Jim Hume

17 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what planning regulations ensure that new housing developments include a variety of house types and sizes.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) aims to create places with a distinct character and identity, promoting a well-integrated mix of land used including well-designed homes of different types and characters. Development plans should encourage and enable the creati…

16 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the shortest possible journey time was on the (a) Glasgow–Aberdeen, (b) Edinburgh–Aberdeen, (c) Aberdeen–Inverness, (d) Glasgow Queen Street–Edinburgh, (e) Glasgow–Inverness and (f) Edinburgh–Inverness ScotRail interurban services in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2012.

Answer · Keith Brown: Itemised below are the comparisons for the shortest possible journey times in both directions for the routes mentioned. Route 2007 Journey Time (mins) 2012 Journey Time (mins) Glasgow to Aberdeen 148 151 Aberdeen to Glasgow 153 152 Edinburgh to Abe…

16 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been employed in the fishing industry in each year since 2007-08.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Information on the numbers of sea fishermen employed between 2007 and 2011, the latest year for which the information is available, is published in Table 2.8 in the Statistical Bulletin Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2011, copies of which are available in …

16 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been employed as trawlermen on fishing vessels registered in Scotland in each year since 2007-08.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The available information on those employed on fishing vessels does not distinguish the fishing method used. Information on the number of trawlermen is therefore not available. Information on the total numbers of sea fishermen employed between 2007 and 2011, …

15 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of the rail network are electrified and how many miles and what areas have been electrified since May 2007.

Answer · Keith Brown: There are approximately 1,724 miles of rail track in Scotland, of which 25% is electrified. In terms of miles this equates to 431 miles of the rail network. These figures are the route length which includes multiple tracks where they exist. The single track l…

15 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of rail track are in use in Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: There are approximately 1,724 miles (2,776 kilometres) of rail track in Scotland.

15 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the size of national forest estate (a) acquisitions and (b) disposals has been in each year since 2007-08.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The size of national forest estate acquisitions and disposals in each year since 2007-08 is shown in the following tables: Forestry Commission Scotland Acquisitions Year Hectares 2007-08 2,879 2008-09 2,112 2009-10 423 2010-11 3,099 2011-12 2,04…

15 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what size the national forest estate will be by 2015 including the 100 million trees as per the SNP manifesto commitment.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The national forest estate will probably be slightly smaller in 2015 than it is now. This is because the total area of land with relatively low public benefits that is sold under the repositioning programme is likely to be larger than the area of land acquire…

15 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many trees were or have been planted in the national forest estate in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13, also broken down by area in hectares.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The following tables show the area of trees planted on the national forest estate in 2011-12 and a forecast of the area planted in 2012-13. The tables include restocking and new planting. Numbers of trees are estimated on the basis of 2,000 trees per hectare.…

15 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the size of the national forest estate (a) is and (b) has been in each year since 2007-08.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The current size of the national forest estate as at 31 March 2012 is 651,000 hectares. The size of the national forest estate in previous years is shown in the following table: Year (as at 31 March) Size of national forest estate 2011 654,000 hectares …

15 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its carbon footprint has been in each of the last five financial years, broken down by (a) directorate and (b) agency.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government’s carbon footprint for the last five financial years can be found in the following published Annual Environmental Reports and Sustainability Report: 2009-10 to 2011-12: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/09/2732 2008-09: ht…

1 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that potential community wind farm sites on the national forest estate do not include sites designated for their conservation value and areas identified by Scottish Natural Heritage as highly sensitive for natural heritage.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-09983 on 22 October 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/parliamentaryb…

1 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the identification of potential wind farm sites in areas of the national forest estate that are designated for their conservation value is compatible with the estate's statutory duties to further biodiversity, and what the reasons are for its position on this ma…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: All developers considering potential wind farm sites on the national forest estate are informed that they will be subject to normal planning/consent procedures. This includes the need to comply with statutory protection for designated sites and other statutor…

1 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the programme of wind energy developments on the national forest estate could be a material consideration in the determination of applications for planning or other regulatory consent, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: There is no single programme for wind energy developments on the national forest estate and each application will be considered in accordance with the policies of the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

1 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the strategic environmental assessment for the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland provides a sufficiently detailed assessment of the likely environmental effects of the programme of wind energy development on the national forest estate, and what the …

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The strategic environmental assessment for the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland included consideration of the environmental implications of increasing renewable electricity generation from onshore wind in Scotland. The Environmental Report noted…

1 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers its programme for wind energy developments on the national forest estate to be a "plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the management of [a Natura 2000] site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination…

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: There is no single programme for wind energy developments on the national forest estate and (for example) plans for the wind farm in Whitelee Forest were submitted over ten years ago. However, all projects are subject to the normal planning/consent process, i…

1 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its control of woodland removal policy is applicable to wind farm developments on the national forest estate and, if so, how it will ensure that this is implemented.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government’s control of woodland removal policy is applicable to wind farm developments on the national forest estate, all of which are subject to normal planning/consent procedures. Paragraph 148 of Scottish Planning Policy states that: “The Sc…

1 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances the (a) planning authority, (b) Scottish Government and (c) Forestry Commission Scotland would be the competent authority for consenting woodland removal or planting proposals associated with wind farm developments on the national forest estate.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The planning authority is the competent authority for consenting woodland removal associated with wind farm developments of 50 megawatts or less on the national forest estate. The Scottish Government is the competent authority for consenting woodland removal…

26 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered what impact the creation of a sulphur oxides emissions control area in the North Sea in 2014 will have on the Rosyth-Zeebrugge freight ferry service.

Answer · Keith Brown: Any potential impact on the freight ferry service by the changes to the EU Directive covering sulphur oxides content in marine fuels, which comes into force in 2015, is a commercial matter for the Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry operator to consider. We will continue …

26 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to the Rosyth-Zeebrugge freight ferry service following the expiry of its Waterborne Freight Grant.

Answer · Keith Brown: We awarded Norfolkline/DFDS a Waterborne Freight Grant of €2 million (payable over three years) in May 2009. The purpose of the grant is to encourage the transfer of freight from road to sea, and funds the additional freight costs of shipping over that of the…

26 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the Rosyth-Zeebrugge freight ferry service an important means of transport for hauliers in Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Rosyth-Zeebrugge freight ferry service remains important to Scotland and to Scottish business, providing a direct link to the Continent and offering an alternative to road transport, with consequent reductions in environmental impact.

10 Sep 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve administrative justice.

28 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the revenue was of each route operated by (a) CalMac Ferries Ltd and (b) NorthLink Ferries in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) 2009, (iv) 2010 and (v) 2011.

Answer · Keith Brown: Revenue data for CalMac Ferries Ltd and NorthLink Ferries Ltd operated ferry services are not available by route. Revenue figures for the whole Clyde and Hebrides ferry services (CHFS) network and the Northern Isles ferry services are detailed in the undernot…

27 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much road equivalent tariff support there was for each route operated by (a) CalMac Ferries Ltd and (b) NorthLink Ferries in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) 2009, (iv) 2010 and (v) 2011.

Answer · Keith Brown: Road equivalent tariff (RET) data for CalMac Ferries Ltd operated ferry services are not available by route. Information on Scottish Government support for RET for the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree is detailed in the undernoted table for the financial years 2…

27 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the revenue has been of the CalMac Ferries Ltd-operated services to the Western Isles in each year since 2008.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-09289 on 12 September 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s own website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliame…

27 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the operating deficit was on each Caledonian MacBrayne/CalMac Ferries Ltd route in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and (e) 2011.

Answer · Keith Brown: Data on Scottish Government support for ferry services are not broken down by route. The deficit grant payments made by the Scottish Government to CalMac Ferries Ltd for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services in the financial years 2007-08 to 2010-11 are as f…

27 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the percentage change was in the level of (a) passengers, (b) cars and (c) freight using (i) CalMac Ferries Ltd-operated services to the Western Isles and (ii) routes operated by (A) CalMac Ferries Ltd and (B) NorthLink Ferries that were not covered by the road equivalent tariff pil…

Answer · Keith Brown: The percentage change data requested are set out in the following tables. Northlink Data Northlink / Calendar Year Passengers Cars Freight Lerwick/Aberdeen % % % NorthLink 2007 -0.21 -1.47 34.49 NorthLink 2008 -0.75 0.26 14.47 NorthLink 2009…

2 Aug 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines it will issue to landlords who have opted out of the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011 on providing mechanisms for independent dispute resolution.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has no plans to issue guidelines to private landlords on the provision of independent dispute resolution on matters related to tenant deposits. All private landlords who take or hold a deposit in connection with a relevant tenancy hav…

31 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it will put in place to help local authorities achieve the level of childcare provision required as a result of the proposed Rights of Children and Young People bill.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: We will work closely with stakeholders, including COSLA, throughout the development of the Children and Young People Bill to determine what mechanisms will need to be put in place to help local authorities achieve the level of childcare provision in the bill.…

31 Jul 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost of childcare provision will be resulting from the proposed Rights of Children and Young People bill, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: A financial memorandum will be introduced along with the Children and Young People Bill which will include the costs and savings associated with it. This will include the estimated costs of implementing legislative proposals on early learning and childcare, i…