Peter Peacock

29 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many legal cases have comprised of an alleged obstruction of common law rights of way or other forms of responsible access by landowners or land managers in contravention of section 14 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003; where those cases have been heard, and what the outcomes wer…

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government collects information on the number of written notices that access authorities have served on land owners under section 14 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 requiring remedial action where obstructions must be removed. Between 9 Fe…

29 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many legal cases have been heard or are outstanding in relation to right of access over rights of way or other rights of responsible access under sections 13 and 14 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-20324 and S3W-20325, on 9 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: </p> <p ><a href="http://www…

21 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, regarding its trials on the capture of sparrowhawks, whether all released birds are radio-tracked and, if so, at what frequency tracking information is monitored.

Answer · Michael Russell: The released birds are radio-tracked for a period of around a week after their release. Data on the frequency of tracking observations will be included in the report that will be published following the trial.</p>

21 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, regarding its trials on the capture of sparrowhawks, whether there is a recommended or maximum period of time for which a trapped sparrowhawk is kept before release.

Answer · Michael Russell: The licence issued by Scottish Government requires that sparrowhawks can only be held for a period of 24 hours. The trial aims to release captured sparrowhawks on the day they are trapped if that is possible. They are kept overnight only if there is no possib…

21 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, regarding its trials on the capture of sparrowhawks, whether it maps the locations at which the trapping of sparrowhawks takes place and whether it will publish any such maps.

Answer · Michael Russell: A map of all the loft sites participating in the trial will be published as part of the report following the trial.</p>

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any strategic environmental assessments of single outcome agreements have been carried out and, if so, of which agreements.

Answer · Michael Russell: We have no record of any Strategic Environmental Assessments having been carried out for Single Outcome Agreements to date. However, North Ayrshire Council did submit a screening request to the Consultation Authorities, which may be viewed as the first step t…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers single outcome agreements to be qualifying plans, programmes or strategies for the purposes of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and, if not, what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Michael Russell: It is for each Responsible Authority within Scotland to establish whether the public plans or programmes it is responsible for producing, fall within the scope of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005.</p>

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration of the environmental effects of achieving local outcomes was required when developing single outcome agreements.

Answer · Michael Russell: The single outcome agreements (SOA) reflected the strategic priorities agreed by the local authority in its area while taking account of the local context. Therefore it was for each local authority to determine its own local outcomes and, in doing so, to take…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what decisions are made on the basis of single outcome agreement outcomes and targets.

Answer · John Swinney: A single outcome agreement (SOA) is the means by which Community Planning Partnerships agree their strategic priorities, either individually or jointly, while showing how those outcomes should contribute to the Scottish Government''s relevant National Outcome…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Forestry Commission Scotland considers it to be part of its responsibility to assist consumers of its raw materials to meet challenges arising from, and to survive, the credit crunch.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Forestry Commission has no statutory responsibility to assist its customers to meet the challenges arising from the economic downturn but will always try to help if possible. For example, on 28 November a package of measures was announced to help the Scot…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps Forestry Commission Scotland has been able to take to assist sawmills to meet the challenges of the credit crunch when demand for their products has been falling.

Answer · Michael Russell: On 28 November, we announced a package of measures, developed in consultation with the timber processing sector, to help the Scottish forestry industry face the current economic downturn including:</p> <p >Continuing where ever possible to operate normal con…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17658 by Michael Russell on 14 November 2008, whether crofters will be entitled to funding, in the same financial year, toward the cost of transporting a bull to service cattle when funding has already been provided in respect of an other bull.

Answer · Michael Russell: The successor arrangements to provide assistance have yet to be finalised.</p>

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects details on the arrangements for obtaining a bull from the Crofters Commission in 2009 to be made available.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19878 on 30 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/B…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements there are for crofters to obtain a bull from the Crofters Commission at less than market rates in 2009; whether such arrangements are compliant with rules on state aid; whether they include help with the cost of the purchase price of a bull, and whether it will publish t…

Answer · Michael Russell: Successor arrangements for the present Bull Hire Scheme are under active consideration.</p> <p >In the meantime, it is envisaged that bulls from the existing stud should be made available in 2009 to groups of crofters which have hired a Scheme bull in the pa…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what control it has over the quality of the bloodlines of bulls owned and offered for hire by private enterprises.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has no specific control over the quality of bloodlines of bulls offered for hire by private enterprises. However, successor arrangements could set baseline criteria for the hire animals that would attract assistance.</p>

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration was given to the quality of the bloodlines of the bulls purchased for use in the Bull Hire Scheme.

Answer · Michael Russell: This information is not held centrally. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Crofters Commission to respond to you directly with the information you request.</p>

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what management or efficiency studies it or the Crofters Commission has undertaken into the potential for reducing the costs of the Bull Hire Scheme and whether ministers will publish any such studies.

Answer · Michael Russell: No specific management or efficiency studies have been undertaken, by either the Scottish Government or the Crofters Commission, into the potential for reducing the costs of the Bull Hire Scheme.</p>

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether depreciation is taken into account when calculating the operating costs of the three farms in and around Inverness that are managed by the Crofters Commission and, if so, what the value is of that depreciation.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19873 on 29 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/B…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what accounting capital charges are associated with the operation of the three farms in and around Inverness that are managed by the Crofters Commission and whether such capital charges are taken into account when calculating the costs associated with the Bull Hire Scheme and estimates of…

Answer · Michael Russell: Capital charges and depreciation associated with the operation of the farms in and around Inverness can be found in the Annual Accounts section of the Crofters Commission Annual Reports for 2003-04 (Bib. number 33883), 2004-05 (Bib. number 37580), 2005-06 (Bi…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what agricultural or research uses the farms in and around Inverness that are managed by the Crofters Commission are involved.

Answer · Michael Russell: This information is not held centrally. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Crofters Commission to respond to you directly with the information you request.</p>

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17640 by Michael Russell on 14 November 2008, whether any of the investment scenarios referred to were based in this financial year or 2009-10.

Answer · Michael Russell: As set out in Section 1.2 of the independent <i >Bull Hire and Stud Farms Option Appraisal</i> by Peter Cook a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47394) the scenarios are based on today''s money, that is t…

16 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of the Crofters Commission’s overheads are allocated to the Bull Hire Scheme when determining the costs of the scheme.

Answer · Michael Russell: No Crofters Commission overhead costs are allocated to the Bull Hire Scheme when determining the costs of the scheme as published in the Crofters Commission Annual Report. The full costs of the Stud Farm staff and a small proportion of the costs of other Crof…

14 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the advice Scottish ministers received on the case for an Elgin bypass as a priority project in the Strategic Transport Projects Review.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19432 on 19 January 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/Apps…

14 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set out its reasons for not including the Elgin bypass as a priority project for completion in the Strategic Transport Projects Review.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19432 on 19 January 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/Apps…

14 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the traffic growth forecasts are for the A96 through Elgin for the period up to 2020.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Strategic Transport Projects Review used a number of data sources to help inform the Review, one of which was the Transport Model for Scotland (TMfS). The reports, which are available on the Transport Scotland website, indicate that TMfS predicts that for…

14 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the existing A96 trunk road through Elgin is an adequate trunk road for current circumstances and for the projected traffic growth.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The recently published Strategic Transport Projects Review has recommended 29 nationally strategic transport interventions over the next 20 years that will let us plan for the delivery of an efficient, integrated transport network fit for the 21st century.</p…

8 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is able to guarantee that broadband services will be provided by the target date of May 2009 to 100% of those who have placed an order for it as part of its Broadband Reach Project.

Answer · Jim Mather: It is the intention of the Scottish Government and of Avanti that all valid orders will be provisioned by the end of May 2009.</p>

8 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been or will be instances of those who have placed an order with Avanti Caledonian Broadband Ltd under the Broadband Reach Project being unable to receive a broadband service.

Answer · Jim Mather: It is the intention of the Scottish Government and of Avanti that there will be no instances where valid orders are placed that service will not be provided.</p>

8 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many premises in the (a) Highlands and Islands and (b) rest of Scotland have been activated to receive a broadband service through the Broadband Reach Project.

Answer · Jim Mather: As of 11 January 2008, 692 installations have taken place under the Broadband Reach Project, comprising 370 in the Highlands and Islands and 322 in the rest of Scotland.</p>

8 Jan 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of those who registered for the Broadband Reach Project have placed an order with Avanti Caledonian Broadband Ltd in the (a) Highlands and Islands and (b) rest of Scotland.

Answer · Jim Mather: As of 11 January 2008, 1,605 orders from those who registered for the Broadband Reach Project have been received by Avanti, comprising 842 from the Highlands and Islands and 763 from the rest of Scotland.</p>