- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to produce its thermal generation guidance.
Answer
The Scottish Government will issue its final thermal guidance later this year following consideration of responses to our own consultation and the subsequent UK consultation which closed on 9 September 2009.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason proposals for a coal-fired power station at Hunterston were not included in the public consultation on the second National Planning Framework.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27009 on 18 September 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executivewhen the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment last met European Union officials to discuss electronic identification for sheep and what action was taken as a result.
Answer
I met with Commissioner Vassiliou in March this year and the Director of Animal Health, Bernard Van Goethem, in June. I was informed that the principle of the Regulation would not be overturned. However I received assurances that the Commission were well informed of our issues and they would take account of these in development of the legislation, which they have duly done. I requested a further meeting in July with Commissioner Vassiliou, but due to other commitments it was not possible to secure a meeting with her.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executivehow many meetings have taken place in the last two months between the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and EU member state representatives regarding electronic identification for sheep.
Answer
Officials were in contact with other Member States in the lead up to the vote taken at the Standing Committee of Food Chain and Animal Health on 14 July. Direct interaction by myself and officials have been successful in obtaining concessions on the Regulations at this time. Following the UK''s agreement not to pursue any further concessions, further meeting have not been secured. Since then I have had no meetings with EU member state representatives.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports a requirement on member states to report to the European Union on what changes they have implemented to combat climate change and conserve biodiversity and progress on implementation of the new challenges in rural development measures, including the milk sector and related crop production.
Answer
As part of implementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Health Check, the Scottish Government was required to submit changes to the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) to the European Commission by 15 July 2009 to show how it was meeting the new challenges set by the European Commission. The Scottish Government has submitted the changes to the SRDP required following consultation with stakeholders on the SRDP''s Programme Monitoring Committee. The European Commission is currently considering those proposals and we expect to have approval from Brussels by the end of 2009. In addition, the Scottish Government is required to report annually to the European Commission on progress towards meeting the commission''s new challenges and is in the processes of setting up systems in order to do so.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list EU member state representatives with whom the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment has discussed electronic identification for sheep in the last two months and detail any action taken as a result of each discussion.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26957 on 18 September 2009 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the abolition of EU export refunds in such areas as beef, poultry, eggs, pig meat and live animals.
Answer
EU export subsidies are already subject to restrictions, as agreed in the Uruguay Round of international trade negotiations. Further modifications may be agreed in the context of the current WTO Doha Round. In the interim the Scottish Government supports the European Commission''s approach of applying export subsidies on a case-by-case basis and in compliance with WTO rules.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to enhance farmers’ and consumers’ initiatives to establish low-carbon emission, low-energy consumption and locally marketed food chains.
Answer
Scottish Government action to reduce emissions from farming is currently based around our Farming for a Better Climate initiative with support through the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). SRDP also provides assistance to support collaborative activity throughout food chains which assist the marketing of locally produced food.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executivehow many meetings have taken place in the last two months between the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and European Union officials regarding electronic identification for sheep.
Answer
My officials are in regular contact with European Union officials regarding sheep EID and keep me fully informed of these discussions. I requested a meeting in July with Commissioner Vassiliou prior to the Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) but she was unavailable.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executivewhen the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment last met EU member state representatives to discuss electronic identification for sheep and what action was taken as a result of that meeting.
Answer
I met with Irish and Hungarian Ministers in the margins of the EU Agriculture Council in March 2009 to discuss electronic identification (EID) of sheep. I urged them to support the Scottish position on sheep EID.