Chamber and committees

The government believes that national planning policy provides a sound basis for planning authorities to prepare local policies for onshore wind farms. As with all forms of development, planning applications should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Planning is a local responsibility and planning authorities should support the development of wind farms in locations where the technology can operate efficiently and environmental and cumulative impacts can be satisfactorily addressed.

The government expects planning authorities to prepare spatial frameworks for wind farms over 20 megawatts. These frameworks should identify: (a) areas requiring significant protection because they are designated for their national or international natural heritage value, or they are green belts or are areas where the cumulative impact of existing wind farms limits further development; (b) areas with potential constraints where proposals will be considered on their individual merits against identified criteria, and (c) areas of search where appropriate proposals are likely to be supported subject to detailed consideration against identified criteria and all other material considerations. These frameworks should provide greater certainty for developers and local communities and speed up the decision making process.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21310 on 9 March 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.

Assistance is available from the Food Processing, Marketing and Cooperation Grant Scheme to support the honey processing sector. The range of assistance includes items of capital expenditure to develop new, and improve existing processing facilities, non-capital expenditure to support the wider development of food processing businesses such as market research and cooperation activity between food producers, food processors and third parties.

Following diagnosis of notifiable foulbrood disease, disease control action is agreed between Scottish Government bee officers and the beekeeper. In the case of American Foulbrood colony destruction is the only option. For European Foulbrood destruction of severe cases is usual and for milder cases a treatment programme is possible. In the longer term, advice and training in all aspects of integrated pest management and good bee husbandry. This will include training beekeepers in how to improve their management practices to reduce the spread of disease and how to identify symptoms of infection.

The Rural Gathering will take place at Perth Racecourse, by Perth, on 25 September 2009. A major rural networking event, it is an opportunity to promote rural development through bringing together stakeholders from across rural Scotland to share good ideas and practices and learn from domestic and international examples.

The event will include informal meetings with Ministers and keynote speeches from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead; Professor David Freshwater, Kentucky University, and Ute Vieting, Director, LEADER, Hesselberg, Germany. Problem solving workshops which will help rural stakeholders tackle rural development in their areas are also planned together with presentations of international and local case studies. The Gathering will be chaired by Ken Rundle of the Scottish Agricultural College.

It is expected that there will be at least 200 grass roots stakeholders attending the Rural Gathering. The audience has been build up from nominations by the LEADER Local Action Groups, The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and applications to the Scottish National Rural Network website.

The Scottish Agricultural College does not provide bee inspectors for the Scottish Government. Bee inspection is carried out by staff of the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate.

The Scottish Government is providing advice, training, surveillance and diagnostic services to the honeybee-keeping industry. The Scottish Government have also introduced a telephone Bee Helpline and have established a Disease Stakeholder Group which is meeting on a fortnightly basis to discuss control.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26300 on 24 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26109 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.