- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it will provide to farmers for the removal of animals that died as a result of the recent bad weather conditions.
Answer
The Scottish Government is providing £500,000 financial aid to farmers for the collection of fallen stock that have died as a result of the severe weather. This will be distributed to all farmers in Scotland through the National Fallen Stock Company.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it will offer to farmers facing financial difficulties as a result of the recent bad weather conditions.
Answer
The Scottish Government provided £500,000 support to farmers to assist with fallen stock costs and, on 1 May 2013, I announced a £6 million aid package to further support the industry recover from the recent extreme weather and other factors.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what emotional support it is providing to farmers who have been adversely affected by the recent bad weather conditions.
Answer
<>I have spoken to many farmers and know the problems this has caused in terms of devastating livestock losses, crops not harvested or not planted and increased feed requirements at a time of rising prices. The Scottish Government has already acted swiftly to provide assistance and we have given £50,000 in support to the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI:
http://www.rsabi.org.uk/) which provides financial assistance, support and advice in confidence to those people who have worked in Scotland in land-based occupations and who are suffering hardship.
I continue to listen carefully to the industry as the scale of the problem is being assessed and I consider what further help can be given to those worst affected. My officials are working on ways to provide more help to farmers.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2013
To ask the Scottish Government when it became aware of reports regarding the mislabelling of fish in the retail sector and what action it took.
Answer
On 28 February 2013 I asked Seafish to write to retailers and processors reminding them of the need to maintain the highest level of labelling standards, and Seafish did so on 12 March 2013. Seafood substitution was discussed with the major supermarkets at the Scottish Groceries Retail Forum on 27 February 2013, where industry was reminded of their responsibilities to ensure that food and food products are correctly labelled, and do not mislead consumers.
The Scottish Government was informed by the Food Standards Agency on 5 March 2013 about specific reports regarding the mislabelling of fish in the retail sector. The report presented in the press was referencing results from a local survey undertaken by local authorities in the west of Scotland during 2008.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2013
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Supreme Court ruling on the Salvesen v Riddell case.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2013
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 April 2013
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-13253 and S4W-13767 by Paul Wheelhouse on 11 March 2013 and 15 April 2013 respectively, when it issued the notice to quit to the Raasay Crofters Association.
Answer
The Notice to quit was issued to the Raasay Crofters Association on 1 November 2011. The dates given in S4W-13767 and S4W-13769 are incorrect and should read 1 November 2011. I apologise for this error.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2013
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2013
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on ash dieback in Scotland.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2013
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 April 2013
To ask the Scottish Government how it will respond to reports that the recent bad weather is having a negative impact on seabird populations ahead of the breeding season.
Answer
I recognise that the recent spell of unusually bad weather has had a negative impact on Scotland’s wildlife including seabirds and also on livestock. There have been reports of groups of seabirds, such as puffins, being washed ashore on the East Coast of Scotland. This puffin “wreck” is indicative of difficulties faced by seabirds in sourcing food in periods of severe weather.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have advised that the impact of recent bad weather on seabird populations will not be known until after the forthcoming breeding season. SNH, in conjunction with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and other organisations, participate in the Seabird Monitoring Programme which collects sample data on breeding numbers and breeding success of 26 species of seabird that regularly breed in Britain and Ireland to enable their conservation status to be assessed.
Results of the Seabird Monitoring Programme can be found on the JNCC web site;
http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-3201.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2013
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on opencast restoration.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2013
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 April 2013
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on any changes to how environmental impacts will be assessed in Scotland under the UK Office for Unconventional Gas.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-13713 on 15 April 2013. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.