Parliamentary questions
Alison Johnstone
905 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Sep 2012 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring equitable access to music tuition in schools.
23 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) industry and (b) activity it expects will require to carry out large-scale abstractions, as described in Part 2 of the draft Water Resources (Scotland) Bill, that cannot be authorised under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All abstractions from the water environment require authorisation under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. The proposals in the Water Resources (Scotland) Bill are that abstractions over 10 Megalitres per day will requi…
23 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when Scottish Water will publish its Water Efficiency Plan and what consultation it will carry out during the plan’s development.
Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Water has published their Water Efficiency Plan on their website. See Link. http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/you-and-your-home/your-home/water-efficiency/water-efficiency-downloads/water-efficiency-plan. Scottish Water developed the plan and the foc…
15 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many former students have outstanding student loans that include a graduate endowment element.
Answer · Michael Russell: At the end of financial year 2011-2012 15,200 of the graduates who chose to take a student loan in order to pay the Graduate Endowment had an outstanding balance on their loans.
2 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what restrictions are there on the planting of specific tree species to assist in the reduction of dothistroma needle blight risk in (a) the public forest estate and (b) private estates.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: On the national forest estate there is a moratorium on the planting of: Corsican pine lodgepole pine other than the more resistant Alaskan origin of that species when planted in self-thinning mixtures with Sitka spruce on sites where higher inputs of ferti…
2 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what research is planned or underway to fill knowledge gaps suggested by the report, Dothistroma needle blight: GB Strategy.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The research programme led by the Forestry Commission’s research agency, Forest Research, includes: surveys to determine the Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) distribution and intensity in Scotland and whether the pathogen is also infecting non-pine species; …
2 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it approves the use of aerials fungicide applications to reduce dothistroma needle blight and, if so, under what circumstances, and how many have taken place.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The GB Strategy for Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) recognises that a range of measures will be required to deal with DNB in pine woodlands. This GB Strategy recommends that consideration is given to the role of chemical treatments, including the targeted use…
2 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to raise awareness of dothistroma needle blight.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) has featured in the trade press and on the Forestry Commission’s website for several years, and a Forest Research Note was published in 2008. DNB has also featured in annual Forest Health Days run by Forest Research in order to…
2 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the economic impact of dothistroma needle blight would be if it was allowed to continue spreading.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) is already having an adverse economic impact as a result of degradation in timber value, and this will increase with continued spread of the disease. In addition there are wider consequences (also affecting non-market outputs) …
2 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which parts of the public forest estate in Scotland are worst affected by dothistroma needle blight.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The worst affected areas for Dothistroma needle blight on the national forest estate are North Highland Forest District and Moray & Aberdeenshire Forest District.
2 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the forest estate is affected by dothistroma needle blight, when the last assessment of this was made and how this compares to 2006.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: This year’s annual assessment for the presence of Dothistroma needle blight on the national forest estate is still in progress. The 2011 survey detected 11,500 hectares of pine woodland with Dothistroma infection (Lodgepole pine: 7,500 hectares; Scots pine: 3…
2 Aug 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what surveillance is carried to track the spread of dothistroma needle blight.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Since 2006 Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) has been undertaking annual ground-based surveys for the presence/absence of Dothistroma needle blight on the national forest estate (NFE). In 2011, following development of cost-effective techniques, FES also comme…
26 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many times the defence of justifiable assault under section 51 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 has (a) been invoked and (b) resulted in an acquittal in relation to charges of assault on a child under 16.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally.
9 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the £18 million Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund will support research into (a) potential and (b) mitigation of impacts of marine renewables devices on biodiversity.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The £18 million Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund will support the development and deployment of the first commercial scale wave and tidal array projects in Scottish waters. Issues with (a) potential and (b) mitigation of impacts of marine renewables …
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what sections of public road will be managed as part of the joint Forth road bridge management contract and what impact this will have on any planned cycle path improvements on these roads.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Bridge Operating Company Contract for the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC) and the Forth Road Bridge (FRB) will include the connecting roads from M90 Junction 3 Halbeath in the north through to Junction 1A on the M9 at Kirkliston in the south. Transport S…
28 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is providing to improve the A90 cycle path from Edinburgh to Fife.
Answer · Keith Brown: The A90 cycle path from Edinburgh to the start of the Forth Road Bridge is classified as a local road and not a trunk road and, as such, Transport Scotland provides no direct funding for this route. All local roads in Scotland are the responsibility of the lo…
27 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will designate protected areas at sea for internationally important seabird populations.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: A number of work streams are being progressed by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Scottish Natural Heritage to identify locations at sea of importance to species covered by the requirement to classify Special Protection Areas under the EU Wi…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the current term for the chair of Scottish Natural Heritage ends and what progress has been made in appointing a successor.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The current term of appointment for the Chair of Scottish Natural Heritage ends on 31 July 2012. Details of an extension to this appointment from 1 August 2012 to 28 February 2014 were announced by the Scottish Government on 25 May. A copy of the news release…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what wider seas measures it will implement to ensure favourable conservation status for marine species and habitats.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Examples of wider seas measures are marine planning, environmental impact assessment, and strategic environmental assessment. In addition to these, wider seas measures contained within sectoral policies and plans can play their part in improving the status of…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will improve the status of species and habitats identified as deteriorating in Scotland's Marine Atlas: Information for The National Marine Plan.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08163 on 9 July 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/parliamentarybus…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will address the conservation issues identified for marine species and habitats in Scotland's Marine Atlas: Information for The National Marine Plan.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scotland’s marine Atlas identified a number of pressures on marine habitats and species, including changes in the physical and chemical qualities of the water, disturbance of the seabed, underwater noise, recreational disturbance, and coastal development. A n…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research is planned or underway to fill the knowledge gaps identified by the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership's paper, Knowledge Gaps.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Marine Scotland is working in two areas to identify work that it needs to take forward from the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’s paper, Research Gaps. Firstly with its partners within the CAMERAS (Co-ordinated Agenda for Marine, Environment and Rur…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to provide protection for marine areas critical to basking sharks.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Any Marine Protected Area (MPA) proposal brought forward will complement the species protection already afforded to Basking Shark through the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended. The basking shark is listed as a MPA search feature. One search loca…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will protect cetaceans by means of the provisions of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Any Marine Protected Area (MPA) proposal brought forward will complement the species protection already afforded to all species of cetaceans by virtue of being European Protected Species under the EU Habitats Directive. Three species of cetaceans are listed …
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the features of marine protected areas are not damaged.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Marine Protected Areas will be managed to achieve the conservation objectives. The need for specific management over and above existing sectoral measures and licensing will be determined on a site-by-site basis. It will be based on the protected features, the…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether (a) Scottish Natural Heritage and (b) the Joint Nature Conservation Committee will continue to undertake site condition monitoring of seabird special protection areas and sites of special scientific interest on a six-yearly basis.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Where Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) or Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) carry out routine seabird monitoring on reserves the data is used to complete condition assessments for seabirds every six years. Beyond this SNH relies on the UK-wide national sea…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the site condition is of the marine Natura 2000 sites.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: For the suite of Special Areas of Conservation within territorial waters 52 designated features are in favourable condition and five are in unfavourable condition. The Special Protection Areas which were classified in 2009 in the marine environment have not …
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the marine special area of conservation network has been subject to six-yearly site condition monitoring.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Marine features in special areas of conservation (SAC) in Scotland are included in Scottish Natural Heritage’s Site Condition Monitoring rolling six year programme. The frequency at which an individual feature will be monitored is determined by the risk/vulne…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the seabird special protection areas and sites of special scientific interest have been subject to six-yearly site condition monitoring.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08158 on 2 July 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/MAQASearch/Q…
20 Jun 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive by what process it will review the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland and what opportunities there will be for representations.
Answer · Keith Brown: Cycling Scotland is due to submit the first Cycling Action Plan for Scotland progress report to Ministers by the end of July 2012. I gave a commitment to a refresh of the 2010 document during the Green Party debate on cycling and road safety in March. Officia…