- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what grants or other routes to investment in line with its climate change commitments, such as the Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement Scheme, are available for low-carbon transport solutions.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Budget prioritises a just transition to a net zero, climate resilient and biodiverse Scotland, with over £2.2 billion of investment in 2023-24.
The Scottish Government’s public sector climate funding map , highlighting funding opportunities in a range of areas including transport, heat and waste, is available on the Sustainable Scotland Network Website.
On the specific question on Highland Council's Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement Scheme, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13974 on 31 January 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is assessing the potential risk of future high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) transmission from released non-native game birds in Scotland to wild mammals including foxes and otters.
Answer
To date nine mammals including four seals, four otters and one fox have tested positive for influenza of avian origin H5N1 in Scotland. APHA (Animals and Plant Health Agency) routinely undertakes diagnostic testing of wild animals found dead under the GB wildlife surveillance scheme. The detection of the virus does not mean that it was the cause of death of these animals. This is an unusual event and infection of mammals with influenza of avian origin remains an uncommon infection, including in humans. The risk of the H5N1 strain to non-avian UK wildlife remains low.
Of the nine mammals that have tested positive for influenza of avian origin, there are no known links to the release of non-native game birds. The Scottish Government continues to monitor the outputs the GB wildlife surveillance scheme and assess any future risks.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the Risk Assessment on the spread of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) to wild birds from released, formerly captive gamebirds in Great Britain, which was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in December 2022.
Answer
The Scottish Government is examining the risk assessment conclusion in detail given the serious impact of HPAI (High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza) on wild and kept birds and will monitor risk levels and carefully consider its response over coming months.
The release of game birds is prohibited within an avian influenza protection zone and surveillance zone.
When kept there is a legal requirement to report suspicion of notifiable avian disease in game birds.
Where Special Protected Area (SPA)/Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) are designated for vulnerable species consent from NatureScot is required for release of game birds.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support it can give to Highland Council's Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement Scheme to replace the two ageing ferries currently operating on the busiest ferry route with electric vessels, and what its position is on whether Highland Council's Scheme to replace the ferries aligns with recommendation 24 of the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) on ferry vessel renewal and replacement and progressive decarbonisation.
Answer
At the request of the Scottish Government, CMAL is providing assistance to The Highland Council through our Small Vessel Replacement Programme. CMAL engages regularly with The Highland Council and partners, and continues to provide assistance with the vessel concept design, feasibility and infrastructure studies, as well as exploring key areas such as low emissions technologies.
STPR 2 recommendation 24 relates only to the Clyde & Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services networks that Scottish Ministers are directly responsible for.
Any proposals to decarbonise ferries are to be welcomed, however, decisions around procurement of these new ferries and funding are entirely a matter for The Highland Council.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with community housing enablers, such as the Communities Housing Trust in the Highlands and Islands region, to support the delivery of its commitments regarding rural homes.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is investigating any risks to food production, biodiversity and human health from per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), or so-called "forever chemicals", accumulating in agricultural soil and seeping into rivers due to the spreading of sewage sludge on land.
Answer
There is ongoing work related to identifying and monitoring risks from PFAS.
The environmental regulator SEPA has been working with partners in recent years to understand the sources, environmental concentrations, and risks of perflourinated compounds in the environment.
A 2019 SEPA study looked at the potential for organic contaminants to be present in materials spread to land, and carried out a basic risk assessment using monitoring data for prioritised substances. This study included measurement of 1 PFA substance (PFOA) levels in sludges from two waste water treatment plants, and did not identify a risk for reasonable worst-case spreading scenarios. In 2018, SEPA carried out a limited monitoring exercise looking at several PFAS in a number of rivers across Scotland, though monitoring locations were not directly targeted to potential sources of these chemicals. 65% of the 550 datapoints reported were below limits of detection.
A Scottish Government commissioned report by the James Hutton Institute on the impact of sewage sludge spreading on human health was published in 2021 and indicated that risks to human health from the polyfluorinated compounds PFOS and PFOA in sewage sludge spread to land in Scotland are likely to be low.
However, scientific understanding of risks posed by PFAS in the environment continues to develop. For example :
- SEPA is reviewing its approach to evidence gathering to better characterise the current distribution of PFAS in Scotland’s environment. It is working with partner organisations to develop this understanding, and working across the regulatory landscape to support revisions to legislation, regulatory approaches, and support site operators or users of PFAS based substances to meet their legal obligations. This includes engagement with large research programmes such as ECORISC (Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment Towards Sustainable Chemical Use).
- UK environmental regulators have been engaged in the UK Water Industry Research Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP UK). Through this programme SEPA has been working in partnership with Scottish Water on various workstreams for a number of years, and this investigation has included evaluation of PFAS in waste water treatment works effluent and sludge, risks to the environment and effectiveness of treatment processes.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether Marine Scotland will accept the findings of peer-reviewed scientific literature when the area of disturbance and injury to cetaceans from an Acoustic Deterrent Device (ADD) or Acoustic Startle Device (ASD) is estimated by the peer-reviewed scientific literature as being much greater than the area estimated in an application from a fish farm company for a European Protected Species Licence.
Answer
Marine Scotland bases its decisions on the best available scientific evidence at any particular time including any relevant peer reviewed literature. Any such literature is subject to a critical review to determine its applicability. Marine Scotland’s decisions will reflect the outcome of this process as well as consideration of information provided by the applicant and any expert advice received.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether a fish farm company application for a European Protected Species Licence to use Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs) or Acoustic Startle Devices (ASDs) would be refused unless the applicant has provided strong and robust evidence that all alternatives such as fitment of double skinned anti-predator nets, recirculating aquaculture systems, semi-closed containment and/or relocation of the farm have been tried.
Answer
A licence to disturb European protected species (“EPS”) can only be granted if three licensing tests are met, including that there is no satisfactory alternative to the proposed action.
Marine Scotland has published a document that provides guidance and advice for any aquaculture production business that wishes to apply for a licence to disturb EPS as a result of ADD use –
faq_adds_and_eps_including_annex_1_and_annex_2_-_version_5_-october_2021_-_final.pdf (marine.gov.scot) . Applicants are required to provide an analysis of alternative methods of predator control tried or considered and if they have been discounted provide reasons for this. All EPS licence applications are considered on a cases by case basis and it would not be appropriate to pre-determine the outcome of the satisfactory alternative test without consideration of any justification provided by the applicant.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, when considering European Protected Species Licence applications, whether it will reject calculations to determine how many cetaceans would be disturbed or injured by an Acoustic Deterrent Device (ADD) based on a model that can only predict how many will be disturbed at one moment in time and makes no allowance for the movement of the animals during the periods of time the device is operating.
Answer
All applications for EPS licences are considered on a case by cases basis and it is expected that applicants use appropriate models and calculations such as those set out in the Marine Scotland guidance document - faq_adds_and_eps_including_annex_1_and_annex_2_-_version_5_-october_2021_-_final.pdf (marine.gov.scot) . Relevant models use data that is the best current representation of the locations where cetaceans are expected to be found.
Marine Scotland is currently updating this guidance document to include finer resolution species density surfaces and this will be published early in 2023. All applications for EPS licences will be expected to follow the updated guidance.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, when considering European Protected Species Licence applications, whether it will reject calculations to determine how many cetaceans would be disturbed or injured by an Acoustic Deterrent Device (ADD) if those calculations are based on an incorrect assumption that cetaceans are evenly spread over a large sea area and do not travel in pods or favour certain areas.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13105 on 23 December 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
