- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 29 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether rainbow trout is considered to be a native species; whether rainbow trout pose any threat to other native species, and what criteria are applied to determine native species.
Answer
For a species to be truly native,it should have reached and established in an area by natural means. Despite havingbeen established in Scotland since the 19th century, it has not established anyself-sustaining populations, and relies for its presence on artificial rearing andstocking. For these reasons, the rainbow trout cannot be described as a native speciesin the United Kingdom. The rainbow trout is native to rivers in North America andRussia that flow into the Pacific Ocean.
Rainbow trout can pose threatsto other native species. They may predate on smaller native fish, compete with nativefish for food and space. Unregulated introductions pose the threat of introducingdiseases, parasites or other species that may be transported with the trout.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 29 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the circumstances in which rainbow trout may be introduced to inland waters are regulated and may be further regulated under the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill or any other proposed freshwater fisheries legislation.
Answer
Movements of rainbow trout toand from aquaculture facilities are subject to the provisions of the Diseases ofFish Acts 1937 and 1983.
The Import of Live Fish (Scotland) act1978 requires that species of fish specified in subordinate legislation made underthat act may only be introduced where permission has been given by the Scottishministers.
Although rainbow trout are notnative to Scotland, waters have been stocked with these fish for anglingpurposes since the mid-19th century. Given this long-established practice, rainbowtrout have not been specified under any Statutory Instrument made under the 1978act.
In recent years, many more fisherieshave been established, and there continues to be growth in this sector. To addressthis expansion, and any possible impacts that stocking with rainbow trout may have,the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill makes provision for a more effectivesystem that will allow for regulation of such movements, but with a minimal impacton businesses. In addition, the bill brings in regulations to ensure that fish farms,including freshwater trout farms, have satisfactory measures in place for the containmentof fish and to prevent the escape of fish.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 26 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of its recent talks with the Scottish Rural Schools Network that involved members of the Moray Forum.
Answer
My meeting with the network wasuseful and allowed their representatives to describe to me at first hand their concernsabout some aspects of the way in which rural school closure proposals are consideredby local authorities.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 25 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all public transport schemes in Moray that have received public funding in each of the last three years.
Answer
All public transport schemesin Moray that have received specific public funding from the Executive in the lastthree full financial years are set out in the following table. The Executive alsoprovides general, non-project specific funding for public transport on an annualbasis to Moray Council, such as its cycling, walking and safer streets; RuralPublic Passenger Grant, and Grant Aided Expenditure allocations.
The former voluntary regionaltransport partnership HITRANS received general, non-project specific funding forpublic transport from the Executive in each of the three financial years concerned.With the approval of the Executive, the partnership applied part of this fundingto a number of schemes within the Moray area, such as buying low floor buses, enhancingbus shelters and rail stations and establishing a demand responsive transport service.
| Financial Year | Name of Project/ Funding Regime |
| 2003-04 | Bus and Cycling Measures in Forres, Kinloss and Buckie (Public Transport Fund) |
| 2004-05 | Bus and Cycling Measures in Forres, Kinloss and Buckie (Public Transport Fund) |
| Buckie Accessible Bus Scheme (Rural Community Transport Initiative) |
| Speyside Community Transport Group Social Car Scheme (Rural Community Transport Initiative) |
| 2005-06 | Enhancement of bus service 10 between Inverness and Elgin (Bus Route Development Grant) |
| Buckie Accessible Bus Scheme (Rural Community Transport Initiative) |
| Speyside Community Transport Group Social Car Scheme (Rural Community Transport Initiative) |
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 25 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all funding applications in respect of bus services in Moray currently being considered and what the timescales are for decisions on these applications.
Answer
There are currently no outstandingfunding applications for bus services in Moray.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers are proposing that renumeration for some leaders of local authorities, including Moray Council, will be lower than that proposed for chairs of joint boards, such as Grampian Valuation Board, that have smaller budgets and numbers of employees and, if so, what the justification is for these proposals.
Answer
I accepted the recommendationby the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee that the salary of seniormembers of joint boards should be linked to that of the highest banded council representedon joint board. I recently consulted on that proposal and I am considering commentsmade, including those in relation to Moray Council’s position on the Grampian ValuationBoard. I shall be making regulations to implement the new arrangements shortly.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 22 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any proposals are being considered in relation to Scotland’s role within the UK negotiating team following the outcome of the recent fisheries negotiations.
Answer
As in previous years, the Scottish Executive played a full and influential role as part of the UK’snegotiating team. There are no plans to change the current arrangements.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 22 January 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of the recent annual fisheries negotiations.
Answer
A note has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 41530) summarising the detaileddecisions taken during last year’s fishing negotiations.
These decisions included quotaincreases for a number of important fisheries, in particular North Sea haddock(5%), western mackerel (13%), Northern monkfish (10%), Rockall haddock (773%) andwest coast nephrops (13%). In addition cuts in a number of secondary fisheries weresuccessfully resisted.
There were reductionsin North Sea nephrops (7%), North Sea cod (14%) and a significant reductionin North Sea herring (25%) a move which has been recognised by theindustry as necessary to conserve the stock.
On days at sea, cuts of 7% forthe whitefish fleet and 10% for most of the nephrops fleet were agreed, an improvementon the Commission’s original position of 25% cuts for both fleets. In addition thereare provisions to allow whitefish boats to regain most of their lost days by optingfor the UK’s system of automatic licence suspensions, and 11 additional days fornephrops boats which choose to use more selective gear.
Whilst some of these decisionswere disappointing, I am convinced that the overall deal represented the best availablein the circumstances.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 21 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what most recent representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the future of the rural post office network.
Answer
The Executive has made regularrepresentations to the UK Government on this matter.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated for the promotion of road safety in each police force area in each of the last five years, also expressed on a per capita basis.
Answer
Information is not availablein the format requested as no specific funding is allocated to police forcesfor the promotion of road safety. Decisions on the use of funding in each forceare an operational matter for individual chief constables.
The Scottish Executivesupports local authority core revenue expenditure through its block grant. Itis, however, for each local authority to decide how best to allocate its blockgrant, based on its local needs and priorities and while taking intoconsideration its statutory duties. Localroads authorities are responsible for measures to promote safe driving on localroads. This includes taking such measures as are appropriate to preventaccidents, including the dissemination of information and advice relating tothe use of roads.
