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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 1588 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4W-20372

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19493 by Richard Lochhead on 27 February 2014, what research has been undertaken to determine whether the number of screening applications received since 2007 is an indication of (a) a low level of activity that breaches the regulations or (b) low awareness of farmers of the requirements of the regulations, and, if so, whether that research has been published.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) register, records the numbers of screening applications and the number of these which then require a full EIA under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006. This data is collected from Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate area offices. As yet, there has not been any research carried out to determine whether the numbers provided in the written answer to S4W-19493 are due to a low level of activity that breaches the regulations or are a result of farmer’s awareness of the regulations. However, we intend to begin a review later this year of the implementation of the regulations, including associated guidance.

Question reference: S4W-20374

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19498 by Richard Lochhead on 27 February 2014, what the content is of the training that Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities area office staff receive regarding implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006; whether it includes practical guidance on how to identify uncultivated or semi-natural land, and who delivers it.

Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate inspectors have relevant professional agricultural qualifications and their knowledge of land classification is complimented by local training delivered by experienced staff. The training covers the obligations the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 places on land managers, plant species indicative of uncultivated or semi-natural land and the Environmental Impact Assessment application process in general. In addition, due to the current overlap with cross compliance the annual cross compliance training highlights the activities land managers are not allowed to undertake without approval under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006.

Question reference: S4W-20373

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-19493 by Richard Lochhead on 27 February 2014, what steps it has taken to determine the effectiveness of the environmental impact assessment guidance issued to farmers and Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities area office staff in ensuring that the purpose of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 is met.

The Scottish Government’s network of Rural Payments and Inspection Division (RPID) area offices carefully consider the potential environmental effects of all applications for land change submitted by land managers, as required under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006. RPID staff consult with Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Historic Scotland. Other bodies, such as local authorities, are consulted if appropriate. All decisions are recorded in a public register, available for public inspection, and an appeals process exists, with the appointment of an independent person as appropriate.

We believe this forms the basis for a robust and effective implementation framework. However we intend to begin a review later this year of the implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006, including associated guidance.

Question reference: S4O-03141

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government where the reintroduction of the Levenmouth rail link ranks among its transport priorities.

Question reference: S4W-20368

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 4 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the statement in the Committee on Climate Change report, Reducing emissions in Scotland: 2014 progress report, that “going forward, the achievement of both annual emission targets and sectoral targets remains very challenging.”

Scotland’s climate change targets are challenging, as they should be given the global impact of climate change. The Scottish Government welcome that the Committee on Climate Change recognise the nature of the challenge, but also that they praise Scotland’s progress and in a number of ‘key emitting sectors’ namely electricity and energy efficiency, where progress is ahead of that of the UK.

Question reference: S4W-20369

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in light of the Committee on Climate Change report, Reducing emissions in Scotland: 2014 progress report, it considers that it will meet its 2012 target for lowering emissions.

Question reference: S4W-20370

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the statement in the Committee on Climate Change report, Reducing emissions in Scotland: 2014 progress report, that achieving the current legislated targets will be “difficult”; what its position is on the report’s view that the Scottish Government's options are to “adjust targets” or find “additional opportunities to reduce emissions that go beyond current and proposed policies"; whether it remains its position that the Second Report on Proposals and Policies will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet yearly targets, and whether it will bring forward further policies and proposals due to failures to meet legislated targets.

The Scottish Government notes the Committee's advice regarding the impact of revisions to the Scottish greenhouse gas inventory data for 2011 and subsequent years, and will closely examine both options identified to address the challenge this has created. We note, in respect of 2011, that the Committee stressed (p12) that:

“It is important to note that the difference between estimated emissions and the target is less than the impact of the inventory revision. It can therefore be argued that the target was missed mainly because of the inventory revision.”

The Second Report on Proposals and Policies sets out how Scotland can deliver its statutory annual targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The longer term trend shows that emissions in Scotland are reducing and we remain confident Scotland is on a trajectory to achieve the ambitious 2020 target of a 42 per cent emissions reduction. In accordance with section 36 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, the Second Report on Proposals and Policies sets out how the Scottish Government plans to compensate for missing both the 2010 and 2011 emissions target.

Question reference: S4O-03100

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how the green deal supports the expansion of low carbon options in homes.

Question reference: S4W-19949

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what excludes fish processing companies from being eligible for state aid; on what criteria a business is categorised as eligible for state aid, and how such a categorisation can be changed.

The European Commission’s guidance on state aid stipulates that companies of any size can benefit from de minimis aid of up to 30,000 euros over a three year period.

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can benefit from state aid under the block exemption. SMEs are categorised as independent companies that have fewer than 250 employees, and an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million euros, or an annual balance sheet not exceeding 43 million euros.

The Scottish Government is lobbying the European Commission to change the categorisation, through the current consultation on state aid.

Question reference: S4W-19948

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure the integrity of fish processed and sold in Scotland.

In August 2013, I wrote to all the key organisations that support businesses in the supply and processing of fishery products, to re-iterate that their labelling practises must be clear and accurate, in order to maintain consumer confidence and to protect the reputation of the industry as a whole.

Since then, the recently published Scottish Seafood Partnership action plan includes an action to develop measures to ensure that product authenticity and traceability can be verified throughout the supply chain. This will be one of the issues discussed when the Food Standards Agency Scotland shortly meets, at my request, representatives of the sea fish industry to discuss what further measures should be taken to ensure that consumers can be confident of the authenticity of the fish that they purchase.