Peter Peacock

23 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the number of job opportunities that will be lost if the minimum import price arrangements relating to Norwegian salmon are ended.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government submitted a paper, jointly with Ireland, to the European Commission on 25 February 2008. That joint paper, <i >The likely effects of removing the MIP on imports of Norwegian salmon into the EU</i>, contained a number of estimates abou…

19 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it considers recreational sea angling does and could support.

Answer · Jim Mather: The information requested is not available. The Scottish Government has commissioned Glasgow Caledonian University to undertake a study to look at the economic impact of sea angling. The Study’s Steering Group includes recreational sea angling representatives…

19 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what economic value it estimates recreational sea angling is worth to the Scottish economy.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7825 on 18 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p >http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…

19 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what value it places on recreational sea angling.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government recognises that recreational sea angling can offer valuable opportunities for people to access and enjoy the marine environment, develop a range of practical skills, derive pleasure from their participation in an exciting and sometimes…

19 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures it is taking to protect inshore species of value in recreational sea angling from being totally depleted through commercial fishing policies and practices.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government aims to ensure that all the sea fisheries management measures that it takes within Scottish waters should promote the long term sustainability of all stocks, whether inshore or offshore, and the marine environment as well as the commun…

19 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that Scotland achieves best economic value from the common shared resource of species of fish of no commercial value to the catching sector.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government aims to ensure that all fish stocks in Scottish waters, whether these have a commercial value or not and no matter where they are located, are managed sustainably for the long term maintenance of our marine environment and the communit…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Gaelic Specific Grant is administered.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14167 on 26 June 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/…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any changes have taken place in the purpose of the Gaelic Specific Grant in 2008-09 as compared with previous years.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: No changes have taken place to the purpose of the scheme for specific grants for Gaelic education since its inception.</p> <p >In terms of processing grants, from 2008-09 we have introduced a number of changes to the way in which the scheme is administered a…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of Gaelic Specific Grant was available to each local authority in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08 and what level will be available in (c) 2008-09.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: During this period awards of specific grant for Gaelic education were made to the following local authorities and associated supporting initiatives:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=168 valign=top > <p ali…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what means it has at its disposal to seek changes to the membership of advisory groups to inshore fisheries groups if it believes that all relevant interests are not appropriately represented.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The role of the advisory group for an inshore fisheries group (IFG) will be that of supporting the decision-making processes of the executive committee by providing the necessary scientific and technical advice and ensuring that wider interests are taken into…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that recreational sea angling interests are part of inshore fishery group advisory arrangements.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: An inshore fisheries group’s (IFG’s) advisory group is made up of a range of expert bodies and stakeholders, such as Fisheries Research Services, the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency and environmental interests. The advisory group supports the work of the…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include sea anglers within the membership of inshore fisheries groups.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Membership of an inshore fisheries group (IFG) is open to commercial fishermen who operate in the IFG area. An IFG must liaise with all relevant stakeholders, such as recreational sea anglers, as it develops its management plan. Where locally appropriate, we …

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways recreational sea anglers should have the opportunity to contribute to the work of inshore fishery groups.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: An Inshore fisheries group must liaise with and take proper account of all relevant interests in its area. We would expect this to include the recreational sea angling sector, where locally appropriate.</p>

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that all the appropriate interests will be represented on inshore fisheries groups and what means it has at its disposal to seek changes to the membership of such groups if it believes that all relevant interests are not appropriately represented.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Inshore fisheries groups (IFGs) will enable commercial inshore fishermen to participate on an inclusive, transparent and consensual basis in the management of Scottish inshore fisheries balancing competing sectoral interests with environmental and socio-econo…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether inshore fisheries groups will have a conservation as well as a commercial fisheries focus.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Inshore fisheries groups (IFGs) will enable commercial inshore fishermen to participate on an inclusive, transparent and consensual basis in the management of Scottish inshore fisheries balancing competing sectoral interests with wider environmental and socio…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to measure its success in meeting its objective of promoting more home and flexi-working in the public sector and encouraging the private sector to do likewise.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is working with a number of organisations to promote, develop and implement measures to reduce the negative impacts associated with travel, both the commute to work as well as business trips. In the main, this involves the implementati…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in achieving its stated objective of promoting more home and flexi-working in the public sector and encouraging the private sector to do likewise.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14113 on 25 June 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/…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in encouraging the private sector to promote more home and flexi-working.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14113 on 25 June 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/…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in promoting more home and flexi-working in the public sector.

Answer · John Swinney: The expansion of home and flexi-working levels is closely aligned with a number of the strategic objectives within the national performance framework. The policy on flexible and home working is an operational matter for individual organisations and will need …

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the grant given to the Highland Council in the current financial year is sufficient to avoid the council having to reduce teacher numbers, particularly visiting specialist teachers to rural primary schools.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The local government finance settlement provides sufficient funding to councils to broadly maintain teacher numbers at 2007 levels. The deployment of teachers including the use of visiting specialists is a matter for individual local authorities. The educatio…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions its concordat with local government and its outcome agreement with the Highland Council have to ensure visiting teacher numbers are maintained and improved.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The concordat signed with local government on 14 November 2007 makes no specific reference to visiting teacher numbers. It does provide for the broad maintenance of teacher numbers across Scotland at 2007 levels. The education culture and sport budget of Hig…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision to cut visiting specialist teachers to Ullapool Primary School is at odds with its manifesto commitment to increasing teacher numbers.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The manifesto commitment was to maintain teacher numbers and the concordat states that there are specific arrangements for local government to do this. Maintaining teacher numbers in the face of falling rolls will create headroom to progress class size reduct…

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the role of visiting specialist teachers in primary schools is valuable and essential to the education of primary children in rural areas.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The role played by all teachers is valuable. All primary teachers are trained to teach the whole curriculum. The Education Culture and Sport budget of Highland Council increased by £12.5 million this year.</p>

12 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that it is in the best interests of children at Ullapool Primary School for the Highland Council to withdraw visiting specialist teachers in music and physical education as part of its budget savings exercise.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The provision of staffing for individual schools is a matter for each local authority depending on local circumstances. All primary teachers are trained to teach the full curriculum. The Education Culture and Sport budget of Highland Council increased by £12.…

11 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish in full all the legal advice received by the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government will make arrangements for legal advice commissioned by the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting to be published in full on the committee’s website – <a href="http://www.croftinginquiry.org/">www.croftinginquiry.org</a>.</p>

10 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve support for people in fuel poverty, particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly and disabled, in light of increased energy prices.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Fuel Poverty review published on 22 May by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing highlights that the fuel poverty programmes established by the previous administration are failing Scotland’s fuel poor; a situation exacerbated by the current high …

10 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to undertake research into the possible effects on fungi, invertebrates and the structures of soil or peat of vibrations arising from wind turbine support structures.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government commissions research on a range of issues across our policy areas. A key strategy for developing our research programmes is the environment biology and agriculture research strategy 2005-10. The work programme on environment - land use…

3 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that parents should be consulted by local authorities on any proposals to cap the rolls of their schools.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The circumstances in which local authorities are statutorily required to consult parents and other relevant parties on certain changes in educational matters are set out in the Education (Publication and Consultation etc)(Scotland) Regulations 1981. These do …

3 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are required to formally consult on any proposals which affect a school catchment area, as it may apply to any number of pupils resident within a given catchment area.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The circumstances in which local authorities are statutorily required to consult parents and other relevant parties on certain changes in educational matters are set out in the Education (Publication and Consultation etc)(Scotland) Regulations 1981. These inc…

3 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities have the right to cap the roll of a primary school and require pupils who would otherwise attend that school to attend another school when the purpose of such a capping measure is solely to prevent them from having to employ another teacher.

Answer · Maureen Watt: School admission arrangements, including issues of school capacity and teacher employment, are matters for local authorities to determine in light of local circumstances.</p>