Chamber and committees

Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB), the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) administrator, has well-established processes in place to promote the fund and support applications from a range of communities across Scotland.

This year KSB is running surgeries and events across Scotland to inform and support communities wishing to apply to the CCF. These events are aimed at hard to reach communities and areas identified by the SIMD .

I also refer the member to previous questions for further information on CCF grant awards by SIMD: S5W-09208, S5W-09210, S5W-09211 on 23 May 2017.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The SPCB’s Facilities Manager responsible for the catering services has met with representatives from the SOIL Association to discuss the possibility of the Scottish Parliament achieving the Silver Food for Life Catering mark.  The next step will be to meet with organisations who have achieved the silver standard to understand how they managed to do this within the criteria.  In particular we will be looking at how they were able to introduce additional organic produce into the services without a significant impact on costs. These meetings should take place before September.

We are also aware that the SOIL Association and the Carbon Trust have a catering accreditation called the Green Kitchen Standard. This standard looks for best practice in food provenance and environmental management.  We are currently triple certified by the Carbon Trust in the areas of Water, Energy and Waste.  This new catering standard is therefore of particular interest to us.

The Lord Advocate’s Rules: Review of Decision not to Prosecute, made under section 4 of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014, give effect to EU Directive 2012/29/EU. This defines a “victim” as follows-

“A victim is defined as someone who has suffered harm, including physical, mental or emotional harm or economic loss directly caused by a criminal offence. This includes family members of a person whose death was directly caused by a criminal offence, and who have suffered harm as a result of that person’s death.

Businesses, companies and other organisations which are victims of a crime are also included under this policy.”

Although there is no legal right to review in such cases, the Crown is committed to robust and effective decision making and to ongoing engagement with stakeholders. In the COPFS response to the Justice Committee’s Report on the Role and Purpose of COPFS, the Crown Agent stated the following:

“As I highlighted in my written evidence to the Committee, COPFS’ whole approach to the prosecution of wildlife crime has changed dramatically since 2008. Since the establishment of the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit (WECU) in 2011 all reports of wildlife and environmental crime are handled by a team of dedicated specialist prosecutors. WECU staff are equipped with relevant knowledge and expertise to assess properly the applicable law to the facts and circumstances in each case. WECU prosecutors, and indeed more senior colleagues, have over a number of years met with NGOs involved in wildlife crime investigations to discuss specific concluded cases and areas of significant concern to NGOs. Consistent with my previous indication that we would seek to build stronger relationships, the Lord Advocate has recently offered the RSPB an opportunity to meet with senior COPFS officials to discuss wildlife crime cases involving alleged raptor persecution. We will continue with these efforts in order to ensure appropriate learning for all those involved in the detection, investigation and prosecution of wildlife and environmental crime is identified and implemented.”

Using information from landings figures and vessel monitoring systems, it is possible to estimate the value of landings by scallop dredgers from the 0-3 nautical mile zone. In 2016 Scottish vessels caught king scallops with a value of £10.6 million from the 0-3 zone out of a total catch of £22.3 million from all Scottish zones (0-200nm). Meaning that catches from within the 0-3 nautical mile zone account for nearly 50% of all landings from the Scottish zone.

In 2016, our data shows that nearly 120 vessels recorded landings by dredge from the Scottish zone which we estimate supported over 400 jobs at sea and 300 on onshore industries (such as processing, transport and related employment).

The Scottish Government is aware of the European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety vote on 22 June which did not support an attempt by Conservative MEP, Julie Girling, to halt a proposed ban by the European Commission on the outdoor use of neonicotinoid insecticides.

Restrictions were placed on the use of these neonicotinoids in 2013 to prevent their use on crops with flowers attractive to bees. These restrictions were fully implemented in Scotland and the rest of the UK. The Scottish Government awaits the outcome of the European Food Safety Authority's main review of the neonicotinoids, expected to be published towards the second half of the year.

The Scottish Government has worked closely with DEFRA, and other parts of the UK Plant Health Service, in relation to Xylellafastidiosa. An example of this is by participation by officials in the monthly UK Plant Health Risk Group meetings. This is a UK-wide cross Government department group, chaired by DEFRA, that reviews threats to plant health.

The on-going threat of Xylella has been discussed monthly at Plant Health Risk Group meetings. The Group also prepares the UK positions for discussions on this pathogen which are held frequently at the monthly EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF).

The Scottish Government recognises the threat posed by Xylellafastidiosa to Scotland’s ecosystem and a pest risk analysis (PRA) on Xylellafastidiosa was initiated following consideration of the pathogen by the UK Plant Health Risk Group. The PRA was published, following stakeholder consultation, in June 2014 and assesses the pathogen’s potential to cause economic, environmental and social impacts in the UK, including Scotland.

There is uncertainty as to the degree of damage that may result if the pathogen was to become established in the UK and the PRA is kept under review given the on-going threat.

The Scottish Plant Health Strategy, published in March 2016, sets out the Scottish Government’s approach to the protection of the health of plants in Scotland. Specific actions are listed under seven key headings including: pre-border, border and inland measures.

Import controls for Xylella fastidiosa and eradication measures in the event of an outbreak are set out in emergency EU legislation. These measures have been transposed into, and are implemented by, Scottish legislation and are kept under continuous review. As well as involvement in agreeing EU measures, the UK and Scotland have powers to introduce National measures. Additional measures in the UK context are under consideration.

The Scottish Government also works with the other parts of the UK Plant Health Service to raise awareness on Xylella.

A guide, Implications for the importers and users of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, was prepared for anyone involved in importing and professional use of plants and is also available on online.

Scottish Government hosted a Xylella workshop in September 2016, with an introductory awareness-raising session attended by relevant industry bodies, governmental and non-governmental organisations. The rest of the three-day workshop focussed on diagnostics training for the detection of Xylella fastidiosa.

A Plant Health Forum was held in February 2017 for the horticulture trade, which included discussions on Xylella.

The Scottish Government’s generic contingency plan for plant health sets out actions that would be taken in the event of an outbreak. A UK plan specific to Xylella is in the process of development.

The National Council of Rural Advisers has been established to provide advice and recommendations on future rural policy and support to help create a vibrant, sustainable and productive rural economy. Members have been appointed to the Council on the basis of their expertise and knowledge of the rural economy gained from living and working Scotland’s in rural communities.

My officials are supporting the independent National Council of Rural Advisers on the development of their workplan and stakeholder strategy over the summer. We would expect the Council to seek the views of a wide variety of stakeholders and representatives across rural, coastal and island communities.