- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 3 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what role it would play in responding to any incident in Scottish waters similar to the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige off the Spanish coast and whether it will give details of procedures that are in place to deal with any such incident.
Answer
Action to prevent marine pollution remains a function of the UK Government. However, the role of the Scottish Executive, and a number of other statutory bodies, is set out in the National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations (NCP). The plan is tested annually and the most recent national oil spill exercise, which included participation by the Scottish Executive and a number of its agencies, was conducted in the Firth of Forth in October. A copy of the plan is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre, (Bib. number 17730). There is also an Operating Agreement between the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Scottish Executive on Marine Pollution Contingency Planning. In the event of an oil spill in waters adjacent to Scotland, the MCA would alert the Scottish Executive and its agencies. The Executive and its agencies would be involved in any Shoreline Response Centre and Environment Group set up under the terms of the NCP to deal with the incident. In addition, the Scottish Executive is responsible as licensing authority for approving the use of chemical dispersants in shallow coastal waters.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to Scottish Environmental LINK's document Seas Fit for Scotland, launched on 6 November 2002, and whether there are any plans to take forward any of the document's proposals.
Answer
I will be replying to Scottish Environment LINK shortly. My letter will explain that the Executive is already committed, through the UK Marine Stewardship Report, to delivering a number of the initiatives identified by LINK. I will place a copy of my letter in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what events the (a) First Minister and (b) Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning have attended in support of the Friends of Scotland initiative.
Answer
Scottish Executive ministers are supportive of the Friends of Scotland initiative and attend events when possible.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff provide support to Friends of Scotland initiative activities.
Answer
One Scottish Executive member of staff provides limited support to the Friends of Scotland initiative as a local liaison officer in the British Embassy in Washington DC.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has spent to date on promoting the Friends of Scotland initiative.
Answer
None.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with The Scotland Office regarding the provision of financial support for the Friends of Scotland initiative.
Answer
None.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has spent to date on activities relating to the Friends of Scotland initiative.
Answer
None.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of EU white fish quota is fished by Scottish registered vessels, broken down by species.
Answer
Quotas are allocated to UK Fish Producer Organisations and uptake of these quotas by these organisations is monitored centrally. It is the responsibility of the Producer Organisations to allocate quota to individual vessels within their membership. Consequently, fisheries departments do not hold records of the quota allocated to individual vessels.There are seven Fish Producer Organisations that are administered in Scotland. For the calendar year 2001 their share of the EC White fish quota by species was as follows:Table 1: Percentage of 2001 EC White fish Quota Allocated to Scottish Producer Organisations by Species
| Species | Percentage of 2001 EC Quota |
| Cod | 10% |
| Haddock | 56% |
| Whiting | 25% |
| Saithe | 11% |
| Plaice | 6% |
| Sole | 1% |
| Hake | 2% |
| Anglerfish | 19% |
| Megrim | 12% |
| Lemon sole and witch flounder | 37% |
| Skates and rays | 35% |
| Dabs and flounder | 2% |
| Turbot and Brill | 4% |
| Spurdog | 62% |
| Pollack | 2% |
Notes:2001 EC quota as at 15/12/2000.Excludes quota for Faroese waters.Includes EC quota stocks with no UK interest.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it plans to make, either directly or through Her Majesty's Government, to the Danish Government regarding any benefits to white fish stocks in Scottish waters of decommissioning Danish industrial fisheries.
Answer
I will be holding confidential discussions on a range of pertinent issues with Commission, Presidency and other member states over the next few weeks including in the margins of the November Council.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 2 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of industrial fishing on white fish stocks in Scottish waters.
Answer
North Sea white fish stocks are stocks common to EU and Norwegian waters and assessments are carried out at North Sea level. The Scottish Executive has carried out no assessment of the impact of industrial fishing on North Sea white fish stocks.
