Parliamentary questions
Robin Harper
759 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the report, Entanglement of Minke Whales in Scottish waters: an investigation into occurrence, causes and mitigation, will be published and what engagement will be undertaken with stakeholders following its publication.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government hopes to receive this report in the near future and will publish it as soon as possible thereafter. We will wish to consider the contents of the report in detail before making decisions about any subsequent action.</p>
1 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it reduced the maximum payable under the Energy Saving Scotland home loan scheme from £10,000 to £4,000 for electricity generating technologies and what evidence it collected to inform this decision.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government reduced the maximum payable under the Energy Saving Scotland home loan pathfinder for electricity generating technologies to balance the wider needs of the scheme and allow support for a range of measures, not just renewable electricit…
1 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many grants it issued under the Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme in each of the last three years and how much this amounts to in carbon savings.
Answer · Jim Mather: The information requested is provided in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=center >Year</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=center >Number of Grants Offered</p…
1 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with (a) individuals and (b) organisations to inform its decision to withdraw the Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme for electricity generating technologies and for new build properties.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government''s recent consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan gave individuals and organisations an opportunity to feed in views on whether Scottish Government support for microgeneration should be adjusted with the introduction of Clean…
30 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of current restructuring in preparation for the formation of Creative Scotland, what discussions it has had with the Scottish Arts Council on the continuing concerns of small organisations regarding their funding for the forthcoming year.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: No specific discussions have taken place. The Scottish Arts Council is continuing with business as usual until Creative Scotland is established, and the legislation makes it clear that Creative Scotland will honour all funding arrangements entered into by the…
10 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in what circumstances orders made under the Harbours Act 1964 (a) are and (b) are not considered to be plans or projects in terms of Part IV of the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994, as amended.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Applications for an order to be made under the Harbours Act 1964 are considered on an individual basis to determine, amongst other things, whether or not the proposal for the order includes a plan or project for the purposes of Part IV of the Conservation (Na…
4 Mar 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is regarding the closure of cottage hospitals in rural areas.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We are committed to providing healthcare services as locally as appropriate and possible.</p> <p >Within the framework of national priorities and guidance, NHS boards are responsible for planning and providing local services and the infrastructure that suppo…
25 Feb 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to be able to reduce the number of prison places as a result of the introduction of effective policies to reduce reoffending.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is committed to breaking the cycle of reoffending by tackling the problem of offenders caught in the revolving door of short sentences for whom prison is clearly not working.</p> <p >The Scottish Government wants to see these offender…
23 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether steps are being taken to issue procurement advice to ensure the use of LED low-energy lighting where possible in government buildings.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government issued guidance in October 2008 encouraging the Scottish Public Sector to use the minimum specification standards and, where possible, the best practice standards described in the Buy Sustainable - Quick Wins list of technical specific…
9 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers that the effect would be of the revocation of a licence to construct works within the Scottish marine area where the licensed construction has already taken place.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: A marine licence will be valid for the length of the agreed construction period. It is difficult to envisage a situation where a licence could be revoked once a licensed construction had taken place.</p> <p >Where the licensed activity is of an ongoing natur…
9 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and information it provides to the public on environmental rights, including rights that arise from the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Aarhus Convention.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government and its agencies provide information on a wide range of environmental issues, including rights arising under the Aarhus Convention. It is not the role of Scottish Government to provide advice on the interpretation of legislation or on an i…
9 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many grants of civil legal aid in relation to environmental matters have been awarded in the last three years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31671 on 3 March 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/Apps2/B…
9 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for civil legal aid in relation to environmental matters have been considered by the Scottish Legal Aid Board in the last three years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Information relating to legal aid applications and awards is collected centrally by the Scottish Legal Aid Board. It does not, however, hold definitive information on applications and subsequent awards which specifically relate to environmental matters.</p>
3 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many seals have been culled under the Moray Firth Seal Management Plan; whether there are plans to extend the scheme across Scotland and, if so, how many seals might be culled in each year; how the plan relates to the new seal licence system, and whether culling will be used in cases …
Answer · Richard Lochhead: There is no culling of seals in Scotland. The Moray Firth Seal Management Plan permits limited local seal management under licence conditions to protect fisheries.</p> <p >The following table is a record of seals licensed to be shot and actual seals shot sin…
3 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30205 by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2010, when the cetacean-friendly seal scarer will be field tested and whether its use, if found to be effective, will be made mandatory for operators of aquaculture and fisheries equipment.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has recently approved funding to support the field testing process and this will begin soon. It would be wrong at this stage to prejudge the potential results of this process. It is, however, hoped that such non-lethal measures will ev…
3 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30205 by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2010, whether the new seal licence system will ensure that all non-lethal measures are used by operators of aquaculture and fisheries equipment and whether a record will be kept of those non-lethal measures tha…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: It may not be practical to insist that all non-lethal measures are used by fisheries or fish farms before a licence can be issued.</p> <p >There are a wide variety of non-lethal measures available. It is known that some are ineffective, or not suitable, in s…
3 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of operators of aquaculture and fisheries equipment has shot seals in the last five years without having (a) antipredator nets, (b) properly tensioned antipredator nets and (c) acoustic deterrent devices in place.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: This information is not collected centrally.</p> <p >The new seal licensing system set out in the Marine (Scotland) Bill will, for the first time, collect information on anti-predator nets and acoustic deterrents as part of the licence application process.</…
3 Feb 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30205 by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2010, what the term normal circumstances covers and what abnormal or other circumstances might require use of lethal measures.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The term normal circumstances was used to describe situations where a satisfactory case has been made that non-lethal measures are not, or would not be effective.</p> <p >It is not possible to predict precisely all other circumstances. It might, however, inc…
29 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Ministers could delegate functions relating to section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 under the provisions of section 42 of the Marine (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Functions under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 are not capable of being delegated under section 42 of the Marine (Scotland) Bill because they are not functions under part 3 of the bill (see section 42(5) of the bill).</p>
27 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the carbon footprints of the biannual Joint Warrior military exercises off Scotland’s west coast are measured and, if so, what these were in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009 and what they are anticipated to be in 2010.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31120 on 4 February 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…
27 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the environmental impacts of the biannual Joint Warrior military exercises off Scotland’s west coast are measured and, if so, what these were in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009 and what they are anticipated to be in 2010.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31120 on 4 February 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…
27 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what precautions were taken to ensure that any weapons deployed or operated during the Joint Warrior military exercise held off Scotland’s west coast in May to October 2009 did not negatively impact on either marine or terrestrial wildlife in the area and what monitoring was undertaken to…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31120 on 4 February 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…
27 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what precautions were taken to ensure that any sonar devices deployed or operated during the Joint Warrior military exercises held off Scotland’s west coast in May to October 2009 did not harm resident or migrating cetaceans and what monitoring was undertaken to record potential or actual…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31120 on 4 February 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…
27 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Joint Warrior military exercises held off Scotland’s west coast in May and October 2009 operated in any environmentally sensitive conservation zones containing (a) protected marine habitats, (b) seabird breeding grounds and (c) protected fauna and flora and what precautions we…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: All matters relating to the defence of the United Kingdom remain the direct responsibility of the UK Government. Naval exercises are therefore a reserved matter which falls within the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The MoD is the competent a…
21 Jan 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it plans to follow changes made to the system of legal aid in England to comply with the access to justice provisions in the Aarhus Convention.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The current legal aid system in Scotland is compliant with the Aarhus convention.</p> <p >Civil legal aid, which provides for representation before a court, may be available provided that the three tests contained in the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 are met…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the net loss or gain to businesses has been as a result of the placement of contracts by Scotland Excel as of the latest date for which information is available.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30523 on 15 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…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what firms (a) have been contracted by Scotland Excel and (b) previously fulfilled these contracts.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30523 on 15 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…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value is of all contracts placed with Scotland Excel.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30523 on 15 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…
7 Jan 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what contracts have been placed by Scotland Excel.
Answer · John Swinney: This is a matter for Scotland Excel to answer and should be referred to:</p> <p >Dorothy Cowie, Director, Scotland Excel, Unit 5, Anchor Mill, 7 Thread Street, Paisley, PA1 1JR.</p>
18 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what examples it can give of relevant reasons under section 23(3)(d) of the Marine (Scotland) Bill for the suspension, revocation or variation of a marine licence.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: This provision exists so that action can be taken for an unforeseen circumstance. An example could be where a new dredging operation might disturb or recover something of great archaeological interest. In such instances, this provision could allow for appropr…