Parliamentary questions

Rob Gibson

971 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support measures for fishing communities it has implemented, showing how much has been (a) allocated and (b) disbursed under each measure in each year from 1999 to 2004, broken down by constituency.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The information is not available by constituency and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The details for measures administered by the Scottish Executive are given in the following tables:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contractual provisions in respect of marketing (a) each area tourist board and (b) VisitScotland have entered into in each year from 1999 to 2004, detailing how long these contracts have left to run.

Answer · Frank McAveety: This is entirely anoperational matter for VisitScotland and the individual area tourist boards.

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alter the funding mechanisms applicable to (a) Shetland College and (b) the UHI Millennium Institute.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive has no plansto alter the funding mechanisms for Shetland College or UHI Millennium Institute. This is rightly amatter for (a) the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and (b) the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council.

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it enforces the provisions of the Shellfish Regulatory Order applicable to Shetland.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Responsibility forenforcement of the Shetland Islands Regulated Fishery (Scotland)Order 1999 rests with the grantee, the Shetland Shellfish ManagementOrganisation (SSMO).

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the affect of the new pollution prevention and control regime on fisheries-dependent businesses.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Regulatory impact assessmentswere prepared and consulted on prior to the pollution prevention and controlregulations coming into force. These assessments looked at the potential impactacross all Scottish industries. The regulations are reviewed on an ongoing …

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with fishing organisations regarding the "V-notch" conservation technique for lobsters and what support it has given to this initiative.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Executive supports theuse of V-notching as a conservation measure. Following consultation withfishing organisations and other interested parties, an order was introduced in1999 prohibiting the fishing or landing of V-notched lobsters and crawfish.

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with fishing organisations regarding the closed season for velvet crabs in Shetland and what support it has given to this initiative.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Under the Shetland IslandsRegulated Fishery (Scotland) Order 1999, as amended, the Shetland ShellfishManagement Organisation (SSMO) is responsible for regulating certain shellfish fisheriesin Shetland waters, including velvet crab. The SSMO require to obtain …

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it has given fishing communities in Shetland since 1999.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Shetland Enterprise operational expenditure (grants, training etc.) since 1999 is as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> Year </td> <td> Expenditure (£ million) </td> </tr> </thea…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) training providers and (b) fishing organisations regarding the future training of fishermen.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has not had any discussions with training providers or fishingorganisations about the future training of fishermen. However, there are arange of training programmes available to fishermen that are delivered andfunded by Scottish Enterpr…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the number of foreign fishing vessels operating in Scottish territorial waters.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Access to fisheries inScottish territorial waters (0–12 miles) is mainly restricted to UK vessels. SomeEU member states have limited access. In consequence the numbers of foreignvessels operating there is normally very small.On 1 March 2004, surveillan…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) (a) vessels and (b) officers have been based in Shetland in each year since 1979.

Answer · Allan Wilson: No SFPA vessels are based in Shetland but they regularly patrol its waters. The numbers of SFPA officers based in Shetland since 1979 are as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> Year </td> <td> <p align=…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many fishing boats have been based at Whalsay in the Shetland Isles in each year since 1979.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Departmental records relating to individual ports are only available from 1985 onward. The number of fishing vessels based at the port of Whalsay between 1985 and 2003 is shown in the following table.Active Fishing Vessels Based in The Port of Whalsay …

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) Northlink Ferries, (b) the Smyril Line and (c) other ferry and cruise ship operators regarding the marketing of Shetland as a holiday destination.

Answer · Frank McAveety: This is a matter for VisitScotlandand the area tourist boards which both welcome opportunities to work withtransport operators serving Scotland and its islands.Shetland Islands Tourism workswell with both Northlink Ferries and Smyril Line to market She…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the efficiency of the visitscotland contact centre in Livingston.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Livingstoncontact centre is run by visitscotland.com, a private company. The Executivedoes not have a role in assessing the efficiency of the company. However, as ashareholder in visitscotland.com, VisitScotland has reported that it iscurrently performing…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the financial benefit to business and community organisations of the roll-out of broadband.

Answer · Jim Wallace: There is no estimate availableon the average financial benefit to organisations from broadband. However, our Enterpriseagencies have collated substantial case study evidence which illustrates thebenefits broadband can bring to individual businesses. These are…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of rolling out broadband to (a) Scotland, (b) each constituency and (c) each Parliamentary region.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6115 on 8 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received in favour of the implementation of a public service obligation for transport to and from Shetland.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: One of the commitments inthe partnership agreement is to fully evaluate the proposals by the Highlands andIslands Strategic Transport Partnership (HITRANS) for an air network in the Highlands andIslands using Public Service Obligations (PSOs). HITRANS represe…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in implementing a public service obligation for transport to and from Shetland and what organisations it has had discussions with about this issue.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The proposals contained inthe original report by the Highlands and Islands Strategic Transport Partnership(HITRANS) are being comprehensively evaluated. Work is now being progressedaimed at assessing and validating the operational and technical feasibility of…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with organisations in Shetland concerning the establishment of a Shetland Brand to identify products from Shetland.

Answer · Frank McAveety: This is a matter forShetland Islands Tourism, Shetland Enterprise, VisitScotland and other publicand private partners who are working closely to develop a brand for Shetland toinclude tourism, transport operators, products and businesses.

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs in (a) Scotland and (b) the highlands and islands have been dependent on fisheries in each year since 1979, expressed also per capita and outlining the methodology used to classify the jobs.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Information regarding the numbers of persons employed in the sea fisheries catching sector are compiled annually by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. Each person employed is classified as regularly employed if employment in the catching sector is thei…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government on how an electricity interconnector between Shetland and the rest of Scotland would be funded and what contribution the Executive will make to the cost of construction, given the likely impact on its renewable energy targets.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The electricity network isprivately owned and operated and network upgrades are a matter for the networkowners in conjunction with the regulator, Ofgem. However, under the BritishElectricity Trading and Transmission Arrangement (BETTA) arrangements due to bei…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its renewable energy targets, with what organisations it has discussed an electricity interconnector between Shetland, Orkney and the mainland of Scotland.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer Mr Gibson to the answer given to question S2W-6461 on 9 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Shetland Islands Council about the five wind turbines north of Lerwick, the efficiency level they operate at and their potential contribution towards the Executive's targets for renewable energy.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I am not aware of anyspecific discussions on this matter. However, I understand that the wind farmat Burradale, which was recently extended, is operating at a higher thanaverage capacity factor, and that the project is making a welcome contributiontowards our…

25 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government on progress being made with regard to building an electricity interconnector between Shetland, Orkney and the mainland of Scotland, given the likely impact on its renewable energy targets.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive isparticipating in the work of both the Great Britain Transmission Issues WorkingGroup (TIWG) and the Highlands and Islands Transmission Issues Group (HITIG).The TIWG is led by theDepartment of Trade and Industry and its task is to assess…

9 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average rental values of agricultural land have been in each region in each year since 1993.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive does not hold information on rental values of agricultural land at thelevel of detail requested. The annual SEERAD Tenanted Land Survey producesaverage rental values by farm type and these can be viewed in the EconomicReport on Scott…

9 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average increase has been in land values in each region since 1993.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive does not hold information on land sales at the level of detailrequested. However, a historic series of sales of equipped farms is publishedin the Economic Report on Scottish Agriculture (ERSA) and can be viewedat the following lo…

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has in respect of the decline in numbers of black grouse and ptarmigan.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The last UK survey onblack grouse was in 1995-96 when it was estimated that there were 4,960 lekkingmale black grouse in Scotland. The next UK survey willbe conducted in 2005-06.Further information on the black grouse and the associatedconservation eff…

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to classify black grouse, ptarmigan, red grouse and partridge as protected species of wild birds as defined by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Other than the measurescontained in the Nature Conservation Bill, there are currently no plans to givethese species additional protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act1981.

5 Feb 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking as a result of the action being taken by the European Commission against the UK over failures to ensure sufficient protection of wild birds, in so far as these affect Scotland.

Answer · Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5920. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa" targ…

4 Feb 2004 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect Norwegian ownership of Scottish salmon farms has on possible co-operation between Scotland and Norway in securing a long-term future for Scotland's aquaculture sector.

Answer · Allan Wilson: Norwegianownership of Scottish salmon farms has not been a factor concerning possiblefuture co-operation between Scotland and Norway in securing a long-term future for Scotland’s aquaculture sector.Althoughthe corporate centres of the multi-national co…