumer protection and it uses all of the evidence available during an outbreak investigation and not on the testing results alone.

21 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether incidents of E.coli infection in the Carnoustie area have been confirmed as being caused by the same strain of E.coli O157:H7 that caused infections earlier in summer 2016.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Tayside Health Protection Team and Angus Council are currently investigating cases of E.coli O157 infection affecting a small number of children in the Angus area. The Incident Management Team for the national outbreak are in contact with those managing t…

21 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of media reports that Food Standards Scotland had no evidence definitively linking recent incidents of E.coli infection with unpasteurised cheese, whether this is the case.

Answer · Shona Robison: As is normal practice for the management of outbreaks such as these Health Protection Scotland (HPS) convened an Incident Management Team (IMT). The IMT is a multi-agency team comprising HPS, Food Standards Scotland, NHS Boards, Scottish E. coli O157/VTEC Ref…

21 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether food testing facilities available to local authorities are capable of isolating pathogenic E.coli strains, or of detecting the presence of stx genes alone.

Answer · Shona Robison: The four Public Analyst laboratories serving all 32 Local Authorities in Scotland have the capability to identify E. coli O157 in food samples. Two of these laboratories (Edinburgh and Tayside Scientific Services) are also able to undertake the test which all…

19 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how greenhouse gas savings from the restoration of degraded peat compare with potential savings from tree planting.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Both tree planting and peatland restoration can provide greenhouse gas savings. However it is not possible to provide a strict comparison as to the relative scale of greenhouse gas benefits as this will depend on a wide variety of factors such as soil type an…

14 Sep 2016 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to detect, prevent and prosecute dog fighting offences.

12 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in order to preserve access to the US market for fish and fish products, whether it will introduce legislation that prohibits the intentional killing of marine mammals in all of Scotland's fisheries.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: There is already legislation in place to prevent deliberate killing of marine mammals, except under controlled circumstances. This is delivered by the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 for seals, and The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amen…

7 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the UK Government to meet the UK target to phase out the use of peat in the horticultural sector by 2030, and what steps it is taking to address any historic consents regarding permission to extract peat beyond that year.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Government officials contributed to the work that led to the Sustainable Growing Media Task Force's 2012 report, ‘Towards Sustainable Growing Media’. In 2014 the level of peat sold for horticultural use was 24% lower than the 2011 baseline. At its Au…

7 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the UK Government in response to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) UK Peatland Programme’s recent call for the UK to restore one million hectares of peatlands by 2020.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government liaises with all UK administrations on matters of common interest such as sharing knowledge and best practice around peatland protection and restoration. Through the National Peatland Plan Scotland has established a programme of action…

7 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent call by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for global action to be taken to halt the loss of and restore damaged peatlands, what action it is taking to ensure that Scotland’s peatlands are (a) protected and (b) restored.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government, along with Scottish Natural Heritage, published Scotland's National Peatland Plan in August 2015. The Peatland Plan establishes a framework in which the Scottish Government, along with SNH, are leading the way forward in the managemen…

7 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the motion passed at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in September 2016, which called for a moratorium on peat exploitation, whether it will reconsider its proposals to extract peat from a site at Auchencorth Moss in Midlo…

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is not the promoter of peat extraction at Auchencorth Moss and does not have any proposals to extract peat from the site. In terms of proposal to extract peat within Scotland can I refer the member to the answer to questions S5W-0119…

7 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01192 by Kevin Stewart on 20 July 2016, what percentage of consents have complied with the requirement for a 15-year review and what action it takes if a council fails to meet this.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The reviewing of old mineral permissions is a matter for individual Planning Authorities to address. The information requested is therefore not held centrally.

6 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the Scottish salmon farming industry is compliant with new regulations adopted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration prohibiting imports from fisheries where marine animals are intentionally harmed.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Compliance with import regulations in another country is a matter for companies exporting to that market. The seal licensing system in Scotland enables fish farms to control seal predation as a means of last resort. Having a licence is not mandatory, and some…

3 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to strengthen the development of grassroots tennis in Scotland since the Davis Cup was won by Great Britain in 2015.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Through sport Scotland, we have invested £3.3 million in tennis facilities over the last five years, which has generated a total investment of approximately £11 million in match funding across Scotland and has delivered over 100 indoor tennis courts. Members…

3 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken to devise a framework to support the management of European beavers in Scotland.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: No decision has yet been made on the future of beavers in Scotland. Any framework that may be required to support the future management of beavers in Scotland will be discussed with relevant stakeholders in due course.

3 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00029 by Roseanna Cunningham on 24 May 2016, when it will make a decision on the status of the European beaver.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: A decision on the status of the European beaver in Scotland will be announced before the end of 2016.

3 Sep 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on preventing plastic microbeads from entering the marine environment.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scotland’s Marine Litter Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s policy to reduce and prevent litter entering the sea, including plastic microbeads. The strategy includes over 40 actions such as raising public awareness, encouraging companies to produce a…