Parliamentary questions
Andy Wightman
202 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its data regarding the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17 records that 72% of the completed homes that were classified as "rural" were built in towns and urban areas.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Our management system for 2016-17 categorised the affordable housing supply programme projects as either ‘urban’ or ‘rural’. On realigning this information with the 6-fold classification, 368 completed homes were remote rural, 141 accessible rural and 124 in …
16 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the data regarding the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17, which records that the number of affordable homes in rural areas that were built with the support of the programme was 299, compared with 715 in 2010-11.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Local authorities have a statutory requirement to produce a local housing strategy which sets out the priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and housing related services within the local authority’s area, required now and into the future. The Scotti…
16 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the data regarding the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17, which records that the number of affordable homes in accessible rural areas that were built with the support of the programme was 141, compared with 297 in 2010-11.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: In 2016-17, 141 homes were completed in accessible rural areas compared with 250 in 2010-11. Local authorities have a statutory requirement to produce a local housing strategy which sets out the priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and housing rel…
16 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the data regarding the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17, which records that the number of affordable homes in remote rural areas that were built with the support of the programme was 158, compared with 418 in 2010-11.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: In 2016-17, 368 homes were completed in remote rural areas compared with 548 in 2010-11. Local authorities have a statutory requirement to produce a local housing strategy which sets out the priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and housing related…
16 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the figures suggesting that 46% of people in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway areas live in communities of less than 3,000, what its response is to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2016-17 data, which records that one eight-home rural community devel…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: In 2016-17, 43 homes were completed in rural areas in the South Scotland constituency region. Local authorities have a statutory requirement to produce a local housing strategy which sets out the priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and housing re…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the requirements set out by the October 2016 plenary session of the EU Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, what framework has been agreed for monitoring the (a) short- and (b) long-term impacts of electrofishing for razor clams during the trial in Sco…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Fishing vessels participating in the trial are required to gather information specified by Marine Scotland. The gathering of information may require the installation of electronic equipment, including cameras. A protocol for the gathering of information to fu…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comments by the EU Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries that "Given the patchy distribution of razor clams, regulatory measures would best be tailored to the specific environmental conditions of the different areas and fisheries", what mechanisms to…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15314 on 26 April 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the vessels licensed to fish in the razor clam electrofishing trial are fitted with operational vessel monitoring systems.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Under present EU law vessels of length overall 12 metres and over must have installed an operating and tamper proof vessel monitoring system. It is planned however that all vessels participating in the trial will have installed on-board an additional and besp…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when Appropriate Assessments, as required under the EU's habitats directive, will be (a) completed and (b) published for the (i) 4 and (ii) 10b trial area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: These assessments will be completed and published as soon as possible. No fishing under the trial is authorised in these areas at present. The two areas in question are the Sound of Barra and Luce Bay in the Solway Firth.
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to the consultation on electrofishing for razor clams in Scotland in April 2017, which stated that "in due course, the Government will confirm one or possibly two trial areas where, following initial stock assessments, a limited number of fishing vessels will be…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Further to consultation with fishermen and other interested parties the Scottish Government considered that it was possible, and potentially more informative, to undertake a trial over a larger number of clearly defined areas than was initially anticipated in…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how Marine Scotland Compliance (MSC) plans to monitor licensed razor clam electrofishing fishing activity in the 12 razor clam electrofishing trial sites, in particular sites, such as the Sound of Harris and Sound of Sleat, where additional avoidance areas have been identified, and how M…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: With respect to the monitoring of vessels participating in the trial, I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15298 on 26 April 2018. In relation to any razor fishing that vessels not authorised within the terms of the trial, Marine Scotland Complian…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the area covered by the 24 Food Standards Agency Shellfish Classified Waters are within the razor clam electrofishing trial (a) site 4, (b) site 10b and (c) sites that have already opened.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Food Standards Agency has no role on this issue in Scotland. It is presumed that Mr Wightman means Food Standards Scotland, the independent agency established to 2015 in Scotland and answers to his question are provided on that basis. The trial areas are …
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessments it has undertaken to ensure that the number of sites opened under the razor clam electrofishing trial can economically sustain the total number of licensed vessels in each trial area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The selection of areas for inclusion in the razor clam electrofishing trial was informed by consultation with fishermen and others with an interest in the razor clam fishery. Abundance of razor clams will fluctuate over time and across different geographical …
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the vessels licensed to participate in the razor clam electrofishing trial can fish in all 12 trial sites, or whether they are restricted to particular sites.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Vessels are authorised to fish only in specified areas and not in all trial sites. I refer the member to the answer to S5W-15292 on 26 April 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility fo…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels have been licensed to take part in the razor clam electrofishing trial in each trial area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Vessels in the razor clam electrofishing trial may undertake fishing activity in one of four zones. The four zones are as follows with the number of vessels authorised to fish in that zone shown in brackets afterwards. One vessel is yet to be allocated an are…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of Scottish inshore waters the razor clam electrofishing trial sites cover.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: 8.7 per cent. The total area covered by the trial sites, including those where an appropriate assessment is yet concluded and fishing is therefore not currently authorised, is 5,410 square kilometres. The total area of Scottish waters bounded by the area up t…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria were used to determine the maximum number of vessels licensed to fish in the razor clam electrofishing trial (a) overall and (b) in each trial area.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Applications for the razor clam electrofishing trial were assessed by a cross-Departmental panel, which involved Marine Scotland, the Health and Safety Executive and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Applications were scored against published criteria that …
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how Marine Scotland Compliance is monitoring areas outside the razor clam electrofishing trial sites to ensure that there is no unlicensed activity.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15299 on 26 April 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether catches reported by vessels taking part in the razor clam electrofishing trial will provide local, real-time information regarding razor clam (a) catch rates and (b) population structure.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15314 on 26 April 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the licences to fish in the razor clam electrofishing trial have been granted to individuals (a) in receipt of Fixed Penalty Notices or (b) who have been convicted for offences relating to electrofishing for razor clams.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Applications for the trial were accepted from all UK registered fishing vessels. All applications were considered on an objective basis, as per the published scoring criteria, with safety being of paramount importance. During the sift of applications points w…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the identities of each of the licensed vessels taking part in the razor clam electrofishing trial will be made publicly available.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: There are no plans at present to publish these details.
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what constitutes a "fishing season" for the razor clam electrofishing trial, and for how many fishing seasons the trial will take place.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Razor clam fishing can be conducted at all times during the year, but is most practicable in better weather. Allusion to a fishing season is intended as a reference to the summer months. Current plans allow for the trial to continue for at least two years fro…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the conditions of licences to take part in the razor clam electrofishing trial for any vessels registered in England are being implemented in law.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: There is no difference in the implementation of the trial between Scottish and non-Scottish vessels. All fishing by UK vessels for razor clams is prohibited further to the Razor Clams (Prohibition on Fishing and Landing) (Scotland) Order 2017. Vessels taking …
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the five-year average catch for unlicensed razor clam fishing being 612 tonnes, and the commitment in the letter of 8 December 2017 from the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee "to take a cautious approach …
Answer · Fergus Ewing: It is not correct to state that fishing for razor clams undertaken prior to 1 February 2018 was “unlicensed”. UK fishing vessels landing razor clams prior to this date did so further to the authority granted them under their sea fisheries licence and, in the …
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any vessels licensed to participate in the razor clam electrofishing trial are doing so prior to their electrofishing gear having been inspected by Marine Scotland Compliance.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: A derogation authorising participation in the electrofishing for razor clams trial is only issued once the electrofishing gear has been inspected on-board the vessel by Marine Scotland Compliance.
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the vessels licensed to take part in the razor clam electrofishing trial are registered in England.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: There are three fishing vessels presently registered in England that have been invited to take part in the trial.
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the legal basis was for opening 10 sites for the razor clam electrofishing trial without stock assessments of the target species having been (a) undertaken and (b) published.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The legal basis of the trial is Article 43 of EC Regulation 850/98.
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the requirements set out during the October 2016 plenary session of the EU's Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, what management process has been agreed for the trials of electrofishing for razor clams in Scottish waters to ensure "that the applicatio…
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Derogations issued to authorise vessels to take part in the trial require vessels to deploy only specified electrical equipment, and said equipment must be inspected prior to the commencement of fishing operations. Arrangements are being made to allow for the…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason a carriage order was not included in the Razor Clams (Prohibition on Fishing and Landing) (Scotland) Order 2017 (SSI 2017/419) to allow for additional enforcement action to be taken in relation to illegal razor clam fishing activity.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Razor Clams (Prohibition on Fishing and Landing) (Scotland) Order 2017 (SSI 2017/419) is made in terms of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967, and in particular sections 5 and 6 thereof. These sections do not include a power to prohibit the carrying of s…
15 Mar 2018 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether separate annual total allowable catches have been set for each site of the razor clam electrofishing trial and, if so, what these are.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Separate annual total allowable catches have not been set. The Scottish Government will keep the trial under review and reserves the right to close areas to further fishing or introduce specific conditions for particular trial areas.