John Scott

15 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s pay and grading imposition exercise, started in September 2007, has cost.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11882 on 22 April 2008. 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/webapp/wa.sear…

15 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the development of a job evaluation scheme by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has cost in terms of (a) staff time and (b) total cash spent.

Answer · Michael Russell: Pay and grading of Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) staff is an operational matter for SEPA''s management team, within overall financial limits set by the Scottish Government, and in accordance with policies and guidance on public sector pay. I h…

10 Apr 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the foot-and-mouth disease aid package has been paid to date, broken down by the (i) £19 million allocated to the ewe scheme, (b) £6 million allocated to the light lamb scheme, (c) £1 million allocated to Quality Meat Scotland, (d) £250,000 allocated to RSABI and (v) £60,000 a…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The total amount that has been paid to date is £23.09 million. This can be broken down as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=center >Name</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p alig…

25 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the increased costs of alcohol licences arising from the implementation of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 if evidence emerges that such costs are causing the closure of small and medium-sized public houses, in particular public houses in rural and more remote are…

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Decisions to close licensed premises are likely to be taken in light of a number of factors, but the Scottish Government will ask the Accounts Commission to review the operation of the fee system introduced by the Licensing (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 …

25 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to monitor the effects on small and medium-sized public houses, in particular public houses in rural and more remote areas, of the increased costs of alcohol licences as a result of the implementation of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government plans to ask the Accounts Commission to review the operation of the fee system introduced by the Licensing (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 after the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 comes fully into force on 1 September 2009.</p>

12 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to introduce rod licences.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There are currently no plans to introduce rod licences.</p>

23 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the Agricultural Wages Board’s most recent award is having on attracting young people as agricultural workers and new entrants to the farming industry.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Information is notavailable to answer this question.</p>

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that compound fertilisers will be available in the spring.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Following theglobal increase in grain prices, farmers are seeking to boost production. Thishas led to increased demand for fertiliser.</p><p>Whilst we sympathise with farmers in Scotland, there is little that the Scottish Government can do except to suggest t…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to limit the spread of bracken in the north and west of Scotland.

Answer · Michael Russell: Funding tosupport the eradication and/or control of bracken has been available to allfarmers and crofters through agri-environment schemes for a number of years andwill continue to be available via Rural Development Contracts under the new ScotlandRural Devel…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to keep sheep and cattle on Less Favoured Area land in the highlands and islands where sheep and cattle are presently coming off that land.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: We recognise theimportant role of livestock farming in the Less Favoured Areas of the Highlands and Islands. In addition to expenditure of around£4.657 million, in these areas, on the Scottish Beef Calf Scheme (which aims tosustain quality beef production, pa…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on limiting the risk of bluetongue being imported to Scotland from continental Europe.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Governmenthas ensured that strong representations have been made to the European Commissionto ensure that robust rules are in place to regulate the movement of susceptibleanimals out of bluetongue restricted zones. At the 10 January meeting of th…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to reduce the costs to the red meat sector of the meat hygiene service, in light of the BSE crisis coming to an end.

Answer · Shona Robison: I am advised by theFood Standards Agency that in July 2007, the FSA Board agreed a stepped approachto achieve a risk-based audit and inspection regime for Specified Risk Materials(SRM) that reflects the widely accepted reduced risk to humans resulting from th…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the new double tagging system for sheep will improve traceability.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The new sheep and goattraceability system is being introduced to ensure full compliance with Communitylaw following the loss of the UK derogation to avoid double tagging. We were unableto continue with the derogation due to poor compliance levels found throug…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to protect buyers’ and sellers’ animals from bluetongue at the forthcoming Perth Bull Sales.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Perth Bull Sales are important sales attractingbuyers and sellers from a wide area of the UK,and the organisers have been in discussion with the Scottish Government, includingveterinary advisors, about what measures are required to best mitigate any risk.</p>…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total costs have been calculated to be attributable to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2007.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: In response to thefoot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Surrey the Scottish Governmentcommitted a £25 million support package to provide relief and recovery to thosemost affected.</p><p>Costs to the industryfrom the impact of the necessary movement restrictions …

9 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether food businesses are to be excluded from accessing the European Social Fund and, if so, what steps the Executive is taking to ensure that support for skills related to the retail meat and craft bakery sectors will continue to be available.

Answer · Jim Mather: The eligibility rules under the Scottish Rural Development Plan effectively preclude support for training for thefood processing sector. This was not apparent when the Operational Programmes forthe European Social Fund (ESF) were being negotiated with the Eur…

9 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new regulations relating to agriculture it has implemented since 1999, broken down by year.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: This information ispublicly available in the form of the Scottish Statutory Instruments Statisticsand is available from the Office of the Queen’s Printer for Scotland (OQPS). Thestatistics show the total number of Scottish Statutory Instruments broken down by…

9 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make Scotland a Maedi Visna accredited area.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Executive has noplans to make Scotland a Maedi Visna accredited area.</p>

9 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that all food purchased by public bodies should have been produced to similar standards of welfare, hygiene and traceability as those applying to Scottish farmers and food producers and, if so, what action it is taking to achieve this.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government’spolicy is that the procurement of goods and services should be based on value formoney having due regard to propriety and regularity, including compliance with legalobligations. This allows procurement decisions to take account of spe…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce cost sharing for animal health and welfare for farmers.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The sharing of costs foranimal health and welfare between government and industry is not a new concept.Many activities supporting the Scottish Government’s animal health and welfareobjectives have cost implications for both government and industry. Such costs…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce closed areas for breeding spurdog.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The agreement reached atDecember Council effectively prevents any targeted fishery of spurdog by any EUvessel in the north-east Atlantic. We believe this provides sufficient protection forthe stock and therefore have no plans to introduce closed areas.</p>

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many permits it has issued in each of the last five years to allow the finning of sharks in Scottish waters.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Issue of permits toallow the removal of shark fins on board vessels in Community waters and for allCommunity vessels around the world, commenced in 2004.</p><p>Since then permitshave been issued, as follows, to Scottish registered fishing vessels which are pa…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect (a) common skate, (b) porbeagle and (c) tope in Scottish waters.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government believes that there is no significant directed fishery on any of these species by Scottish vessels. The best protection for these species will be to focus on the reduction of by-catch and discarding generally. The Scottish Government i…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is any merit in designating certain critically endangered species of sea fish as recreational species.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government believesthat there is a need to reduce the complexity of fisheries management and that thereis little merit in introducing additional management categories at this stage.</p>

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop a strategy for recreational sea angling.

Answer · Michael Russell: Any strategy for Scottish recreationalsea angling should have as its starting point objective data about the scale, characterand economic impact of the sport. The Scottish Government has commissioned GlasgowCaledonian University to undertake a study to look a…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the economic value of sea angling.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There is currently a lack ofobjective data about the scale, character and economic impact of recreational seaangling in Scotland. The Scottish Government has commissioned Glasgow Caledonian University toundertake a study to look at these things. We expect the…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to (a) commission and (b) publish the results of a survey into the economic value of recreational sea angling.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government issueda contract to Glasgow Caledonian University on 16 November 2007 to undertake a study into the EconomicImpact of Recreational Sea Angling in Scotland. We expect the study to report later this year.</p>

11 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many sea angling charter boats based on the west coast of Scotland have gone out of business in each of the last five years.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The information requested isnot available centrally.</p>

7 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what quantities of fish have been discarded annually since 2003 by the small mesh nephrops trawl fishery in the Clyde area and of what species the bulk of these discards were composed.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is notin a position to quantify with any certainty the overall amount of fish discardedannually in the Clyde by the small mesh Nephrops fishery. Discarded fish includesmall and unwanted commercial species, but also species which have n…

7 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many real time voluntary closures of fisheries have been initiated since the inception of the scheme; how long each closure was in place; how many times any commercial impact zone has had two or more closures, and what quantities of fish were discarded before any such closures were im…

Answer · Michael Russell: A pilot Real Time Closures schemewas introduced in Scotland on 1 September 2007. Fifty-four samples have been takenand to date there have been no closures asthe level of juvenile cod on any monitored voyages has not reached the trigger point,though examples o…