- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made, or will make, of how many farmers may cease milk production after 31 March 2005.
Answer
The Executive has not carried out a specific assessment of the number of farmers likely to cease milk production after 31 March 2005 and has no plans to do so. Any change to the number of milk producers will be affected by a range of factors including personal circumstances, milk prices, exchange rates and decoupling. There is a general consensus that the trend towards fewer, larger dairy farms, evident for some years, is likely to continue post 2005.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 14 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any assessment of the impact on the dairy sector of the provision of school milk to primary and secondary children and, if not, whether it has any plans to do so.
Answer
There are no current plans to undertake such an assessment. It is clear, however, that educational establishments provide a useful outlet for drinking milk, for the benefit of the industry and child health.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 11 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on what date it obtained legal advice in respect of its legal remedies in relation to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd; whether that advice contained recommendations that further inquiries be made and, if so, and whether those inquiries have been made and whether they have been completed, and whether that advice recommended, in particular, that any documents be obtained from the construction managers and, if so, whether those documents have been obtained.
Answer
A report containing legal advice on the Flour City issues was received on 4 December 2002, and was first considered at a meeting of the corporate body on 17 December 2002. The advice contained a number of recommendations, and the corporate body has been and continues to be guided by that advice. The advice received includes the recommendation that its contents should be kept confidential and not publicly discussed, so as not to prejudice the SPCB’sposition. Accordingly, and for this reason, I am not prepared at this time toprovide further details as to what steps have been taken or are planned.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in relation to the introduction of the national concessionary travel scheme for older and disabled people.
Answer
The national free bus schemefor older and disabled people is on track for introduction in April 2006.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 4 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of spring salmon angling is to the economy.
Answer
The report The Economic Impact of Game and Coarse Angling in Scotland estimated that salmon and sea trout anglers spend some £73.5 million per year. No figures are available to break this down further, but it is recognised that spring salmon angling forms a significant proportion of this angler spend.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports salmon netting.
Answer
We will continue to support any legal and sustainable form of fishing including salmon netting.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre all documents relating to any Statutory Instrument regarding salmon fishing and netting on the Esk rivers, including all correspondence, including enclosures and attachments, with the Esk District Salmon Fishery Board and all information relating to (a) the level of salmon stocks and (b) compensation payments.
Answer
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive which district fishery boards are seeking to introduce measures for the conservation of salmon and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre all correspondence and associated documents with each board on that issue.
Answer
Applications for Salmon Conservation Regulations have been received from the Esk District Salmon Fishery Board and the Annan District Salmon Fishery Board. Measures for the conservation of salmon under other provisions in the legislation, such as changes to annual close time, baits and lures regulations, have been implemented in response to applications from 24 District Salmon Fishery Boards throughout Scotland since the late 1970s. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a mandatory catch and release scheme for salmon angling would have on tourism, particularly in relation to visitors from abroad.
Answer
The proportion of the total Scottish salmon angling catch that is subsequently released has risen year on year from 8% in 1994 to 55% in 2003. The adoption of the practice is therefore growing and widely practised. The report, The Economic Impact of Game and Coarse Angling in Scotland, published in March 2004, estimated that 47% of angler days fished and 66% of angler expenditure was attributable to non-Scottish visiting anglers. It is likely, therefore, that a high proportion of visiting anglers practise catch and release.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide full details in respect of all outstanding claims from each valuer who acted for its Environment and Rural Affairs Department in respect of the foot and mouth disease outbreak.
Answer
The resolution of all outstanding claims arising from the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001 is a matter for Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs with whom the valuers have a contractual relationship.
