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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.

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Question reference: S4W-09250

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 19 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) industry and (b) activity it expects will require to carry out large-scale abstractions, as described in Part 2 of the draft Water Resources (Scotland) Bill, that cannot be authorised under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011.

All abstractions from the water environment require authorisation under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. The proposals in the Water Resources (Scotland) Bill are that abstractions over 10 Megalitres per day will require additional consent from ministers (unless they are subject to an exemption). Ministers will be able to take into account a wider range of impacts that particularly large abstractions would have and thereby ensure that Scotland’s water resources are being used for the benefit of the people of Scotland.

Question reference: S4T-00035

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring equitable access to music tuition in schools.

Question reference: S4W-09249

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 5 September 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when Scottish Water will publish its Water Efficiency Plan and what consultation it will carry out during the plan’s development.

Scottish Water has published their Water Efficiency Plan on their website. See Link.

http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/you-and-your-home/your-home/water-efficiency/water-efficiency-downloads/water-efficiency-plan.

Scottish Water developed the plan and the focus of wider consultation has been on The Water Efficiency Trial component of the overall Water Efficiency Plan. In developing the trial Scottish Water consulted with Scottish Government, SEPA, WICS, WaterWatch Scotland and latterly Consumer Focus Scotland. They also carried out some customer research to inform the development of the trial.

Question reference: S4W-09112

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 31 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many former students have outstanding student loans that include a graduate endowment element.

Question reference: S4W-08991

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 30 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what restrictions are there on the planting of specific tree species to assist in the reduction of dothistroma needle blight risk in (a) the public forest estate and (b) private estates.

On the national forest estate there is a moratorium on the planting of:

Corsican pine

lodgepole pine other than the more resistant Alaskan origin of that species when planted in self-thinning mixtures with Sitka spruce on sites where higher inputs of fertiliser and drainage would otherwise be required to secure successful establishment.

Asymptomatic Scots pine (from nurseries where infection has been detected) within 550m of known uninfected pine crops or in Caledonian pinewood areas.

With respect to privately owned land, Forestry Commission Scotland has informed owners of the potential risks of Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) and of the approach being taken on the national forest estate. Private owners may then make decisions that are based on their own particular circumstances and objectives. If DNB causes failure of grant-aided pine on private estates, the owners remain liable for grant reclaim in accordance with the conditions of grant support.

Question reference: S4W-08985

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 30 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the forest estate is affected by dothistroma needle blight, when the last assessment of this was made and how this compares to 2006.

This year’s annual assessment for the presence of Dothistroma needle blight on the national forest estate is still in progress. The 2011 survey detected 11,500 hectares of pine woodland with Dothistroma infection (Lodgepole pine: 7,500 hectares; Scots pine: 3,300 hectares; and Corsican pine: 250 hectares).

In 2006, the survey detected Dothistroma infection in 132 hectares of Corsican pine woodland. This figure is not directly comparable with future year’s data as the extent and structure of each year’s survey has evolved with our understanding of the disease and its host range.

Question reference: S4W-08984

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 30 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what surveillance is carried to track the spread of dothistroma needle blight.

Since 2006 Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) has been undertaking annual ground-based surveys for the presence/absence of Dothistroma needle blight on the national forest estate (NFE). In 2011, following development of cost-effective techniques, FES also commenced more detailed annual surveys to assess the severity of infections on the NFE. In 2011, FES also undertook a helicopter survey of pine woodlands (which had not yet been ground-surveyed) on the NFE to detect any signs of ill-health and to see if such aerial reconnaissance would be a more cost-effective way of identifying the presence/absence and severity of Dothistroma. During these flights signs of pine ill-health on private sector ground were also recorded and the information, with photographs, made available to the relevant owners.

Question reference: S4W-08989

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 30 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it approves the use of aerials fungicide applications to reduce dothistroma needle blight and, if so, under what circumstances, and how many have taken place.

The GB Strategy for Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) recognises that a range of measures will be required to deal with DNB in pine woodlands. This GB Strategy recommends that consideration is given to the role of chemical treatments, including the targeted use of the aerial application of fungicide. Many fungicides have been found to be effective against DNB; for example, cuprous oxide, copper sulphate and copper oxychloride have been used in ground-based applications in nurseries in GB and in aerial spraying operations in countries such as New Zealand.

The aerial application of fungicide is therefore being considered as part of a potential suite of measures that may be required to address problems associated with DNB in Scotland. While there have been no forestry-related aerial applications of fungicide in Scotland (and there are currently no fungicides approved for such aerial-application in the UK), Forest Research is trialling ground-based forest applications of a range of products thought to be effective against DNB. In addition, two areas are being selected for trials of aerial application of fungicide in 2013, and Forest Research will apply to the Chemicals Regulation Directorate for the necessary experimental licence. These trials would help determine the efficacy and environmental impact of aerial applications and so help inform decisions about their possible future use.

Question reference: S4W-08988

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 30 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to raise awareness of dothistroma needle blight.

Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) has featured in the trade press and on the Forestry Commission’s website for several years, and a Forest Research Note was published in 2008. DNB has also featured in annual Forest Health Days run by Forest Research in order to raise awareness of emerging threats to tree health. In January 2008 a pan-GB Working Group (now a Programme Board) was formed to oversee research directions and operational responses to this disease, with Confor representing the private forestry sector.

Further measures to raise awareness during recent months have included:

A two-page article by Forest Research and Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) in the February edition of the Forestry Journal (a trade magazine for the forestry and arboricultural sectors in GB);

A joint Confor/FCS national briefing on DNB for the private sector (held in Perth on 25 April);

A joint presentation on DNB by Forest Research and FCS at the annual meeting of Native Pinewood Managers on 3 May;

Four DNB training events in DNB identification for private forestry sector survey staff – held in Fife, Galloway, North Highland and Moray/Aberdeenshire, and

The production of a field guide to DNB and other pine foliar pathogens. This was issued at training events and is available, along with other information about DNB, on the Forestry Commission website at: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-6zckae.

Four further training sessions for private forestry sector staff will be offered this year.

Question reference: S4W-08986

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 August 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 30 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government which parts of the public forest estate in Scotland are worst affected by dothistroma needle blight.