Parliamentary questions
Robin Harper
759 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether fisheries and fish farms will only be granted licences to shoot seals under section 110(1)(g) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: It is open to individuals or organisations to apply to Scottish Ministers for seal licences for any of the purposes under section 110 (1) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.</p> <p > </p>
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce guidance and a code of practice, equivalent to that produced for licences issued under section 110(1)(g) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, for licences issued under the other provisions of section 110.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland has already produced guidance and a code of practice for licences issued under section 110 (1)(f) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, these can be located at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/seallicensing">www.scotland.gov.uk/seallicensing</…
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to support research into non-lethal measures of deterrence in relation to seals and fish farms.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30201 on 25 January 2010. 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…
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to encourage and support fish farms to use less intensive systems, well-designed, adequately tensioned nets and lower stocking densities of fish in order to promote good practice that eliminates the need to shoot seals.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government continues to encourage industry best practice on predator control through the implementation of <i>A Fresh Start “ the Renewed Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture</i> and its associated Working Groups. One of these, the Improv…
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether fish farms will have to provide evidence that seals were shot as a measure of last resort and, if so, what evidence will be required.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37780 on 3 December 2010. 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…
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Marine Scotland will monitor and enforce the use of non-lethal measures to deter seals from fish farms.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland will monitor the use and effectiveness of non-lethal measures through the licensing process and, where appropriate, include licence conditions in respect of this issue.</p> <p > </p>
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how Marine Scotland will monitor and enforce the provisions of the seal licensing scheme introduced by the Marine Scotland Act 2010 to ensure the transparent reporting of seals that have been taken as well as killed.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland will monitor the operation of the seal licensing system, including the checking of quarterly returns of seals shot against licences and examination of any seal carcasses recovered, and, where appropriate, will investigate any specific issues t…
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances seal licences issued under section 110 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 will contain conditions relating to the area in which seals may be killed or taken.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37777 on 3 December 2010. 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…
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances seal licences issued under section 110 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 will contain conditions relating to the period during which seals may not be killed or taken.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37777 on 3 December 2010. 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…
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new seal licences to be issued under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 will impose conditions relating to where and when the species of seal may be killed or taken.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Scotland will consider each seal licence application on a case by case basis, including conditions in respect of where and when seals may or may not be taken or killed.</p> <p > </p>
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the targeted shooting of a maximum set quota of seals differs from an annual cull.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The purpose of seal management under sections 110 (1)(f) and 110 (1)(g) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 is specifically to protect the health and welfare of farmed fish or to prevent serious damage to fisheries and fish farms respectively. In contrast the p…
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the potential biological removal rates for the seven seal management areas have been established and, if so, what the rates are for each area.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The potential biological removal (PBR) figures are currently being established and will be published in early 2011.</p> <p > </p>
17 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether increased mileage incurred by the public due to the planned closure of passport offices in Scotland, including in Aberdeen and Dundee, will be counted against the climate change target of (a) Scotland or (b) England and Wales.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government is disappointed with the UK Government''s plans to close passport interview offices, as this will result in some people needing to travel further to use this service.</p> <p >Scotland''s emissions targets will be measured against the …
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what public funding has been made available since 2008 for the development and delivery of snaring training courses run by the (a) Scottish Gamekeepers Association, (b) Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and (c) British Association for Shooting and Conservation.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage, through the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime Scotland fund, provided funding of £2,438 to the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, towards the training of snaring course instructors, to enable them to provide training for …
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has evidence that the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is satisfied with the animal welfare content of the snaring training courses run by the (a) Scottish Gamekeepers Association, (b) Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and (c) British Association for…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were involved in meetings with the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, and the Scottish Government, an…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what independent animal welfare content it is aware of in the snaring training courses run by the (a) Scottish Gamekeepers Association, (b) Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and (c) British Association for Shooting and Conservation.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37481 on 18 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Busine…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the extent to which the snaring training courses run by the (a) Scottish Gamekeepers Association, (b) Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and (c) British Association for Shooting and Conservation adequately address the issue of the welfare of animals caught in sna…
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has been involved in drafting the content of the courses currently being run by (a) Scottish Gamekeepers Association, (b) Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and (c) British Association for Shooting and Conservation and is content tha…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out research to establish which EU member states prohibit the use of neck snares and, if so, what information it has gathered.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has not carried out any research to establish which EU member states prohibit the use of neck snares.</p> <p >We are aware that other countries, including Spain, Belguim, France and Ireland, allow the use of snares for predator contr…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it estimates a ban on snares would have on the value to the economy of hill farming and what the basis is of its position on this matter.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government shares the view of Jonathan Hall, Head of Rural Policy at the National Farmers Union Scotland, who gave evidence at the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee meeting held at Langholm on 7 September 2010 in relation to the Wildlife an…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it considers the hill farming industry depends on the use of snares for its continued viability and what the basis is of its position on this matter.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government shares the view of Jonathan Hall, Head of Rural Policy at the National Farmers Union Scotland, who gave evidence at the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee meeting held at Langholm on 7 September 2010 in relation to the Wildlife an…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it estimates a ban on snares would have on the value to the economy of the shooting industry and what the basis is of its estimate.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37474 on 18 November 2010. 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/Ap…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it considers the shooting industry depends on the use of snares for its continued viability and what the basis is of its position on this matter.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: A joint industry briefing document <i >The Consequence of a Snaring Ban for Rural Scotland</i> published by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, National Farmers Union Scotland, Scottish Estates Business…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the value of the shooting industry to be for the economy and on what basis.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: An independent study <i >The Economic and Environmental Impact of Sporting Shooting</i> prepared by PACEC and published in September 2006, estimated that the value of the shooting industry to the Scottish Economy is worth £240 millions pounds each year.</p>
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of research into the impact of snares on animal welfare commissioned by the charity, OneKind, from the University of Cambridge Centre for Animal Welfare and Anthropozoology.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government received the report <i >The Impact of Snares on Animal Welfare</i> on 5 November 2010. The report appears to be a partial literature review. It does not contain any new research on snaring and it has not been peer reviewed.</b></p>
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought information from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) regarding the progress of its research project, Determining the Extent of Use and Humaneness of Snares in England and Wales.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has been in regular contact with DEFRA regarding the progress of its research project, Determining the Extent of Use and Humaneness of Snares in England and Wales.</p>
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out or will carry out research into the use of snares.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not intend to carry out any research into the use of snares. The Scottish Government will however monitor research carried out by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and others, and, where appropriate, implement improvements …
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what penalties have been imposed on people convicted of breaching the Snares (Scotland) Order 2010.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service database only records penalties imposed for offences under the primary legislation, in this case Section 11 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and not offences under the Snares (Scotland) Order 2010.</p>
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been convicted of breaching the Snares (Scotland) Order 2010.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service database only records convictions for offences set out under the primary legislation, in this case Section 11 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and not offences under the Snares (Scotland) Order 2010.</p>…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports have been made to the procurators fiscal regarding breaches of the Snares (Scotland) Order 2010.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) database only records offences under the primary legislation, in this case Section 11 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and not offences under the Snares (Scotland) Order 2010. We are aware howeve…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring it has undertaken of the (a) effectiveness and (b) implementation of the Snares (Scotland) Order 2010.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has not undertaken any monitoring regarding the (a) effectiveness and (b) implementation of the Snares (Scotland) Order 2010.</p>