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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4W-08516

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place between the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and retailers on the suspension of Scottish mackerel’s Marine Stewardship Council certificate before 30 June 2012.

The Scottish Government has established regular contact with retailers on several issues, and I have personally raised my concerns over the sourcing of seafood on many occasions. I have urged retailers to be aware of the behaviour of Faroes and Iceland in relation to the mackerel stock.

Earlier this year I met with Sainsbury's to discuss the particular issue of the loss of the Marine Stewardship Council certificate, and my officials have kept in regular contact with them as the situation progresses. I have also taken the decision to organise a meeting with the supermarkets later this summer. The meeting will be hosted jointly by the Scottish Government and industry, and will be facilitated by Seafood Scotland. I hope that the meeting will help us to find a way forward to ensure that the people of Scotland and the rest of the UK have the opportunity to continue to buy Scottish mackerel.

Question reference: S4W-08514

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place between the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and retailers on the suspension of Scottish mackerel’s Marine Stewardship Council

certificate.

Question reference: S4W-08515

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment has met retailers to discuss the suspension of Scottish mackerel’s Marine Stewardship Council certificate.

Question reference: S4O-01132

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to tackle water pollution.

Question reference: S4W-07280

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 31 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when the draft National Marine Plan will be published.

Question reference: S4W-07048

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06594 by Richard Lochhead on 2 May 2012, whether the stakeholders will include Scotland-wide organisations with an interest in rural affairs.

Yes, the Scottish Government has already sought the views of national organisations. These include the Scottish Community Alliance, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Carnegie UK, COSLA, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Development Trusts Association Scotland. This list is by no means exhaustive and we will continue to seek the views of any national organisation that has an interest in rural affairs.

Question reference: S4W-06984

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 11 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to limit commercial exploitation of Atlantic salmon in Scottish coastal waters.

Question reference: S4W-06803

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will lay before the Parliament a report on greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Scottish consumption of goods and services for 2010 and 2011, as required under Section 37 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and whether it will report annually in future.

Given the time lags in the availability of the emissions data that is required to estimate consumption-based emissions (greenhouse gas emissions by industry for Scotland as well as the countries from which we import) and the compilation of the necessary economic and environmental input-output information (domestic and abroad), we anticipate being able to report on 2010 consumption-based emissions in 2013. There is a significant cost associated with the production of an annual report and it is our current intention to report every three to four years to bring the time series up to date.

The Scottish Government will seek to minimise the delay in the reporting period wherever possible providing this does not adversely impact the quality and validity of the information.

On 1 May 2012 we published experimental data on the GHG footprint for 2009. The greenhouse gas footprint data is accessible from: Key Scottish Environment Statistics 2009 (webarchive.org.uk)

Question reference: S4W-06838

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a policy statement about a strategy for mixed stock fisheries.

A variety of work is currently being undertaken by Marine Scotland, including a National Demonstration Project on Fisheries Management within the River South Esk, to better inform the management of mixed stock salmon fisheries. The government is also considering responses to a range of legislative proposals based upon recommendations contained in the Mixed Stock Fisheries Working Group Report, to inform a proposed Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill.

Question reference: S4W-06594

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what partnerships have been created and (b) who it will work with to take forward the proposed rural parliament.