Jim Hume

8 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the environmental impacts of the (a) current programme of Forestry Commission Scotland land acquisition and (b) new planting programme on the national forest estate have been assessed (i) strategically and (ii) at an individual forest level.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The current programme of land acquisition and new planting on the national forest estate was included in The National Forest Estate Strategic Plan 2009-2013, which had a Strategic Environmental Assessment. A copy of The National Forest Estate Strategic Plan 2…

8 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many woodland expansion proposals have been consented without an approved environmental impact assessment by each Forestry Commission Scotland conservancy since 2007 for woodland planting (a) below two, (b) between two and 10, (c) from 10 to 100 and (d) above 100 hectares.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The number of woodland creation proposals which were approved without Environmental Impact Assessment consent, by area size categories, since 2007 is set out in the following table. RPAC Region Under 2 hectares 2-10 hectares 10-100 hectares Over 100 …

8 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many woodland expansion proposals have been consented without an approved environmental impact assessment by each Forestry Commission Scotland conservancy since 2007 for new woodland planting on (a) sensitive and (b) non-sensitive sites.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The number of woodland creation proposals which were consented without an Environmental Impact Assessment, split by sensitive sites and by non-sensitive sites, since 2007 is set out in the following table. RPAC Region Sensitive Sites Non-Sensitive Sites A…

8 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the strategic environmental assessment for its 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland will be complete and when it will be published.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: On 5 March 2012 the Scottish Government published an Environmental Report, which sets out the findings of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland and the draft Electricity Generation Policy Statement.…

8 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue a list of wind farm sites that are to be developed on the national forest estate.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A list of wind and hydro developments on the national forest estate is published on the Forestry Commission Scotland website at: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-7stf2a. This is updated quarterly. It lists developments that are …

26 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timeframe is for its investment of £50 million to improve the Caledonian Sleeper service.

Answer · Keith Brown: The sleeper enhancement is a significant project involving substantial amounts of public money. The overall programme of investment will roll out over a number of years. We have started this process by consulting users of the sleeper on the enhancements they …

26 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06199 by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2012, what progress it has made to ensure that a funding mechanism is in place for rural development programmes if the European Commission’s reformed common agricultural policy is not in place from 1 January 2014.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Setting out transitional arrangements is not an issue simply restricted to Scotland and the rest of the UK but one that has been raised as a concern by a number of member states who are worried about the negative impact that could be caused by a break in fund…

26 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will update the document, Scottish Executive: Consultation Good Practice Guidance, to include advice on the use of the QuestBack method of consultation or other multiple choice systems.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: Consultation with the public and stakeholders is an essential part of the Scottish Government’s business. The existing consultations good practice guidance is currently being updated to cover the widest possible range of consultation methods and to ensure con…

26 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the document, Scottish Government Consultation on the European Commission's proposals for the future Common Agricultural Policy 2014 - 2020, did not provide more space for respondents to qualify their answers to multiple choice questions.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06923 on 24 May 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/parliamentarybusi…

26 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes to deal with responses to its consultations in which it is considered that multiple choice answers have been interpreted in different ways.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the question S4W-06923 answered on 24 May 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/parliamentarybusi…

26 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the questions in the document, Scottish Government Consultation on the European Commission's proposals for the future Common Agricultural Policy 2014 - 2020, might lead to answers that can be interpreted in different ways.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As with most consultations the interpretation of a question often depends on the individual views and circumstances of the person responding. The Questback public consultation expressly sought to assess whether there was agreement with the European Commissio…

25 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing legislation on pet vending to prohibit the sale of puppies in pet shops.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There are no immediate plans to consider secondary legislation on pet vending to prohibit the sale of puppies in pet shops. In the area of animal welfare we are currently concentrating on developing new legislation on the welfare of animals at slaughter that …

25 Apr 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of recent consultations by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, whether it will review the legislation on (a) puppy farming and (b) irresponsible breeding of dogs.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There are no immediate plans to review the legislation on puppy farming or the breeding of dogs. In the area of animal welfare we are currently concentrating on developing new legislation on the welfare of animals at slaughter that will implement EU legislati…

11 Apr 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what training is provided for newly qualified PE teachers to help them identify the symptoms of possible heart conditions in pupils.

15 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support the wood panel industry to expand its investment in renewable heat generation.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: We have opted for Scotland to be part of the GB wide Renewable Heat Incentive which provides financial support from Central Government funding and is the main mechanism to encourage investment in renewable heat across the sector, including the wood panel indu…

15 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has undertaken to ensure that the wood panel industry has continued access to competitively priced timber.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: In response to concerns by the UK's wood using industries that the UK Government’s Bio-Energy strategy will serve to distort timber prices, I and my colleague, the Minister for Environment and Climate Change recently convened and chaired a short term working …

15 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government on measures to protect the future of the wood panel industry in Scotland.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Ministers are aware of the perceived threat to the wood panel industry from the UK Government’s Bio-Energy strategy. I raised this issue with Greg Barker, Minister for State for Energy and Climate Change during a phone call on 8 June 2011. Since then…

15 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of biomass policies on the wood panel industry.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Government commissioned Forest Research and North Energy Associates to undertake two pieces of research in support of the Renewable Obligation (Scotland) (ROS) consultation. In addition, a policy analysis of suppo…

14 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency plans it has in the event that the common agricultural policy reform is not agreed by early 2014.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The European Commission’s timetable for Common Agricultural Policy reform is designed on the basis that the new policy will be available from the 1 January 2014, and the government have been consulting on that basis with stakeholders. However, we acknowledge …

7 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that patients who move to England will continue to be treated by their consultant in Scotland if Scotland becomes independent.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish independence will not have any impact on the current arrangements when a person living in Scotland moves to England. Under present arrangements it would normally be the case that on moving from Scotland to England, patients would register with a lo…

7 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that patients in the Scottish Borders registered with GPs in England can continue to be treated by their GP in an independent Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government will ensure that should Scotland become independent, patients living in the borders but registered with a GP in England will not be disadvantaged in their health care access and treatment.

22 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals farmers lodged against financial penalties for failing to observe cross-compliance standards under the Single Farm Payment scheme in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10, (iii) 2010-11 and have lodged in 2011-12.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The following table provides details of the number of (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals submitted by farmers who incurred financial penalties for failing to observe cross compliance requirements and standards for calendar years 2008, 2009, 2010 and …

22 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many financial penalties were imposed on farmers for failing to observe cross-compliance standards under the Single Farm Payment scheme in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 and have been imposed in 2011-12.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The following table provides details of the number of payment reductions imposed on farmers for failing to observe cross compliance requirements and standards. Number of Payment Reductions Imposed on Farmers Cross compliance year1 2008 250 2009 429 …

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to increase the concessionary travel reimbursement rate for registered community transport operators to 100%.

Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not available. It is not possible to accurately separate the costs to the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons for services operated under community bus permits and those which operate under a standard operat…

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many journeys were made by (a) registered and (b) non-registered community transport operators in the most recent year for which information is available.

Answer · Keith Brown: The information requested is not collected.

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to extend the concessionary travel scheme to all community transport journeys.

Answer · Keith Brown: The absence of a detailed and up to date registry of Community Transport providers makes it difficult to provide anything but an approximation of the potential total costs. The report from the review of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Older and D…

8 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that suitable land is made available for communities to develop wind power on the national forest estate.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: As part of its recent competitive negotiation process, aimed at identifying development partners for renewable energy, Forestry Commission Scotland has reached agreements that will allow communities to take an equity share in these wind and hydro-power develo…

8 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a habitats regulations appraisal is required for the programme of wind energy development on the national forest estate and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In line with guidance from Scottish Natural Heritage, individual potential renewable energy developments on the national forest estate will be screened in relation to the Habitats Regulations to determine whether there could be an effect upon any Natura site …

8 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will consider the cumulative environmental impact of wind energy developments when developing wind energy on the national forest estate.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05548 on 28 February 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/Apps2/Busine…

8 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that developments on the national forest estate will be planned strategically to maximise renewable energy capacity and minimise environmental impact.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: All renewable energy developments on the national forest estate will require planning approval by the local authority or (for wind farms in excess of 50 megawatts) consent from Scottish ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. As a part of thes…