Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government is committedto incorporating the monetary cost of carbon emissions into the policy assessmentprocess using the government’s new shadow price of carbon guidance. It may not befeasible or appropriate to incorporate the monetary cost of carbon emissions inall circumstances if, for example, the impacts can not be reliably quantified orthe policy proposal is not expected to have a significant carbon impact. We aredeveloping guidance that will set out the circumstances under which the monetarycosts of carbon emissions should be incorporated into the policy assessment process.

Living in safe and strong communitiesis an essential part of the Scottish Government’s positive vision for Scotland. Fortoo many people that vision is blurred by the fear of crime and intolerance.

While good government needs aclear vision it must also deal decisively with immediate problems. To do otherwisewould compromise public safety. I can therefore confirm the Scottish Government’ssupport for the proposed Sentencing of Offences Aggravated by Prejudice (Scotland) Bill.This will extend statutory aggravations to cover crimes motivated by malice or illwill towards victims based on their sexual orientation, transgender identity ordisability.

No one in Scotland shouldbe targeted or victimised because of their sexual orientation, transgender identityor disability. Our clear aim is to prevent and deter crime but where crime doeshappen we must send a clear signal that it will not be tolerated.

The Official Journal of theEuropean Union records that on the basis of available information and inaccordance with the criteria for selecting sites (including rangerepresentation at a UK scale), UK representation for dune habitats is satisfactory. Thejournal can be viewed at:http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2004/l_387/l_38720041229en00010096.pdf.

There are two SACscontaining this habitat type in Scotland (and UK). Figures for the total known UK extentare provided in the table contained in the answer to question S3W-7761 on 15 January 2008. 37.7 hectares (10% of the known UK resource)are designated within the Dornoch Firth and Morrich More SAC and 241.6 hectares(64.3% of the known UK resource) are designated in the Sands of Forvie SAC.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Information on the totalareas of sand dune habitats is provided in the answer to question S3W-7761 on 15 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.Information on therepresentation of these habitats in SAC in England, Wales and Northern Irelandis provided on the Joint Nature Conservation Committee website http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1461.

The Scottish Government doesnot hold information on the number, area and distribution of golf courses in Scotland.

The information requested isset out in the following table.

Type of Dune Habitat	Area of Extent in Scotland (ha)	Area of Extent in England (ha)	Area of Extent in Wales (ha)	Area of Extent in Northern Ireland (ha)	Present at Foveran Links
2110 Embryonic shifting dunes	90	100	100	5	no
2120 Shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria	950	780	480	10	yes
2130 Fixed dunes with herbaceous vegetation (“grey dunes”)	14,900	3,900	2,700	800	yes
2140 Decalcified fixed dunes with Empetrum nigrum	375	not present	not present	not present	yes
2150 Atlantic decalcified fixed dunes (Calluno-Ulicetea)	550	190	40	120	yes
2160 Dunes with Hippophae rhamnoides	80 (introduced)	235	introduced	introduced	no
2170 Dunes with Salix repens ssp. Argentea (salicion arenariae)	170	230	230	12	no
2190 Humid dune slacks	1,200	200	390	22	yes
21A0 Machairs	13,300	not present	not present	not present	no
2250 Coastal dunes with Juniperus spp.	20	not present	not present	not present	no

 

The data presented for Scotlandcomes from the most recent dune survey (Dargie, TCD. (2000) Sand DuneVegetation Survey of Scotland: National Report. 2 vols. Scottish Natural Heritage,Battleby).

Dataon representation for all UKhas been compiled by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) in theSecond Report by the United Kingdom under Article 17 of the EC Habitats Directive. JNCC consulted onthe draft report in 2007.

The natural habitats listedin Annex I of the Habitats Directive and the species listed in Annexes II andIV of the Habitats Directive are (inter alia) included within the definition of“protected species and natural habitats” in the Environmental LiabilityDirective.

The following Annex I habitats listed inthe EC Habitats Directive are present on the Foveran Links SSSI.

2120 Shiftingdunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria.

2130 Fixed duneswith herbaceous vegetation (“grey dunes”).

2140 Decalcified fixed dunes with Empetrum nigrum.

2190 Humid dune slacks.

Scottish NaturalHeritage has reported that there is no evidence of any protected speciespermanently present on the SSSI.

The EU directive onenvironmental liability is addressed to member states and the ScottishGovernment is engaged in the necessary process of consulting stakeholders onits implementation in Scotland. Following an initial consultation last year onprinciples and policy, I expect to consult shortly on draft regulations totranspose the directive.

The EU directive onenvironmental liability has not yet been transposed into Scots Law, although Iexpect to consult shortly on legislation which will transpose the directivelater in the year.

Last year’s publicconsultation on principles and policy for transposition, and a summary of theresponses, are published on the Scottish Government website.