- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 9 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether companies within the fish farming sector have asked Highlands and Islands Enterprise for loan assistance; if so, what its response has been; whether the Executive is satisfied with any such response, and, if not, what action it will take.
Answer
The Executive was approached by a number of fish farming companies asking for financial assistance. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), at the request of ministers, has responded quickly to this situation. We understand that HIE will make an announcement on investment proposals shortly.
Also HIE and Scottish Enterprise are continuing to work closely together in assessing wider sectoral solutions. The Scottish Executive is very grateful for the huge effort the enterprise networks are making to find solutions to help the industry.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 9 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to assist the fishing industry to cope with increasing fuel costs.
Answer
The Scottish Executive continues to be in close dialogue with the industry, the UK government and the EU Commission regarding the effects of high fuel costs and continues to explore what options might be available.
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-18341 on 10 August 2005, which outlined the five potential fuel support measures which Commissioner Borg described at a meeting with the industry on 29 July. The Scottish Executive is keeping close to the Commissioner as thinking in Brussels develops.
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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 7 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect of all proposed wind farms will be on the eagle population; whether it will publish (a) the best available estimates of the eagle population in each of the last six years and (b) its estimate of the future population of eagles, and whether it has had communications with Scottish Natural Heritage in relation to this issue and, if so, whether it will publish any relevant documentation.
Answer
It is not possible to forecast accurately what the effect, if any, of all proposed wind farms will be on the eagle population as many projects are still in the process of environmental survey and evaluation.
Golden eagle populations are not estimated annually. National surveys take place approximately every 10 years. The last survey was in 2003, and estimated the Scottish population at 442 breeding pairs. In 1992, the estimate was 425 pairs. It is difficult to make firm predictions of the future population size of a species but I am advised that large changes in the eagle population of Scotland in the short- to medium-term are unlikely.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) advises the Scottish Executive on the possible effects of proposed wind farms, and is monitoring the cumulative impact of such developments. Comments from SNH on Environmental Statements relating to wind farm proposals are publicly available unless they make specific reference to sensitive environmental information.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 6 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether potential volunteers are being deterred from coming forward to work with children due to bureaucracy involved in the security checks which have to be carried out and which, in some cases, are carried out more than once.
Answer
Research carried out by TNS System Three last year on behalf of Volunteer Development Scotland indicated that for 83% of people, the requirement to undergo a disclosure check did not affect their willingness to volunteer. It is important, however, that we keep the levels of bureaucracy in relation to disclosure checks low, whilst doing all we can to protect children. Turnaround times within Disclosure Scotland have reduced significantly. We are now working with the Central Registered Body for Scotland to reduce delays in that part of the process.
In the longer term, it is intended that the new vetting and barring system being developed in response to recommendations in the Bichard Report will remove the need for multiple disclosure checks.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 6 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a central register of individuals who work with children in order to avoid any repeat security checks which some individuals are currently required to undertake.
Answer
We are working towards the implementation of a new vetting and barring scheme for those who work with children and vulnerable adults in response to the recommendations in the Bichard Report. The proposed scheme will include continuous updating of an individual’s barred status as new information comes to light. That coupled with the intention to provide the facility for organisations with a genuine interest to check an individual’s current status, will remove the need for multiple disclosure checks.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 6 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive which individuals and organisations it consulted on its review of NHS 24 and, of these, which have responded.
Answer
The review of NHS 24 is an independent review and any consultation is a matter for Owen Clarke and his team. However, I understand that the review team has consulted with a number of individuals and representative bodies including patients, staff, voluntary organisations, accident and emergency consultants, NHS boards, GPs and members of the public.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the removal of deer fencing and the lack of deer fencing for new forest development encourages the infection of animals from ticks; if so, what effect this may have on increasing the risk of humans catching diseases, such as Lymes Disease, from ticks, and whether the Executive will now ask the Forestry Commission to review its policy on deer fencing.
Answer
The Executive has no evidence to suggest that removal or the lack of deer fencing encourages the infection of animals from ticks or increases the risk of humans catching diseases.
The Executive has no plans to ask the Forestry Commission to review the Joint Agency Statement and Guidance on Deer fencing which has been adopted by Forestry Commission Scotland, Deer Commission for Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the proposed increase in population and development between Inverness and Nairn envisaged by the Highland Council, it will now now agree to (a) upgrade the A96 to dual carriageway and (b) create a Nairn bypass.
Answer
In considering the need for improvements on this route and in addition to a multi-modal study of the A96 between Inverness and the airport, we are discussing the possibility of undertaking a multi-modal corridor study of the A96 with HITRANS and NESTRANS to feed into the strategic projects review which will commence before 2007.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will state in any guidelines, guidance or other form of advice or direction to be issued to Regional Transport Partnerships (RTP) that the RTPs should provide, in order of priority, a list of the transport projects to be taken forward in their area.
Answer
Yes. This is a requirement of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 and will be reinforced by the Executives forthcoming guidance on regional transport strategies.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 September 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the establishment of a long-term transport plan, including proposed major improvements to road, rail, air and sea transport, over the period of 20 to 25 years.
Answer
Work is already under way on the development of a National Transport Strategy (NTS) for Scotland which will give a long-term strategic framework for developments in all modes of transport. The NTS will be based on widespread consultation throughout the remainder of 2005 and early 2006 and will be finalised by the middle of 2006.
The NTS will provide the context for our Strategic Projects Review, which will commence before 2007, and will consider and then plan and prioritise Scotland’s major infrastructure investment requirements across all transport modes to 2020 and beyond.
