Claire Baker

20 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a policy statement about a strategy for mixed stock fisheries.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A variety of work is currently being undertaken by Marine Scotland, including a National Demonstration Project on Fisheries Management within the River South Esk, to better inform the management of mixed stock salmon fisheries. The government is also consider…

20 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on a trial of closed containment for marine finfish aquaculture, in light of the recent trial of such a system by Aquamarine in Canada.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is aware of a recent pilot study by AgriMarine in Canada and will continue to monitor developments with interest. Marine closed containment does not come without its challenges as shown in recent press relating to this study, which can…

20 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional steps it will take to assess sea lice induced mortality of wild salmonids, as per the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization's Guidance on Best Management Practices to address impacts of sea lice and escaped farmed salmon on wild salmon stocks.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Research on sea lice induced mortality of wild salmonids is currently on the Scottish Government’s research programme that is being undertaken by Marine Scotland Science.

20 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional steps it will take to assess sea lice loads on wild salmonids compared with areas with no salmon farms, as per the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization's Guidance on Best Management Practices to address impacts of sea lice and escaped farmed salmon on wild salmo…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has contracted local fishery trusts to assess the sea lice loads on wild sea trout at sites that are at a range of distances from active salmon farms. The intention is to provide information on areas with and without fish farms.

20 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional steps it will take to ensure that sampling protocols effective in characterising the sea lice loads in fish farms and on wild salmonid populations are in place, as per the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization's Guidance on Best Management Practices to address im…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Marine Scotland’s Fish Health Inspectorate undertake inspections under the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 relating to parasites and related control measures. The aquaculture industry in Scotland uses monitoring protocols detailed in the Nationa…

20 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the conclusion in the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization's Final Report of the Aquaculture, Introductions and Transfers and Transgenics Focus Area Review Group that, in Scotland, "adequate measures to minimise the risk of disease and parasite transmission hav…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government’s position was set out at page 56 of the report. We have taken account of the Healthier Fish Working Group’s recommendations and proposed through the Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill Consultation process a range of measures including pla…

20 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the conclusion in the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization's Final Report of the Aquaculture, Introductions and Transfers and Transgenics Focus Area Review Group that, in Scotland, "progress towards achieving the international goals for sea lice and containment was…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson : I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06830 on 30 April 2012 and the proposals included in the recent Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill Consultation document. Good progress has also been made through the Improved Containment Working Group’s work with …

20 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the statement in the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization's Final Report of the Aquaculture, Introductions and Transfers and Transgenics Focus Area Review Group that "the number of sea lice may be less than one per farmed fish but that may still translat…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We agree. We want to ensure Scotland continues to lead the world in sea lice management.

20 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the statement in the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization's Draft Report of the Aquaculture, Introductions and Transfers and Transgenics Focus Area Review Group that "in spite of the wealth of regulations and measures demonstrated in the FARs relating to salmon far…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has supported, and continues to support, the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry and wild salmon and recreational fisheries in Scotland. The draft report does not fully take into account the measures that the Scottish …

18 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will use the information in the report on greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Scottish consumption of goods and services required under Section 37 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to inform its policy decisions relating to climate change.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government routinely considers all relevant information available to inform its policy decisions.

18 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will lay before the Parliament a report on greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Scottish consumption of goods and services for 2010 and 2011, as required under Section 37 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and whether it will report annually in future.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Given the time lags in the availability of the emissions data that is required to estimate consumption-based emissions (greenhouse gas emissions by industry for Scotland as well as the countries from which we import) and the compilation of the necessary econo…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it plans to hold with representatives from rural parliaments elsewhere in Europe to discuss its proposed rural parliament and who will attend these.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Representatives from four European Rural Parliaments, (Sweden, The Netherlands, Estonia and Slovenia) will attend the meeting scheduled to take place on 29 May in Edinburgh. It will give participants an opportunity to learn at first hand the structures and pr…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many members the proposed rural parliament will have; whether membership will be on a regional basis, and how members will be elected.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The structures and processes that will be adopted relating to the creation of the rural parliament have yet to be decided. It is envisaged however, that the rural parliament process will be one of inclusive participation rather than made up of elected represe…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what partnerships have been created and (b) who it will work with to take forward the proposed rural parliament.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government intends to work with a wide range of key rural stakeholders, organisations and individuals in order to take forward the proposed Rural Parliament. The Scottish Government has also spoken with representatives of established European Rur…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who attended the meeting to discuss the establishment of a rural parliament that was referred to in its news release of 25 March 2012.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Executive who attended the meeting to discuss the establishment of a rural parliament that was referred to in its news release of 25 March 2012.   The following question was answere…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of comments from the Auditor General for Scotland that demand-side transport policies such as road-pricing schemes and workplace parking charges "that have not been attractive in the past might have to be considered", what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and…

Answer · Keith Brown: The transport proposals and policies within Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting the Emissions Reduction Targets 2010-2022 were published in March 2011 following a series of workshop discussions with stakeholders in June and July 2010 on a long list of potential devo…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recommendation of the UK Committee on Climate Change that "it will be essential for the Scottish Government to ensure full roll-out of measures in devolved policy areas, such as demand-side transport and agriculture and land use" what steps it has taken to ensure a full r…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The independent Committee on Climate Change noted in its first Scottish progress report (published 31 January 2012) that good progress has been made in Scotland, highlighting investment in renewables, the outperformance of the Government’s targets on renewabl…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the second report on its proposals and policies to meet its emissions reduction targets will set out the budgetary spend required by each of its departments.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Emissions reduction measures typically require further consultation and development in partnership with stakeholders before implementation will be possible. It is often only at this stage that precise delivery responsibilities can be resolved. The financial …

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will take forward the recommendation by the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee to ensure that all proposals and policies in any future revisions of its report on its proposals and policies to meet its emissions reduction targets are fully funded.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Spending Review 2011 detailed significant government funding for measures that will make a direct contribution to reducing emissions, including: Over £300 million spend on energy over the next three years, including over £200 million on renewa…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what additional policies each of its departments has introduced since the publication of the first report on proposals and policies to meet its emissions reduction targets.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Many of the additional measures that have been brought forward to tackle greenhouse gas emissions since publication in March 2011 of the first report on proposals and policies have been developed and implemented across several directorates of the Scottish Gov…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how its departments are being encouraged to bring forward new proposals for its second report on proposals and policies to meet its emissions reduction targets.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The preparation of the second report on proposals and policies to meet statutory emissions reduction targets is being overseen by the Scottish Government’s Emissions Reduction Programme Board. This board, chaired by the Director General for Enterprise, Enviro…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff are engaged in the development of the second report on proposals and policies to meet its emissions reduction targets, broken down by department.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The preparation of the second report on proposals and policies to meet statutory emissions reduction targets is overseen by the Scottish Government’s Emissions Reduction Programme Board chaired by the Director-General Enterprise, Environment and Digital. Memb…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Emissions Reductions Board has met to discuss the development of the second report on proposals and policies to meet its emissions reduction targets, and what action has been taken following these meetings.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The second report on proposals and policies (RPP2) was a substantive agenda item at Emissions Reduction Programme Board meetings in January and March 2012. In addition, RPP2 development was the focus of a special session for members of the Emissions Reduction…

2 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the second report on proposals and policies to meet its emission reductions targets will contain a revision of the first report.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The second report on proposals and policies made under section 35(1) of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 will focus on ways in which the second batch of annual emissions reduction targets, for 2023-27, can be met. As required by section 35(11) of the a…

23 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment will meet representatives of Unite the Union to discuss proposals to review the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The review of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board will take place in 2013. I am happy to give an assurance that Unite the Union will, along with others, be given the opportunity to feed in their views at the appropriate time and that these views will be ful…

23 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what form the new favourable condition targets for sites of special scientific interest and other notified nature conservation sites will take.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The revised Scottish Biodiversity Strategy will set out a new approach to our delivery of biodiversity conservation in Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage is currently working on advice to the Scottish Government on possible options for the form a new target …

23 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue new favourable condition targets for sites of special scientific interest and other notified nature conservation sites.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to work in partnership with a range of public bodies and private land managers to improve the condition of Scotland’s protected nature sites. We have therefore asked Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to develop…

8 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent meetings it has had with other UK administrations to discuss the ecological coherence of the network of marine protected areas in the UK and Scottish marine areas.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06120 on 23 March 2012. 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/parliamentarybu…

8 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent meetings it has held with other states parties to the Oslo-Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) to discuss the ecological coherence of the network of marine protected areas across the OSPAR area.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As part of the UK representation at relevant OSPAR meetings, Marine Scotland has participated in OSPAR discussions on progress and guidance on MPA network development. The last OSPAR Biodiversity Committee was held in February 2012 and the last OSPAR Interses…

8 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the contribution of Scotland's marine protected areas (MPA) to the ecological coherence of the MPA network across the Oslo-Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) area will be assessed.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06118 on 23 March 2012. 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/parliamentarybu…