Alison Johnstone

6 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many nautical miles of seaborne, deep-sea surveillance of fisheries were carried out in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2010-11.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Surveillance of Scotland’s seas is continuously carried out by satellite monitoring techniques. Specific issues of concern can be looked at by Marine Scotland’s aircraft if physical observation is needed. Aerial surveillance, satellite monitoring and risk bas…

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) funding and (b) other support it is providing for a cycle route between Penicuik and Peebles.

Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish Government funding of £5,000 to Sustrans, matched by Midlothian and Scottish Borders Councils (£15,000 in total) allowed the completion of a feasibility study into this project in 2009. This showed a very sparsely populated area and the study could n…

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) funding and (b) other support it is providing for a cycle route between Uddingston and Douglas.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government, Sustrans and South Lanarkshire Council are jointly funding the creation of a £1.5 million off-road cycle path between Larkhall and Hamilton, due for completion by March 2013. The Uddingston to Hamilton section is completed. The Scotti…

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) funding and (b) other support it is providing for a cycle route between Callander and Stirling to link National Cycle Network routes 7 and 76.

Answer · Keith Brown: Sustrans has been working towards this development for a number of years in partnership with Transport Scotland, which has invested around £50,000 in the project to date. However, land-ownership issues have delayed completion. Stirling Council and Sustrans ar…

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) funding and (b) other support it is providing for the completion of the Caledonia Way cycle route between Campbeltown and Inverness and when the entire route will be completed.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government and Transport Scotland are working in partnership with Sustrans, Argyll and Bute and Highland Councils, and other stakeholders to deliver the route from Campbeltown to Inverness, including signing and mapping. So far, Scottish Governme…

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to make the road network more cycle-friendly.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is supporting a number of projects across Scotland to make the road network more cycle-friendly and Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2010, published in October 2011, shows that we are making progress in reducing the number of cyclist …

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what requirement schools have to provide cycle training and what percentage of schoolchildren completes level (a) 1, (b) 2 and (b) 3 Bikeability Scotland training.

Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish Schools have no obligation to provide cycle training. However, The Road Traffic Act 1988, Chapter 52, Section 39 states that: “Each local authority must prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety including the dis…

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many 20 mph zones there are and what it is doing to encourage greater use of these zones in urban areas.

Answer · Keith Brown: Information on the number of 20 mph zones in Scotland is not held centrally. Transport Scotland is part-funding the market research and evaluation element of a City of Edinburgh Council pilot to designate all side streets and some main routes in South Centra…

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made on identifying what kind of hierarchy of care for road users might be established, as discussed in its Cycling Action Plan for Scotland.

Answer · Keith Brown: Action 12 in the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland relates to research around hierarchies of care for road users (“to undertake a legislative search to reveal the operation of liability laws and how they work in other countries in Europe and around the world, …

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted in relation to road accidents involving cyclists since 1999.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government Court Proceedings database does not contain data on persons proceeded against for accidents involving bicycles. A person prosecuted for an accident involving a bicycle would generally be prosecuted for a dangerous or careless driving …

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) training relevant to cycle safety is required of and (b) action it takes to increase awareness of cycle safety among car drivers.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has no direct requirement to provide training relevant to cycle safety. However, The Road Traffic Act 1988, Chapter 52, Section 39 states that: “Each local authority must prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to prom…

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) training relevant to cycle safety is required of and (b) action it takes to increase awareness of cycle safety among drivers of buses.

Answer · Keith Brown: Legislatively, driver training is a reserved matter. Aside from the relevant driver's licence bus drivers have to have a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). Driver CPC is designed to improve road safety; help the environment by reducing emissions an…

5 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) training relevant to cycle safety is required of and (b) action it takes to increase awareness of cycle safety among drivers of heavy and larger goods vehicles.

Answer · Keith Brown: Professional HGV drivers have to comply with the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), which was introduced across the European Union to maintain high driving standards and improve road safety. New HGV drivers need to pass the Driver CPC theory…

1 Mar 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what information it has on and (b) what steps it is taking to identify how many newly built residential properties that have never been occupied have been empty longer than six months; what their stage of completion is; what their eligibility for council tax is, and the measures that …

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of new build residential properties that have been empty longer than six months, although it maintains close links with Homes for Scotland so is kept informed of how developers’ house sales are performi…

22 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that, following the end of parental maternity leave, there is equitable access to early childhood education and care for all children.

22 Feb 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft Renewables Obligation (Scotland) (Amendment) Order 2012 aims to remove subsidies for large-scale biomass plants.

Answer · John Swinney: We are not in a position yet to say what amendments will be introduced to Scotland’s Renewables Obligation later this year. We have recently published the responses to our recent consultation exercise on this subject. Many of those who replied shared and echo…

21 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will continue to support outdoor learning under the Curriculum for Excellence and whether an Outdoor Learning Development Officer will remain in post in the next financial year.

Answer · Michael Russell: We remain committed to promoting outdoor learning as a valuable context for learning in Curriculum for Excellence. Education Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and other partners are continuing to provide practical support and both the Scottish Studies Worki…

8 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it has appropriately balanced its efforts to prevent cancer between lifestyle and environmental risks.

8 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that new and existing hydropower schemes (a) have minimal adverse impact on biodiversity and (b) do not compromise Scotland’s ability to meet the water framework directive requirements.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: (a) The Scottish Government has published online planning guidance in relation to hydropower. It highlights that Environmental Impacts Assessments (EIA) are expected to establish whether or not there are any significant impacts on the biodiversity of an area,…

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all egg producers in Scotland are compliant with the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive and, if not, how many producers are non-compliant and what action is being taken to ensure compliance.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I am pleased to confirm that the last Scottish producer to have laying hens in conventional cages contrary to the requirements of the Laying Hens Directive had removed the hens before 1 February. All egg producers in Scotland now comply with the ban on keepin…

12 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many crew in the offshore fishing fleet are from (a) EU countries and (b) the Philippines.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government as EEA nationals are not subject to immigration controls and responsibility for non-EEA nationals is reserved to the UK Government.

12 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the aggregate (a) tonnage and (b) engine power of the pelagic fishing fleet was in (i) 1990-91 and (ii) 2010-11.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The aggregate tonnage of the pelagic fishing fleet was 18,120 tonnes in 1991 and 46,518 tonnes in 2011. The aggregate power of the pelagic fishing fleet was 82,850kws in 1991 and 116,115kws in 2011. Year Tonnage Power 1991 18,120 82,850 2011 46,518 1…

14 Dec 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy is taking to reduce the health impact of air pollution in cities.

2 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the penalty is for non-conformance with the (a) aquaculture industry’s code of good practice and (b) Scottish Environmental Protection Agency's licences for discharge.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The question of any penalties for non-compliance with the Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture is not a matter for the Scottish Government. The code is non-statutory and auditing of compliance with its terms, as appropriate, is a matter for …

2 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the aquaculture developments in the areas assessed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency reports, JT000811_JT and TR110810_JT, comply with the aquaculture industry’s code of good practice.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has made no such assessment. The code is non-statutory and auditing of compliance with its terms, as appropriate, is a matter for industry.

2 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impacts on benthic invertebrates have been recorded in the areas assessed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency reports, JT000811_JT and TR110810_JT, since they were published.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There have been no surveys of benthic invertebrate populations undertaken in the six weeks since the publication of these reports. SEPA has however a range of data on the benthic invertebrates in the relevant waterbodies. The available data on benthic inverte…

2 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the 2010 data on the occurrence of chemicals used in sea lice treatments in sediments adjacent to marine fish farms.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The analysis data from samples taken in 2010 and 2011 will be published in the spring or early summer 2012.

2 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact is on shellfish fisheries of the chemicals identified in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency reports, JT000811_JT and TR110810_JT.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The occurrence of residues of these chemicals at concentrations within the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) will not have impacts upon non-target animals such as those harvested by commercial shellfish interests. There is a risk where residue levels exce…

2 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what investigations (a) have taken place and (b) are planned regarding the potential terrestrial sources of the chemicals identified in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency reports, JT000811_JT and TR110810_JT.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Prior to publication of the reports, informal investigations took place into other potential sources of the chemicals identified in the reports published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (including forestry agriculture and horticulture uses). No …

2 Dec 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the allowable concentration is for sediments of chemicals used in sea lice treatment and what powers are available to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency should this be breached.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There is a range of allowable concentrations for the various medicines used as sea louse treatments. Some of these are formal Environmental Quality Standards (EQS), others Probable No Effects Concentrations (PNEC). The standards are as set out in the followin…