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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-07775

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings it has had since November 2016 with (a) Police Scotland, (b) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, (c) the Scottish SPCA and (d) other stakeholders to discuss the potential granting of additional powers to the Scottish SPCA to assist in reducing and detecting wildlife crime.

Scottish Government officials met Police Scotland on 20 February 2017 to discuss wildlife crime and related matters, including the potential granting of additional powers to the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA).

Since November 2016, the Scottish Government has not met with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the SSPCA or any other stakeholders to discuss the potential granting of additional powers to the SSPCA.

Question reference: S5W-07314

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 8 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00171 by Derek Mackay on 3 June 2016, and in light of the publication of the City of Edinburgh Council’s report, what project-specific detail will be considered in relation to Balfron High School as part of its review of NPD and PFI/PPP projects.

The safety of people in public buildings is an absolute priority and the Scottish Government is concerned by some of the findings highlighted in this report.

Following publication of the Cole Report, on 9 February 2017 the Minister for Local Government and Housing wrote to local authorities and the Scottish Futures Trust wrote to local authorities and other public sector bodies highlighting the issues identified and recommendations made in the report, underlining the importance of adhering to building regulations, technical standards and inspection processes.

Question reference: S5W-07554

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2017
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the appeal decision will be made in relation to the executive housing and sports development on land at Park of Keir, Dunblane.

Question reference: S5W-07361

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 6 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the research that it used to underpin its consultation on unconventional oil and gas extraction, Talking Fracking, explored the environmental impacts of fracking.

The Scottish Government continues to take a cautious, evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas. In September 2013, the Scottish Government convened an Independent Expert Scientific Panel to report on the scientific evidence relating to unconventional oil and gas, published in July 2014. The Panel’s remits included delivering “a well-developed narrative on the environmental and regulatory issues associated with the potential development of unconventional oil & gas in Scotland”.

In November 2016, the Scottish Government published a series of independent research projects which examined the potential environmental, health and economic impacts of unconventional oil and gas:

• Transport - Understanding and mitigating community level impacts (Ricardo).

• Decommissioning, site restoration and aftercare – obligations and treatment of financial liabilities (AECOM)

• Understanding and monitoring induced seismic activity (the British Geological Survey)

• Economic impacts (KPMG)

• Climate Change Impacts – (UK Committee on Climate Change)

• Health Protection Scotland has also undertaken a Health Impact Assessment

These reports have informed our four-month public consultation, Talking “Fracking”, which was published on 31 January.

Responsibility for environmental regulation in Scotland lies with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). As part of our cautious and evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas, the Scottish Government hosted a one-day event for key regulators to examine regulatory gaps, including SEPA, in October 2016. Summaries of the workshop and current regulatory framework are available on the Scottish Government website at: www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/onshoreoilandgas/EvidenceGathering.

Question reference: S5O-00766

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will work with Sodexo to improve the Food for Life catering mark in the Garden Level Restaurant from Bronze to Silver.

Question reference: S5W-07057

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent the spread of sitka spruce seedlings and other plantation forest regeneration on or adjacent to (a) sites of special scientific interest and (b) EU natura sites for open ground habitats or features, and what information it has regarding how many designated sites are affected by this spread.

The Scottish Government through the use of Management Agreements supports actions to manage protected areas, including the removal of plantation forest regeneration. In addition, grant funding, under the Scottish Rural Development Programme, is available for the removal of tree species from open ground habitats on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or EU Natura sites.

Scottish Natural Heritage’s latest site condition monitoring data indicates that 85 SSSI and 21 EU Designated sites are affected by the spread of coniferous tree species, out of a total of 1870 sites.

Question reference: S5W-07194

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on Scotland of the UK Government reportedly planning to leave the Euratom Programme as part of the Brexit arrangements.

The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining protection of the environment and human health to robust international standards where we have devolved responsibility, including for radioactive substances, where some standards are currently set in Directives under the Euratom Treaty. We look to the UK Government to ensure the same for reserved matters. We shall continue to work, including in cooperation with the other three administrations in the UK, to assess the impacts of exiting from the Euratom Treaty, and to mitigate any negative effects on Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-07058

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the population decline in the natterjack toad that was recently recorded in The Amphibians and Reptiles of Scotland.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has provided financial support to the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) to produce “A guide to Agri-Environment-Climate Scheme options for natterjack toad’ to assist land managers carrying out work to benefit natterjack toads.

SNH also works with land managers and partners to maintain and create conditions suitable for natterjack toads. SNH do this through the assessment and approval of Agri-Environment-Climate Scheme applications or entering into management agreements, giving advice through the planning process and undertaking monitoring work either with its own staff or through funding others.

Question reference: S5W-07059

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when a new assessment will be made of the natterjack toad feature of the Upper Solway Flats and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest, in light of the last report being carried out in 2009.

The natterjack toad population of the Upper Solway Flats and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is subject to a continuing monitoring programme carried out by the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) on behalf of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) under various agreements since 2011.

SNH publishes an assessment of the condition of features of SSSIs as part of its Site Condition Monitoring Programme. Generally, a feature is reported on once in a 6 year cycle. The monitoring and assessment document for 2016 remains in draft awaiting further information on some populations. Once the 2016 assessment is complete, SNH will be in a position to update their assessment of the natterjack toad feature condition on the Upper Solway Flats and Marshes SSSI and the Royal Ordnance Powfoot SSSI.

Question reference: S5W-07056

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect the natterjack toad population (a) east of the River Nith and (b) at Caerlaverock National Nature in light of the species' "favourable declining" status.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is taking the following action to protect natterjack toad populations in light of the species’ “favourable declining” status as set out below.

East of the River Nith

There are seven management agreements with landowners in place to the east of the River Nith which will provide measures for management of natterjack toads. There are currently a further three holdings on Priestside, to the east of Carlaeverock Castle, where there have previously been agreements in place for habitat management for the benefit of natterjack toads but have now expired. SNH estimates that 80% of suitable natterjack toad habitat is currently in appropriate assured management on the east side of the Nith.

Considerable habitat management work at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s East Park Farm, Caerlaverock, has been carried out in recent years, including pond maintenance and grazing. This was funded, in part, by a grant from SNH.

SNH funds a management agreement with the owners of Royal Ordnance, Powfoot Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), running from 2015 to 2020. Through this management agreement, there is funding for maintenance of pools and scrapes for breeding amphibians, maintenance of foraging areas, and maintenance of refugia and monitoring. This is funding habitat maintenance and restoration. This SSSI is notified for the amphibian assemblage as well as natterjack toads.

The Broom Sand Quarry, which is adjacent to the Royal Ordnance Powfoot SSSI, has populations of natterjack toads. Quarrying operations here are carried out under planning permissions with conditions that support natterjack toad interests. Natterjack toads at the quarry are subject to a long term Species Protection Plan.

Caerlaverock National Nature

Natterjack toads are one of the species specifically mentioned in the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve Management Plan. An account of work undertaken in the past plan period is given in the Reserve Plan Review for Caerlaverock 2009-2015 available on the SNH web site at http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A2138353.pdf.

This includes the creation of small pools, maintenance of refugia, supporting an appropriate grazing regime and monitoring. These works will continue as set out in the new Caerlaverock Reserve Management Plan covering the period 2016-2026 which can be accessed at http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A2138355.pdf.