Chamber and committees

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: S5W-09587

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the National Indicator target of improving the condition of protected nature sites is met in 2018.

The target included in ‘Scotland’s Biodiversity: A Route Map to 2020’ was to have 80% of designated features on protected sites in favourable or recovering condition by 2016. This target has been met.

Scottish Natural Heritage and partner organisations are continuing to work with land managers across Scotland to address the causes of unfavourable condition of protected nature sites. This work is guided by the Delivering Favourable Condition Action Plan, which seeks to continue to improve the National Indicator by prioritising resources to protected areas and natural features requiring immediate action to improve condition, or to ensure management support continues to maintain condition.

Question reference: S5W-09579

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to implement reform in fisheries in line with (a) its three-pillar approach to marine nature conservation, (b) its inshore fisheries strategy and (c) independent scientific recommendations, including those suggesting a need for spatial management.

Our Inshore Fisheries Strategy recognises the importance of fishing to Scotland and is helping to provide a more sustainable, profitable and well-managed inshore sector. This year we have introduced a range of measures to improve inshore fisheries management, including changes to closed areas around the Outer Hebrides, new controls on the king scallop sector and introducing daily catch limits on what hobby fishermen can take from the sea. On the 25^th May I announced new inshore fisheries pilot schemes to look at innovative approaches to fisheries management and whether a more local approach to fisheries management and spatial separation of different methods of fishing can deliver benefits.

A range of initiatives are in place to deliver the three-pillar approach to marine nature conservation. A programme to deliver the necessary fisheries management measures to protect the rest of the MPA network is currently on-going, following the measures implemented in 2016. The provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 effectively prohibit a basking shark fishery. In early 2017 the European Union prohibited demersal trawling in water depths greater than 800 metres, to complement existing restrictions on gill net fisheries. In combination these measures provide considerable protection to some of the most vulnerable species in Scotland’s Seas.

Question reference: S5W-09572

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out or plans of the impact of the marine protected area network on (a) the maintenance and recovery of overall marine ecosystem health and (b) climate change resilience.

Marine Scotland is currently developing an MPA monitoring strategy that will ensure the necessary information is collected from the MPA network to underpin assessment and reporting obligations. The data collected from implementing this strategy together with continued monitoring of the environmental status of Scotland’s Seas, will allow us to assess impacts on marine ecosystem health. However, it will take several years to collect sufficient data to make a valid assessment.

In February 2017 Scottish Natural Heritage published a report on blue carbon that estimated that the amount of carbon stored within Scotland’s inshore MPA network is equivalent to four years of Scotland’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The report can be found here: http://www.snh.gov.uk/publications-data-and-research/publications/search-the-catalogue/publication-detail/?id=2453. We are currently considering further opportunities to expand this valuable and remarkable research to better understand the role and significance of blue carbon in climate change resilience.

Question reference: S5W-09573

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the environmental sustainability of fisheries.

Each Autumn, the Scottish Government participates in the suite of international negotiations that set fishing levels for quota stocks for the coming year. The Government's negotiating position is underpinned by a set of long-standing guiding principles that include following the best available scientific advice, supporting a progressive move towards 'Maximum Sustainable Yield' fishing levels for all stocks, and maintaining stocks above safe biological limits and in good reproductive health.

As a result of this approach, Scottish sea fisheries are now more sustainable than they were in 2007. For 2016, of 19 key Scottish stocks, 13 (70%) were fished at or very close to being fished at the appropriate MSY rate, compared to 40% in 2007. Biomass is also steadily improving with 14 of these stocks (74%) currently above defined biomass safety levels.

This improving management means that more fish can be landed, with 19 per cent more landed in 2015 as compared to 2007. This has clear economic and social benefits for the fishing industry and the communities that depend on it.

Question reference: S5W-09580

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out or plans of the social and cultural impact of the marine protected area network.

The 2016 Scottish Marine Protected Areas Socioeconomic Monitoring report provides an assessment of emerging evidence on the socio-economic impacts of Scotland’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), that includes some cultural and social considerations, such as behavioural change, compliance and displacement. The 2016 report can be found here: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/03/5018

Marine Scotland will continue to monitor the socioeconomic impacts of MPAs and will take forward another evaluation of the socioeconomic impacts of MPAs once sufficient time has passed to allow various marine sectors to adapt to the measures.

Question reference: S5W-09224

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action Scottish Natural Heritage takes to ensure that designated features are brought into favourable condition.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and partner organisations are working with land managers across Scotland to address the causes of designated features being in unfavourable condition. When a designated feature in unfavourable condition is identified, SNH seeks to work with the relevant land manager to alter the management to improve condition.

This is often achieved by encouraging land managers to sign up to voluntary management agreements, such as Agri-Environment Climate scheme contracts under the Scottish Rural Development Programme.

Question reference: S5W-09225

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how protected areas contribute to its biodiversity strategy, and what objectives it has set for these.

Scotland’s protected areas have been recognised and designated as nationally important for nature conservation. As such, they play a key role in delivering our international and national commitments to protecting, enhancing and restoring Scotland’s biodiversity.

The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Route Map to 2020 has a specific target for protected areas, which is to increase the proportion of features in favourable or recovering condition to 80%. This target was achieved early in 2016.

Question reference: S5W-09226

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Scottish Natural Heritage regarding protected areas and any potential changes to site condition monitoring.

There are no plans to change site condition monitoring.

The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Protected Areas Working Group (whose membership includes the Scottish Government, Forestry Commission Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage) is considering the wider role that protected areas could play in contributing to the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. There also is a UK-wide review of Common Standards Monitoring, which aims to refresh and update the rationale for protected areas monitoring.

Question reference: S5O-01057

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale and arrangements are for the consultation on the review of priority marine features outside of the marine protected areas network.

Question reference: S5O-01010

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports women into work.