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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-04396

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact is on shellfish fisheries of the chemicals identified in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency reports, JT000811_JT and TR110810_JT.

The occurrence of residues of these chemicals at concentrations within the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) will not have impacts upon non-target animals such as those harvested by commercial shellfish interests. There is a risk where residue levels exceed these safe concentrations. There are however considerable safety factors built into the standards meaning that significant impacts are unlikely, unless major breaches have occurred. SEPA takes very seriously the use of unauthorised formulations, as these compounds have not been subject to rigorous checking nor the environmental risk assessment that accompanies the licensing of the approved compounds.

Question reference: S4W-04360

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the sources of persistent organic pollutants.

The vast majority of persistent organic pollutants are created in industrial processes, either intentionally or as byproducts. There are very few natural sources. Specific information on sources is not held centrally, but general background can be found in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from these chemicals:

http://chm.pops.int/Convention/ThePOPs/tabid/673/Default.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-04361

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to replace persistent organic pollutants with safer alternatives in order to protect children’s health, in light of the World Health Organization report, Persistent Organic Pollutants: Impact on Child Health.

Most of the persistent organic pollutants listed in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants have been banned in the UK for several years. Two substances, known collectively as dioxins, have never been produced intentionally but may be formed as a byproduct during combustion or some industrial processes.

The UK Government has ratified the Convention and, in partnership with the devolved administrations, has produced a National Implementation Plan which sets out the action being taken. The plan can be found at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/chemicals/specific/pops/.

Question reference: S4W-04185

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that shale gas and coal bed methane gas reserves extracted by using hydraulic fracturing methods could impact on its climate change targets.

Question reference: S4W-04183

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on the human health risks arising from shale gas development.

Human health risks to consider in relation to shale gas extraction are mainly related to the potential for water pollution. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) considers this through the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) licensing regime. SEPA does not currently hold evidence on health impacts, as there has been no activity in these areas to date in Scotland, however on receipt of an application, health risks relating to the water environment will be assessed.

The UK Government Energy and Climate Change Select Committee undertook a wide ranging inquiry taking evidence from a number of organisations on the climate change impacts of extracting and burning shale gas. The findings of the committee report are available:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/energy-and-climate-change-committee/news/new-report-shale-gas/.

Question reference: S4W-04182

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on the impact of extracting and burning shale gas reserves on climate change and whether it will publish these data.

Evidence on shale gas and coal bed methane activities is not held by the Scottish Government or SEPA, given there are no facilities currently operating in Scotland, although there have been applications in Scotland for investigatory boreholes relating to these activities.

The Scottish Government does not expect significant emissions from the burning and extraction of shale gas and coal bed methane in Scotland. Increased unconventional gas production, if properly controlled, could result in lower overall emissions, if it displaces fuels such as coal which are associated with higher emissions.

Information from the UK Government Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report on these activities is available:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/energy-and-climate-change-committee/news/new-report-shale-gas/.

Question reference: S4W-04184

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the burning and extraction of shale gas and coal bed methane gas reserves will release significant quantities of climate change emissions into the atmosphere.

Question reference: S4O-00384

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in granting a licence to Greenpark Energy to begin hydraulic fracturing to extract shale gas.

Question reference: S4O-00263

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the World Health Organization report, Persistent Organic Pollutants: Impact on Child Health.

Question reference: S4W-02462

Asked by: Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how changes to community nursing involving the establishment of geographically based teams will be beneficial to the delivery of holistic patient care.