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: S3W-01058

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 27 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure the timely transposition into Scots Law of the EU floods directive and what plans it has to consult stakeholders on the matter.

In his statement toParliament on 21 June 2007, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growthannounced that flood risk management will be consulted on with a view to legislation.The consultation process will include the need for timely transposition of the proposedDirective on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risks. We shall inform Parliamentof our legislative proposals, once we have had an opportunity to consider the responsesto the consultation.

Question reference: S3W-01065

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 27 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many sites of special scientific interest there are in Scotland; how many of the features for which they have been notified are in favourable condition; whether it will list the reasons for any features being in an unfavourable condition, showing the number of cases of unfavourable condition as a result of that reason, and what steps it is taking to address these cases.

There are 1,455 SSSIsin Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has assessed2,347 of the natural features for which these sites have been notified as beingin favourable condition. In addition to this, 129 features have been assessed asbeing in unfavourable but recovering condition. At present, assessments of the reasonsfor unfavourable condition is only available for 778 of these features and theseare shown as follows. (Up to three reasons for unfavourable condition can be notedfor each feature).

	No. of Features
Agricultural operations	77
Grazing - overgrazing/undergrazing	330
Burning (presence/absence/methods and changes in these)	59
Game and fisheries management activities and freshwater aquaculture	32
Water management	55
Water quality – direct or diffuse inputs	33
Forestry operations	69
Recreation / disturbance	107
Flood defence or Coastal defence works	10
Development carried out under planning permission (including roads, Acts of Parliament etc)	15
Statutory Undertaker (i.e. works carried out by a statutory body which is not required to seek planning permission, including military operations)	17
Lack of remedial management (e.g. stopping-up drains, scrub cutting, erecting deer fences)	93
Invasive species	221
Earth Science feature obscured / eroded (e.g. coastal erosion) / modified (e.g. cave entrances)	9
Dumping / spreading / storage of materials	30
Natural event (e.g. extreme weather)	40
Other (largely relating to off-site factors)	187

SNH is taking forwardaction in appropriate ways including active engagement with land owners, occupiersand statutory bodies to identify and take forward appropriate remedial measures.Support is available from a variety of measures including Rural Stewardship Schemes,Scottish Forestry Grant Schemes, Natural Care Schemes and individual managementagreements.

Question reference: S3W-01057

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 27 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to introduce legislation to transpose into Scots Law the provisions of the EU environmental liability directive.

Question reference: S3W-01063

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Frank Mulholland on 25 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has issued to procurators fiscal in relation to the admissibility of evidence in respect of the prosecution of environmental crime and, if no such guidance exists, what rules exist to guide fiscals on admissibility.

Procuratorsfiscal are qualified solicitors. They are provided with appropriate trainingand guidance material to enable them to carry out the full range of theirduties in relation to the prosecution of crime and investigation of death. Thisincludes dealing with issues related to the admissibility of evidence such asthe best evidence rule and the test of fairness which is applied by the courtswhen determining issues of admissibility of evidence.

A national networkof prosecutors specialising in environmental cases has been in place since2004. These environmental specialists work closely with professionals from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and other specialist agencies andprovide advice to prosecution colleagues as appropriate. In consultation withSEPA, a joint training programme for environmental specialists and SEPA lawyershas been established. The programme has been successful not only inincreasing knowledge in this area but also in enhancing relationships andcommunication between SEPA and COPFS.

Question reference: S3W-00941

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 22 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-156 by Michael Russell on 7 June 2007 (Official Report c. 543), what the timescale is for this year’s consultation on changes to permitted development rights for microgeneration proposals for existing buildings and whether the Executive will publish draft proposals in order to ensure the widest possible parliamentary discussion and input.

Question reference: S3W-01064

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many nominated wildlife crime officers have been appointed in each police force area, indicating in each case whether these posts are full or part-time and whether they are filled by serving officers or civilians.

Except where indicated,these responsibilities represent part of an individual’s duties. The available informationis set out in the following table.

Police Force	Number of Nominated Wildlife Crime Officers
Central Scotland Police	11	1 inspector, 10 constables
Dumfries and Galloway	12	4 sergeants, 8 constables,
Fife Constabulary	8	1 detective sergeant, 7 constables
Grampian Police	10	1 superintendent, 9 constables, (1 full-time)
Lothian and Borders Police	6	7 constables, (1 full-time)
Northern Constabulary	12	1 chief inspector, 1 sergeant, 10 constables
Strathclyde Police	20	19 constables, 1 civilian
Tayside Police	13	1 sergeant, 11 constables, 1 civilian
M.O.D. Police in Scotland	10	1 sergeant, 9 constables

Question reference: S3W-01112

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 20 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a national proof-of-age card.

Question reference: S3W-00870

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to alter the dispersal or relocation policy in relation to its agencies.

I am currently consideringthe future arrangements for reaching decisions on the locations of public bodiesand agencies, in light of the experience of previous relocation policy, the findingsof the Finance and Audit Committees of the Scottish Parliament and our wider commitmentto address the cluttered landscape of public bodies. I will make an announcementon this matter following this consideration.

Question reference: S3O-00214

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2007
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the effectiveness of the implementation of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.

Question reference: S3W-00204

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 June 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Network Rail regarding the re-opening of the Edinburgh South Suburban Railway line for passenger use.