Parliamentary questions

Mark Ruskell

1,773 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

12 May 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce its decision regarding extending the powers of the Scottish SPCA to tackle wildlife crime.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: A decision on whether to extend the investigatory powers of the Scottish SPCA will be announced in due course.

12 May 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce its decision regarding the re-introduction of the European beaver, and what steps it has taken to ensure that the decision complies with the EU habitats directive.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: A decision will be announced later in 2016. The decision will be compliant with the requirements of the EU habitats directive.

12 May 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the culling of mountain hares on estates practising driven grouse shooting.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not support large, indiscriminate culls of mountain hares in Scotland and recognises the concerns that have been expressed about the status of mountain hare populations in Scotland. The Scottish Government acknowledges that mounta…

12 May 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what dialogue ministers have had with the (a) Secretary of State for Scotland and (b) Department for Transport regarding unblocking any infrastructure constraints in England that may impede the delivery of improved rail journey times between Edinburgh and London.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: On 21 March 2016 Keith Brown, as Cabinet Secretary of Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, and Robert Goodwill MP, Transport Minister at the UK Government, announced that the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland would take forward work in this co…

12 May 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what direction ministers issued to the Office of Rail and Road regarding the open access application for Edinburgh to London King's Cross rail services.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government made representation to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to ensure that services to Scotland were protected and improved. It was however for the ORR, as the independent regulatory body, to come to a determination on open track access o…

9 May 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reintroduction of the European beaver to Scotland.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The potential formal reintroduction of beavers raises complex issues around their management and legal protection. Scottish Ministers are considering these issues carefully before making a decision on the future of beavers in Scotland.

9 May 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many European beaver autopsied since January 2016 were (a) pregnant and (b) lactating.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: No European beavers have been autopsied since January 2016.

9 May 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many European beaver have been shot since January 2016 and collected by Scottish Natural Heritage for autopsy.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Since 1 January 2016, Scottish Natural Heritage have not been advised of any European beavers that have been shot or required an autopsy to be undertaken.

9 May 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with (i) Judy Murray and (ii) organisations representing the interests of tennis at which development proposals at Park of Keir near Dunblane were discussed, broken down by (A) date and (B) location.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: There have been no meetings involving ministers or officials with either Judy Murray or organisations where the development proposals at Park of Keir were discussed.

16 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the scale of carbon dioxide sinks from land use, land use change and forestry is calculated and whether the methodology for this calculation has changed since the baseline year of 1990.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Estimation methodologies are includedin Appendix 1 of Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland published by the National EnvironmentalTechnology Centre. The latest avai…

16 Mar 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of carbon dioxide emission reductions from the manufacturing and construction sector between 1990 and 2004 can be attributed to (a) improved energy efficiency in the sector and (b) closures in heavy manufacturing industry, such as the closure of the Ravenscraig plant.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Information on the relative contributionof different factors, such as energy efficiency, to reductions in emissions fromthe manufacturing and construction sector is not held centrally.However, as indicated in Greenhouse Gas Inventories for En…

7 Mar 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in consulting on amending the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 in respect of ship-to-ship oil transfer in the Firth of Forth.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: We would aim to bring forwardproposals for consultation at the earliest opportunity if review of the Regulationsestablishes the need for any change in the way that they apply to port and harbourauthority responsibilities.

25 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Parliament will be given a progress report on the objectives presented in Changing Our Ways: Scotland’s Climate Change Programme, as outlined in Section 7.6 of that document, and when the Executive will propose that the Parliament debates the report.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Changing Our Ways; Scotland’s Climate Change Programme, publishedon 30 March 2006, commits the Executive to report annually to the ScottishCabinet in the first instance, and to then submit a report to Parliament. In linewith that commitme…

25 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Cabinet has received a report on the objectives presented in Changing Our Ways: Scotland’s Climate Change Programme, as outlined in Section 7.6 of that document, and, if not, when it will do so and discuss any progress.

17 Jan 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will undertake a comprehensive review of the transposition of, and compliance with, the EU Habitats Directive.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is committedto ensuring that Scottish legislation gives full effect to the provisions of theEU Habitats Directive. Relevant legislative provisions are kept under review ona continuous basis, taking into account relevant case law or cour…

3 Jan 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what account it is taking of the debate within the veterinary profession on the use of slaughter as a disease control measure.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Where laboratory analysis confirmsthe presence of exotic disease such as foot-and-mouth disease or avianinfluenza, EU legislation requires the culling of susceptible animals on infectedpremises and on dangerous contacts.The Executive and State Veterina…

13 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of recent seal killings in Orkney and the Arbroath area and criticism of, and the limited number of prosecutions under, the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, whether it will undertake a review of the legislation with a view to improving protection of seals.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive set upthe Scottish Seals Forum in 2002 to bring stakeholders together to exchange informationand develop a co-ordinated approach to the management of Scottish seal populations.This forum provides the appropriate focal point for represen…

13 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will offer guidance to the public and to enforcement agencies as to what constitutes the “vicinity” of a fishing net or tackle in which a fisherman may shoot a grey seal or a common seal during the close season for the species under section 9 of the Conservation of Seals Act 19…

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30453 on 15 January 2007. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

23 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which non-lethal seal management options have been trialled as part of the Moray Firth Seal Management Plan.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Current research projects supportedby the Executive, include evaluation or trials of the general effectiveness of severalAcoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs) against seals and the deployment of ADDs withinrivers in order to deter seals from a specific area of ri…

23 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the quotas for (a) common and (b) grey seals to be killed under the Moray Firth Seal Management Plan were calculated.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Moray Firth Seal ManagementPlan provides for an annual licence application under the Conservation of Seals(Scotland) Order 2004. Scottish Executive consideration of this application, includesthe securing of scientific advice on seal conservation and manag…

23 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many seals have been killed under the Moray Firth Seal Management Plan since its inception.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: A total of 93 seals were shotduring the first phase of the plan between April and December 2005, a significantreduction on the previous level and less than permitted under the licence. The secondphase of the plan does not end until 31 December 2006 and final …

23 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any evidence that implementation of the Moray Firth Seal Management Plan has resulted in an increase in salmon populations.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Moray Firth Seal ManagementPlan has focussed on the management of seals that forage in rivers and so targetsthe individual animals believed to cause most damage to stocks. It has been shownthat removal of salmon by seals may have a large impact where stoc…

23 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Moray Firth Seal Management Plan is being monitored.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Moray Firth Seal ManagementPlan is monitored through a combination of regular surveys of local seal populationsand annual returns from participants in the scheme.

10 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29237 by Lewis Macdonald on 7 November 2006, whether it will list the devolved requirements, with regard to GM food and feed, that the Food Standard Agency's office in Scotland ensures are met.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The competent authority for theGM Food and Feed Regulation 1829/2003 in the UK is the Food Standards Agency(FSA), and it is a devolved matter within the UK. The Food Standards Agency advises Scottish ministers onthe transposition of EU measures into Scottish …

24 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-27812, S2W-27813 and S2W-27814 by Rhona Brankin on 22 September 2006, whether the Food Standards Agency Scotland has any role in the United Kingdom’s consideration of applications for the approval of genetically modified food and feed under Regulat…

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Food Standards Agency isa UK-wide government department and is the UK’s competent authority for applicationsfor authorisation made under regulation (EC) 1829/2003. The agency’s office in Scotlandensures that devolved requirements, with regard to GM food a…

12 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Minister for Environment and Rural Development has formally met the (a) National Farmers Union Scotland, (b) Scottish Organic Producers Organisation, (c) Soil Association and (d) Biodynamic Agriculture Association in the last 12 months.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Between 1 November 2005 and31 October 2006 I had formal meetings with representatives of theNational Farmers Union Scotland on six occasions. The other three organisationslisted come within the remit of the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Developmen…

27 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what top five subjects were raised by individual members of the public with the Minister and Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, as measured by volume of written correspondence over the last 12 months.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The top five subjects raisedby the public with the Minister and Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development,as measured by the volume of correspondence during the period 1 September 2005 to29 August 2006, are as follows:1. Tail docking of dog…

27 Sep 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what size of, shipments of potentially GM-contaminated long-grain rice from the United States have been received in each Scottish port in each year since 2003.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No shipments of US long-grainrice were delivered by sea to Scottish ports in either 2003 or 2004.Thirty-nine tonnes were deliveredby sea to Scottish ports in 2005, and 20 tonnes between January and July this year.The Food Standards Agency iscurr…

16 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, or intends to take, in relation to (a) European Communities - Measures Affecting the Approval and Marketing of Biotech Products (DS291, DS292, DS293), (b) Comments by the European Communities on the Scientific and Technical Advice to the Panel, Geneva, 28 January …

Answer · Rhona Brankin: There is no reason for the Scottish Executive to take action on these documents, which relate to a WTOdispute on biotechnological products.

16 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates since January 2004 it has (a) met, (b) written to or (c) received correspondence from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to discuss applications to the European Union to import or cultivate genetically modified organisms, including crops, foods, feeds and…

Answer · Rhona Brankin: We have regular discussionswith the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on a rangeof issues including applications to import or cultivate genetically modified crops.Since 2004, applications forthe approval of genetically modified…