- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports an increase in EU funding for plant and animal genetic resources.
Answer
The Scottish Government would welcome an increase in EU funding for plant and animal genetic resources in areas where this reflects our current policies on plant and animal improvement.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the abolition of using EU funds to promote meat from farm animals, as proposed in amendment 5260 to the EU agriculture budget.
Answer
The promotional and marketing activity of bodies such as Quality Meat Scotland, which is part funded by the EU, ensures iconic brands such as Scotch beef retain their premium status and contribute to providing a sustainable future for livestock production in Scotland. The Scottish Government would not therefore be in favour of the complete withdrawal of such funding by the EU.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the Scottish Agricultural College’s disease surveillance budget is spent on work carried out at the veterinary laboratory in Thurso.
Answer
The Scottish Government commissions a programme of veterinary surveillance from the Scottish Agricultural College who hold responsibility for distributing the budget appropriately between veterinary investigation centres across Scotland. The veterinary surveillance element of the support provided to SAC Veterinary Services is just over £3 million in the current financial year.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the provision of a Kirkwall-based aircraft providing air ambulance cover as well as inter-island transport for other health services.
Answer
This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0917-01.htm
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to establish more sustainable relations between rural and urban economies, addressing issues such as demographic change and migration, energy saving and efficiency, low-carbon emission and short distance food chains and biological and cultural diversity.
Answer
As set out in the Government Economic Strategy we are focussed on giving greater priority to achieving more balanced growth across Scotland, in order to reduce regional disparities. As part of this we are ensuring a more strategic approach to the growth of Scotland''s cities, towns and rural areas across transport, planning, housing and economic development.
Our actions include: working to help address demographic challenges; taking forward the Climate Change agenda; introducing the Scotland Rural Development Programme; implementing the national developments and spatial strategy set out in the second National Planning Framework and delivering planning reform; implementing Scotland''s biodiversity strategy; working to improve access and participation in cultural activities, and we will shortly be publishing a consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan. We are also focusing government and the wider public sector around our national outcomes, including those on the environmental impacts of consumption and production; the built and natural environment, and realising our full economic potential.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the withdrawal of EU funding for the growing of raw tobacco.
Answer
The government supports the decision taken by the EU in 2004 to remove all subsidies linked to the cultivation of tobacco from 2010.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 16 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that public money should not be used to promote the consumption of products that have a negative impact on climate change.
Answer
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 demonstrates the Scottish Government''s commitment to tackling climate change. Policy options and public spending decisions are already contributing to reducing emissions. The Scottish Government has made a commitment to carbon assessment of the impact of its spending from 2010-11 and will report annually on emissions attributable to Scottish consumption of goods and services from 2010.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has requested a meeting with the EU fisheries commissioner to discuss his reported proposals to abolish quotas for certain key fish stocks and to replace them with an annual allowance of days at sea.
Answer
No. A meeting for this specific purpose would be premature whilst the Scottish Government is consulting stakeholders on the Commission''s green paper.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to carry out an assessment of the implications for the Scottish fishing fleet of any proposals to replace quotas for certain key fish stocks with an annual allowance of days at sea.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26871 on 16 September 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.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with the Scottish fishing industry regarding any European Commission proposals to abolish quotas for certain key fish stocks and to replace them with an annual allowance of days at sea.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26872 on 16 September 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.
