- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how fishing, processing and leisure interests are being consulted during the strategic environmental assessment for offshore wind developments in Scottish territorial waters.
Answer
To take forward environmental and marine planning aspects of marine offshore energy developments, the Scottish Government has established a project group “ the Marine Energy Spatial Planning Group (MESPG) and a wider stakeholders group - the Marine Strategic Studies Forum (MSSF).
Both groups will be consulted upon all the project specifications and output reports including those for the offshore wind Strategic Environmental Assessment. The MSSF includes representatives from the fishing, shipping and leisure interests. The Scottish Government will adopt best practice consultation on offshore wind throughout the Strategic Environmental Assessment process.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how deer stalkers from outwith Scotland might demonstrate skills and knowledge in public safety, deer welfare and food safety as proposed in its consultation on the proposed Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26283 on 19 August 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether deer stalkers from outwith Scotland could be included on the register of persons competent to shoot deer proposed in its consultation on the proposed Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill.
Answer
Yes. The intention of the proposal is that the same requirements would apply to deer stalkers regardless of residence. The skills required would be based on the current voluntary system operated by a variety of providers based in England and Scotland. The intention would also be to offer recognition to equivalent foreign qualifications and the means for achieving that are currently under consideration. Deer stalkers who did not wish to register would be permitted to continue to shoot, provided that they were supervised by a suitably qualified person when doing so.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-22989 by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 May 2009, whether the trial of flying falcons over Dumfries town centre to deter nesting and breeding gulls has been completed.
Answer
The trial to evaluate the effectiveness of using falcons to deter gulls from nesting and breeding in Dumfries town centre was completed on 22 May 2009.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the principal differences are between the methods permissible for deterring breeding and nesting by urban gulls such as herring gulls, which have been awarded red status by the RSPB, and those such as lesser black backed gulls, which have been awarded amber status.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26175 on 19 August 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the RSPB’s award of red status to herring gulls will affect the methods that local authorities such as Dumfries and Galloway Council are permitted to use to deter herring gulls from breeding and nesting in town centres.
Answer
Where actions by local authorities to control or manage gulls require consent, this would normally be available under the terms of Scottish Government general licence (see link below) which allows control of certain birds, including herring gulls, for the protection of public health, public safety and to prevent the spread of disease, for preventing serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables and fruit and to protect air safety. I have no plans at present to remove the herring gull from the scope of these general licences.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Wildlife-Habitats/16330/general-licences/2008.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-22989 by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 May 2009, when the results of the evaluation by the Central Science Laboratory of the trial of flying falcons over Dumfries town centre to deter nesting and breeding gulls will be available
Answer
The Central Science Laboratory now operates as part of the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA). The agency are currently compiling and analysing the data collected during this first year of the trial and are due to present their findings in a report at the end of August 2009.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methods permitted for deterring breeding and nesting by urban gulls will be affected in areas of mixed colonies of gulls awarded red status, such as herring gulls, by the RSPB, and gulls awarded amber status, such as lesser blacked gulls.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26175 on 19 August 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20016 by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2009, when it expects its economic report into the value of sea angling to be published.
Answer
The
Report into the Economic Impact of Recreational Sea Angling in Scotland was published on 29 July 2009. The report is available online at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/seaanglingstudy.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24922 by Richard Lochhead on 9th July 2009, whether it is aware that only one greyhound racing track in Scotland stages races under the Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s rules of racing.
Answer
We are aware that the only greyhound racing track in Scotland to stage races under the Greyhound Board of Great Britain''s rules of racing is the greyhound racing track at Shawfield in Glasgow. However, advice on track safety and other matters is available to all greyhound tracks, including the independent tracks from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
