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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-06045

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many seaborne fishing boat inspections took place in Scottish waters in (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2010-11, broken down by country of origin.

The number of inspections of fishing vessels carried out in Scottish water during the periods April to March 2000-01 and 2010-11 were as follows:

Country of Origin	2000-01	2010-11
Belgium	1
Denmark	103	22
Republic of Ireland	7	2
Faroe	2	1
France	90	16
Germany	27	6
Netherlands	22	12
Norway	119	31
Spain	142	13
Sweden	1	1
United Kingdom	1,086	381

Question reference: S4W-06010

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what information it has on and (b) what steps it is taking to identify how many newly built residential properties that have never been occupied have been empty longer than six months; what their stage of completion is; what their eligibility for council tax is, and the measures that can be taken to bring them into use.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of new build residential properties that have been empty longer than six months, although it maintains close links with Homes for Scotland so is kept informed of how developers’ house sales are performing. Data is collected annually from local authorities on the total number of unoccupied homes, including the total number classed as long-term empty for council tax purposes, but not the types of home within this category.

A new build home is placed on the valuation roll and therefore eligible for council tax once it is judged “complete” by the assessor. After this point, it is then eligible for a six month exemption from council tax if it is unoccupied and unfurnished. If it remains unoccupied after that initial six month period, the local authority will determine the level of council tax and any discounts due, depending on the individual circumstances of the property.

The Scottish Government is supporting house builders to sell or let homes through the New Supply Shared Equity with developers scheme and the National Housing Trust initiative. The Scottish Government has also announced that it is jointly funding a house-builders’ mortgage indemnity scheme with developers; this will help developers to sell more homes by allowing thousands of buyers who do not have a large deposit to buy a new build home.

Question reference: S4W-06047

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the aggregate (a) tonnage and (b) engine power of the pelagic fishing fleet was in 2000-01.

Question reference: S4W-06032

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 March 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many 20 mph zones there are and what it is doing to encourage greater use of these zones in urban areas.

Information on the number of 20 mph zones in Scotland is not held centrally.

Transport Scotland is part-funding the market research and evaluation element of a City of Edinburgh Council pilot to designate all side streets and some main routes in South Central Edinburgh as 20 mph. To support and encourage other local authorities to follow the City of Edinburgh Council lead we will share the results of the evaluation with them.

Question reference: S4W-05541

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that new and existing hydropower schemes (a) have minimal adverse impact on biodiversity and (b) do not compromise Scotland’s ability to meet the water framework directive requirements.

(a) The Scottish Government has published online planning guidance in relation to hydropower. It highlights that Environmental Impacts Assessments (EIA) are expected to establish whether or not there are any significant impacts on the biodiversity of an area, including aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, habitats and species.

(b) The Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 (WEWS) implements the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Scotland and gives Scottish Ministers powers to introduce regulations to control activities that can adversely effect the water environment. The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (CAR) were subsequently made and establish controls over such activities including abstraction for hydro power schemes. By requiring all hydro power schemes to gain authorisation under CAR, environmental conditions specific to the individual hydro scheme can be set, ensuring that the aims of the WFD are met. SEPA is currently reviewing the authorisations for existing hydro schemes to ensure any necessary improvements are made in line with our WFD obligations.

The Scottish Government has also issued the following policy statement outlining the required balance between water environment protection and renewable generation from hydropower: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Energy-sources/19185/17851-1/HydroPolicy.

Question reference: S4W-05823

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will continue to support outdoor learning under the Curriculum for Excellence and whether an Outdoor Learning Development Officer will remain in post in the next financial year.

We remain committed to promoting outdoor learning as a valuable context for learning in Curriculum for Excellence. Education Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and other partners are continuing to provide practical support and both the Scottish Studies Working Group and the One Planet Schools Working Group have made strong connections with outdoor learning which reinforce the value and importance of outdoor learning to Curriculum for Excellence.

Education Scotland will continue to support the implementation of curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning and work with partners to support the Outdoor Learning Implementation Group and the Outdoor Learning National Network. These have been established to provide advice and support to local authorities and partners involved in outdoor learning.

In the next financial year, Education Scotland intends to maintain a Development Officer with the capacity to promote outdoor learning as an approach to delivering Curriculum for Excellence.

Question reference: S4O-00738

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft Renewables Obligation (Scotland) (Amendment) Order 2012 aims to remove subsidies for large-scale biomass plants.

We are not in a position yet to say what amendments will be introduced to Scotland’s Renewables Obligation later this year. We have recently published the responses to our recent consultation exercise on this subject. Many of those who replied shared and echoed my concerns about large scale biomass electricity stations. I expect to announce our decisions and proposed changes during the spring.

Question reference: S4O-00783

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that, following the end of parental maternity leave, there is equitable access to early childhood education and care for all children.

Question reference: S4O-00713

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it has appropriately balanced its efforts to prevent cancer between lifestyle and environmental risks.

Question reference: S4W-04958

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many crew in the offshore fishing fleet are from (a) EU countries and (b) the Philippines.