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: S4W-08821

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with organisations representing (a) farmers, (b) processors and (c) retailers in relation to the dairy farming sector.

Question reference: S4W-08820

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) ministers and (b) officials of the (i) UK and (ii) Welsh Assembly Government regarding the dairy farming industry.

I met with Jim Paice, Defra Farming Minister and the other Devolved Administration Ministers, Alun Davies, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and European Programmes, Welsh Government and Michelle O'Neill, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, DARD (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development), Northern Ireland at the Royal Welsh Show last month to discuss the dairy farming industry.

Question reference: S4W-08823

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what form the review of the voluntary code of practice for the dairy industry will take after the 12-month trial period and who will lead the review.

Question reference: S4W-08807

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-06938 by Keith Brown on 11 May 2012, other than discussion with stakeholders, what it is doing to disseminate information to the public to (a) help reduce concerns about the range and (b) promote the use of electric cars.

The E-cosse partnership will seek to educate motorists on the many benefits of driving an electric vehicle, and also find ways of making them a more realistic and accessible option wherever possible. This will include consideration of suitable education and promotion activities aimed at the public.

In addition, we are currently developing a Scottish Electric Vehicles/Plugged In Places website for the general public, which will include information on topics such as the benefits of electric vehicles, what to consider when buying an electric vehicle, e.g. range requirements, how to purchase an electric vehicle and charging point locations.

We also fund a Low Carbon Loan Scheme operated by the Energy Saving Trust. This provides interest free loans of £500 to £50,000 to support organisations that want to reduce the carbon impact and fuel costs of their transport with more efficient alternatives, including the purchase of low carbon vehicles.

Question reference: S4W-08688

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the conservation objectives of the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary harbour seal special area of conservation are met.

Question reference: S4W-08684

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to investigate the cause of the decline in harbour seal populations.

Marine Scotland is funding a major research programme, undertaken by the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University, to investigate the cause or causes of the decline in common (or harbour) seal populations since 2008. Further information on this research, which has already eliminated a range of potential factors, can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/science/Publications/TopicSheets/MarineMammalResearchTS.

As part of this programme the Sea Mammal Research Unit is hosting a workshop with international experts on 28 August.

Question reference: S4W-08683

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how many marine mammals have been found along the coast with characteristic spiral injuries; in which seal management areas they were found; what species were involved, and in how many cases post mortems have been carried out since 2007.

In the period from 2007 to date a total of 33 grey seals, 28 common (or harbour) seals, and three harbour porpoise have been identified with characteristic spiral injuries. Eighteen of these were suitable for full post mortem and the majority of the others were examined either physically or through photographs. Of the total (64), 53 were found in the East Coast of Scotland seal management area, seven in the Orkney and North Coast area, two in South West Scotland and one each in the Western Isles and the West Scotland areas.

Question reference: S4W-08685

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether its surveillance strategy is conducted at the appropriate resolution to detect all animals that strand as a result of sustaining characteristic spiral injuries.

Question reference: S4W-08686

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to mitigate any human-induced causes of the decline in harbour seal populations.

Marine Scotland has introduced Seal Conservation Areas in each of the regions which have recorded declines in common (or harbour) seal numbers. This includes strict limits on lethal seal management of common (or harbour) seals specifically to protect fisheries and fish farms in these areas. No lethal seal management is permitted in the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary SAC for this species. In addition a research programme is investigating the possible causes of unusual seal mortalities and exploring options for mitigation. Further information on this research can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/science/Publications/TopicSheets/MarineMammalResearchTS.

Question reference: S4W-08682

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 July 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 August 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether a new coal-fired power station consented before 2020 that becomes operational after 2020 will need to demonstrate full carbon capture and storage from day one.