- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle wildlife crime.
Answer
In April 2008 HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland and the Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland published a report of their thematic review into wildlife crime arrangements.
The recommendations of that report - Natural Justice - focussed on partnership working and we have followed those through by strengthening and re-structuring the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime to improve its effectiveness. We have also established a fund aimed at supporting innovations in combating wildlife crime as well as taking action to reduce the single farm payments made to five claimants in cases connected with poisoned birds.
I am also pleased to bring to your attention that the Crown Office recently appointed Alex Prentice QC to act as Crown Council for Wildlife Crime “ a further show of commitment to the subject, following the establishment of a network of Specialist Wildlife Fiscals throughout Scotland.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 9 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date its central heating boiler scrappage scheme will (a) open for applications and (b) make its first awards.
Answer
In his Budget Bill speech of 3 February 2010, John Swinney announced £2 million in 2010-11 for a Scottish boiler scrappage scheme. This will support the forthcoming Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland, which will be published in late spring.
Exact details of the scheme, including launch date, delivery mechanism, level of incentive, and number of households the scheme will support are now being developed and will be announced in due course.
The Scottish Government is already helping householders upgrade to a more energy efficient boiler through the £2 million Energy Saving Scotland Home Loans pathfinder initiative and through the £60 million Energy Assistance Package, aimed at tackling the causes of fuel poverty.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31224 by Richard Lochhead on 10 February 2010, whether it will make a statement to the Parliament when the proposed amendment to the Scottish farmed salmon protected geographical indication status is finalised.
Answer
It would not be normal procedure for me to make a statement in Parliament about the launch of a consultation on a Protected Food Name; however, I will notify you when the consultation is launched which will happen once the application is finalised by the applicant. The consultation will be issued to the clerk of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee and will also be available on the Scottish Government website.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31224 by Richard Lochhead on 10 February 2010, how and when the amendment to the Scottish farmed salmon protected geographical indication status will be finalised.
Answer
I expect the amendment to the Scottish Farmed Salmon Protected Geographical Indication to be finalised shortly and issued for public consultation. The applicant, the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, finalise the wording of the amendment application, which must then be agreed by the UK Competent Authority.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 11 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes with a band E energy performance rating have been accepted for the Energy Assistance Package since the eligibility criteria were changed in November 2009.
Answer
The change to eligibility criteria for Stage 4, announced in November, came into effect on 21 December 2009, following an amendment to the regulations.
By the end of January, 549 homes with a Band E energy performance rating had been accepted for measures under Stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many horses that may have been exposed to equine infectious anaemia are awaiting testing for the disease.
Answer
None.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 10 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on the proposed amendment to the protected geographical indication status for Scottish farmed salmon; what the timescale for the consultation will be, and who it will consult.
Answer
The Scottish Government will consult on the amendment to the Scottish Farmed Salmon PGI once the details of the amendment application are finalised. It will be a 12 week consultation and a wide range of industry and consumers stakeholders will be consulted. The consultation will also be publicly available on the Scottish Government website.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 4 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, given the recent study by the Institute of Fiscal Studies suggesting that having a laptop at home could lead to a two-grade improvement in one subject at GCSE, whether it will introduce a scheme similar to the £300 million Home Access scheme that will benefit 270,000 families in England.
Answer
We recognise the important role of technology in addressing some of the barriers to engagement and attainment in education.
The Scottish Government is adopting a comprehensive approach to the delivery of sustainable educational benefits and change for those most in need. This includes provision of the national education platform known as Glow, serving a potential user base of 1.5 million; development of national and user generated digital content; a collaborative national procurement framework to enable local authorities to purchase ICT equipment at competitive prices; promotion of games based learning, and a review of Scotland''s previous digital inclusion strategy.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 4 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30390 by Jim Mather on 18 January 2010, on what date it will publish its final energy efficiency action plan.
Answer
We have appointed consultants to independently analyse the 492 responses we received to our recent consultation on an Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland. We expect the consultants to submit a summary of responses to the Scottish Government in March.
In parallel, officials will continue to develop the final action plan which will be published in late spring.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 27 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of each measure, including central heating installations, has been accessed at Stage Four of the Energy Assistance Package, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The following table provides an analysis of physical measures completed as a result of referrals to Stage 4, to end November 2009.
To the end of November the Energy Assistance Package has delivered 5,138 heating system measures.
Four thousand, one hundred and forty one of these were carried forward to necessarily complete applications made under the previous programme.
Nine hundred and ninety-seven are installations arising from referrals so far this year to stage 4.
| Cavity Wall Insulation | Loft Insulation <60mm | Loft Top-up | Internal Insulation | External Insulation | Draught Proofing | Boiler Replacement | Central Heating System |
| Aberdeen City | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 22 |
| Aberdeenshire | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 23 |
| Angus | 5 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 |
| Argyll & Bute | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
| Clackmannanshire | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 38 |
| Dundee City | 2 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 51 |
| East Ayrshire | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 24 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 24 |
| East Lothian | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| East Renfrewshire | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 20 |
| Edinburgh, City of | 2 | 15 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 64 |
| Eilean Siar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Falkirk | 2 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 35 |
| Fife | 2 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 55 |
| Glasgow City | 4 | 18 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 11 | 91 |
| Highland | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 24 |
| Inverclyde | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Midlothian | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| Moray | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 15 |
| North Ayrshire | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 22 |
| North Lanarkshire | 7 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 7 | 80 |
| Orkney Islands | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Perth and Kinross | 0 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 25 |
| Renfrewshire | 3 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 40 |
| Scottish Borders | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 14 |
| Shetland Islands | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| South Ayrshire | 3 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 34 |
| South Lanarkshire | 2 | 17 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 11 | 71 |
| Stirling | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| West Lothian | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| All Scotland | 48 | 195 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 104 | 893 |
