Parliamentary questions

Tavish Scott

2,683 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

17 Mar 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on the outcome of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 17 and 18 March 2003.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 17 and 18 March 2003, together with Lord Whitty and Mike German.On agriculture, the Council continued its consideration of Common Agricultural Policy reform, addressing questions from the Pres…

17 Mar 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in developing a strategic framework for the aquaculture industry.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I shall officially launch the Strategic Framework for Aquaculture at the Sea Change Conference in Dunblane on 24 March.

12 Mar 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the policy and financial management review (PFMR) of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Answer · Allan Wilson: The review has been completed and I am publishing its report today. Copies of the report are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26789). I am delighted that the PFMR has concluded that, on the whole, SEPA is performing its duties we…

19 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on the outcome of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 20 and 21 February 2003.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I attended the one-day Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 20 February 2003, together with Lord Whitty and Mike German. There were no fisheries items on the agenda on this occasion.On agriculture, a 10-year extension of the feed additive av…

5 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage the harnessing of energy from wave and tidal current resources.

Answer · Ross Finnie: We are fully committed to the development of emerging marine technologies. We are working in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Carbon Trust, Orkney Islands Council, Scottish Enterprise and the DTI to establish a European Marine Energy Cen…

5 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support businesses that provide support services to the fishing industry.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Enterprise companies have a number of programmes in place to support businesses. These can include business advice, training and certain types of financial assistance.

5 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the cost of regulation for the aquaculture industry.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive's review of aquaculture regulation resulted in proposals to streamline the consenting process and reduce duplication of effort. In implementing the Strategic Framework, the Executive will be pursuing a number of regulatory lightening initiatives.

3 Feb 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish an action plan for organic food and farming.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has today published an Organic Action Plan. Copies have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26285).The action plan sets out important new ways in which the Scottish Executive will support the sustaina…

31 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reached any decisions on the legislative framework for the water industry needed to address the possibility of competition on the public water and sewerage networks.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has concluded that competition on the public water and sewerage networks would have to be restricted if our public health, environment protection and social objectives for the water industry were to continue to be safeguarded. Legislation to …

20 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reason was for delays in issuing 2002 Suckler Cow Premium advance payments to crofters and farmers, scheduled to be issued in November 2002 but received by many producers in mid-January 2003, and what action is being taken to avoid similar delays in the future.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Advance payments under the Suckler Cow Premium Scheme (SCPS) are normally scheduled to begin in November but not all payments can be made at that time. Sixty-five per cent of SCPS claimants do not submit their claim form until November or Decemb…

20 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many crofters and farmers received their 2002 Suckler Cow Premium advance payments (a) in November 2002, (b) in December 2002 and (c) up to and including 20 January 2003 and how many payments remain to be made after 20 January 2003.

Answer · Ross Finnie: We received 7,893 claims under the 2002 Suckler Cow Premium Scheme (SCPS) by the final closing date of 31 December 2002. The numbers of producers (farmers and crofters) who have been issued advance payments are: (a) in November 2002 - 1,157; (b) in December 2…

17 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32476 by Allan Wilson on 24 December 2002, whether it will participate in public consultation, launched on 15 January 2003 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), on ways to tighten the Control of Trade in Endangered Specie…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive will be contributing fully to the DEFRA Review of the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997. Given that the consultation on the review does not end until 4 April, it is premature to speculate what changes…

17 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32476 by Allan Wilson on 24 December 2002, whether any measures that will be introduced as a result of the public consultation, launched on 15 January 2003 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), on the tightening up of the…

14 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action was agreed at the recent EU Fisheries Council meeting regarding the sand eel fishery in the North Sea.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Agriculture and Fisheries Council agreed that the Total Allowable Catch for sandeels in the North Sea for 2003 should be 918,000 tonnes and that the EC share of this should be 863,000 tonnes. Of this, 814,067 tonnes were allocated to Denmark and 17,794 to…

14 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32390 by Lewis Macdonald on 18 December 2002, whether any of the discussions with airlines were with British Airways or Loganair and covered the use of the Interim Route Development Fund to develop their Highlands and Islands services.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Interim Route Development Fund is focussed on investing in UK and European routes which show the greatest value to Scotland as a whole in terms of business links, inward investment and inbound tourism. Consultants are currently developing a meetings strat…

14 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32390 by Lewis Macdonald on 18 December 2002, what appropriate agencies and airport operators are working with it in developing details of the Interim Route Development Fund and when details of this work will be made public.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive is working in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland in carrying forward its route development initiative. Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Airports Limited are involved with respect to Highlands and Isl…

8 Jan 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a review of the operation of the first four months of NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd's contract to provide ferry services to Orkney and Shetland.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: In terms of the agreement between the ministers and NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd, the company is required to provide to the Executive regularly a range of information on performance, carryings and vessel capacity utilisation, to comply with the m…

6 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the basis was of its assessment of the morphology, hydrology and hydraulic conditions in Lerwick Harbour that lead to the withdrawal of Lerwick's status as a high natural dispersion area.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32925 today. 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/searc…

6 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the extent was of the water quality sampling that was carried out prior to the decision to withdraw Lerwick's status as a high natural dispersion area and what the sampling results were.

6 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the impact on businesses in Lerwick of the decision to withdraw the area's status as a high natural dispersion area.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32924 today. 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/sear…

6 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment was made of the volume and nature of current and future effluent discharges into Lerwick Harbour from Scottish Water and private outfall pipes prior to the decision to withdraw Lerwick's status as a high natural dispersion area.

Answer · Ross Finnie: An assessment of high natural dispersion area (HNDA) status was made based on recommendations from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on a comprehensive study undertaken by North of Scotland Water, which included analysis of morphology, hydrolo…

6 Jan 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, since the decision to withdraw Lerwick's status as a high natural dispersion area, Scottish Water has made any assessment of the capital and running cost implications of the upgrading of the Lerwick waste water treatment plant and any resulting increased water charges to its busi…

Answer · Ross Finnie: I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of Scottish Water to respond. His response is as follows: Preliminary investigations suggest the capital cost of upgrading Lerwick Wastewater Treatment Plant is in the region of £4 million, with additional op…

1 Jan 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of fishermen and what subjects were discussed.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I last met representatives of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation on 23 December, to discuss the outcomes from last December's Council of Ministers. Discussions between the Executive and industry continue.

18 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the outcome of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 16-19 December 2002.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels from 16 to 20 December 2002, together with Margaret Beckett, Elliot Morley (DEFRA) and Ian Pearson (Northern Ireland Office).The main fisheries business before the Council centred on three subjec…

10 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to take action to increase the powers of the courts to tackle the illegal smuggling of wildlife into the country in the light of the report by the World Wide Fund for Nature which identified the ports in Lerwick and Greenock as being in the top 10 wildlife smuggling ports…

Answer · Allan Wilson: There are no immediate plans to take such action. The WWF report has only just been received and we will be giving consideration to its findings and recommendations in due course.

10 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government on action that could be taken to combat the illegal smuggling of wildlife through ports in the light of the report by the World Wide Fund for Nature which identified the ports in Lerwick and Greenock as being in the top 10 w…

Answer · Allan Wilson: The control of illegal trade in wildlife imported into the UK is implemented and enforced by the UK Government through the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 which set down the police powers, offences and penalties for breac…

10 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken any assessment of the risk that the illegal trade in smuggling wildlife poses to animal health, or has any plans to conduct such an assessment, in the light of the report by the World Wide Fund for Nature which identified the ports in Lerwick and Greenock as bein…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The World Wide Fund report is concerned with the illegal trade in endangered species and products of such species.A far greater risk to animal health is posed from the illegal trade in other products of animal origin and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency …

6 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether financial penalties will be imposed on any company that fails to meet contractual obligations for delivering the capital investment programme in partnership with Scottish Water.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The contractual detail relating to delivery of the capital investment program is an operational matter for Scottish Water.

6 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to consult the Parliament with regard to the review of the performance of partner companies helping to deliver Scottish Water's capital investment programme

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive has no plans to consult the Parliament with regard to the performance of partner companies in the delivery of Scottish Water's capital program, as the delivery of the capital program is an operational matter for Scottish Water.The Water Indus…

6 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who will be responsible for reviewing the performance of the partners to be appointed to help deliver Scottish Water's capital investment programme.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The appointment and monitoring of partners to deliver Scottish Waters investment program is an operational matter for Scottish Water. The Water Industry Commissioner will monitor the performance of Scottish Water against these targets.