Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-14148

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue further guidance to accompany the carbon calculator to assist planning officers evaluate the values entered in the calculator.

There are two active strands of work developing further guidance at the moment. These are:

1. To amend the sampling requirements so developers would use nationally derived estimates of bulk density and total carbon within the Carbon Calculator as default value. Work is ongoing with meetings held between Scottish Government, Scottich Renewables, SEPA and SNH with a view to changing the sampling requirements as part of the “Guidance - DEVELOPMENTS ON PEATLAND: SITE SURVEYS”. A copy of this document is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/917/0120462.pdf.

2. Revision to the “Good Practice During Wind Farm Construction Guidance” are planned and this will include a new section dedicated to developments on peat. This will take relevant parts from a number of guidance documents and summarise them in one area for ease of reference and use. The Good Practice During Wind Farm Construction working group (SEPA, SNH, Scottish Renewables, Forestry Commission Scotland) meet to discuss this issue to progress the new draft.

Question reference: S4W-14212

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 7 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many environmental impact assessments were carried out under the (a) Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999, (b) Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000, (c) Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations 2006, (d) Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-Natural Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2002, (e) Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 and (f) Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999 in each of the last five years for which information is available.

The number of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) undertaken in respect of the above statutory EIA regimes is as follows:

Year	Forestry	Electricity Works	Agriculture	Planning	1999 EIA Regulations¹
2008	2	8	0	107	5
2009	1	17	1	113	3
2010	4	9	0	91	1
2011	1	17	0	160	1
2012	1	15	0	195	0

The Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-Natural Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2002 were revoked in 2006 by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Scotland) Regulations, figures for which are provided above.

¹Excludes figures in respect of the Planning EIA regime, which are listed separately.

Question reference: S4W-14208

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 7 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it assesses the (a) site and (b) cumulative environmental impacts for proposals for woodland expansion on agricultural land.

Proposals for woodland expansion on agricultural land are considered under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. The regulations provide a structured approach to evaluating environmental impacts to ensure that potential impacts are adequately assessed. Forestry projects are also assessed to ensure they meet the requirements of the UK Forestry Standard.

The potential cumulative effect of proposals are accounted for in two ways, firstly by considering the cumulative effect of different types of environmental impacts associated with the project and secondly by including any other forestry projects that have been carried out on adjacent land (including that on land in different ownerships) to a proposed project.

Question reference: S4W-14209

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 7 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that any significant environmental effects that may arise as a result of woodland expansion projects on agricultural land are adequately assessed and considered before development consent is issued.

Proposals for woodland expansion on agricultural land are considered under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. The regulations provide a structured approach to evaluating environmental impacts to ensure that potential impacts are adequately assessed. Forestry projects are also assessed to ensure they meet the requirements of the UK Forestry Standard.

Proposals for woodland creation must submit an application with details of the project for a formal opinion under Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 to Forestry Commission Scotland who will carry out a screening exercise to decide whether or not a project is likely to have significant effects on the environment. In reaching a decision on proposals, Forestry Commission Scotland will seek the views of relevant statutory authorities, such as Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, National Parks and local authorities.

If Forestry Commission Scotland’s opinion is that the proposed project will have a significant impact on the environment, then an application for consent will be required before the project can begin. Any such application for consent must include an Environmental Statement.

Question reference: S4W-14210

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) agriculture and (b) forestry projects there have been since 2008 in relation to which significant environmental effects occurred but no environmental impact assessment was required.

a) We are not aware of any agriculture projects since 2008 where significant environmental effects occurred but no environmental impact assessment was required.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture)(Scotland) Regulations 2006 came into force in Scotland on 1 January 2007 and constrain operations to carry out intensive agricultural operations on uncultivated or semi-natural land, or large scale restructuring projects on agricultural land, where the result would have a significant impact on the environment. Agricultural area office staff receives many informal requests for advice regarding activity that may require an EIA. If it is decided that operations could have significant environmental effects (established during the screening process) a scoping meeting is held to establish the information required in the Environmental Statement. The application is then made available to the public. In practise few agricultural EIA applications go to the Environmental Statement stage. This is because:

The principles of EIA are enshrined in Cross Compliance, which is the minimum standard of regulatory compliance all farmers must adhere to in order to receive their basic subsidy payment;

Much of the land that would be considered appropriate to improve has been improved during the last century, often receiving support from agricultural grant in previous decades;

The remaining land, which includes all semi-natural habitats (unimproved grass, heath, moorland, scrub and wetlands) and environmental designations is largely uneconomic to improve.

b) We are not aware of any forestry projects since 2008 in relation to which significant environmental effects occurred but no environmental impacts assessment was required.

All forestry projects that could potentially result in significant environmental impacts are assessed under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. Where it is found that a project could result in significant environmental impacts a full application for consent, involving the preparation of an Environmental Statement, would be required. The findings of the Environmental Statement are then assessed by Forestry Commission Scotland together with comments from statutory and non-statutory consultees. In assessing the project and consultees comments the Forestry Commission Scotland would only grant consent where they were confident the project would not have a significant impact on the environment.

Question reference: S4W-14211

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that an assessment is carried out on all projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of their nature, size or location.

Question reference: S4W-14149

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) investigate further or (b) enable further research into the impact of distance from drainage features on peat in relation to the carbon calculator.

Question reference: S4O-02051

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to farmers adversely affected by the recent cold weather.

Question reference: S4W-13722

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13200 by Michael Matheson on 5 March 2013, how many courses of the emergency contraceptive (a) ulipristal acetate and (b) levonorgestrel have been dispensed in each year since 2010-11, broken down by NHS board.

The number of courses of treatment dispensed for a) ulipristal acetate and b) levonorgestrel since 2010-11 are as follows;

Levonorgestrel	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
	Quantity Dispensed	Quantity Dispensed	Quantity Dispensed
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	5851	5856	4307
NHS Borders	1116	1086	774
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	1516	1509	1136
NHS Fife	5410	5643	4195
NHS Forth Valley	4242	4632	3432
NHS Grampian	8152	9626	7305
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	25283	27847	20982
NHS Highland	3848	3784	2743
NHS Lanarkshire	8208	8808	6666
NHS Lothian	19315	20355	14671
NHS Orkney	121	145	114
NHS Shetland	219	310	197
NHS Tayside	5700	6080	4354
NHS Western Isles	97	159	114

Includes the Drugs Levonelle 1500® (over the counter) and Levonelle One Step® (Prescription only), a course of treatment is one tablet.

Note 1: Data regarding the Financial Year 2012-13 is up to and including December 2012.

Ulipristal Acetate	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
	Quantity Dispensed	Quantity Dispensed	Quantity Dispensed
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	35	53	75
NHS Borders	18	53	109
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	8	28	26
NHS Fife	36	65	87
NHS Forth Valley	20	52	52
NHS Grampian	51	61	69
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	59	101	99
NHS Highland	78	186	377
NHS Lanarkshire	24	34	61
NHS Lothian	133	285	252
NHS Orkney	14	17	28
NHS Shetland	*	*	*
NHS Tayside	63	116	110
NHS Western Isles	*	18	17

Includes the drugs Ellaone® and Ulipristal Acetate, a course of treatment is one tablet.

Note 1: Data regarding the Financial Year 2012-13 is up to and including December 2012

*these data are suppressed due to Disclosure Control.

Question reference: S4W-13720

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 18 March 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13200 by Michael Matheson on 5 March 2013, what its position is on the availability of the emergency contraceptive (a) ulipristal acetate and (b) levonorgestrel.

Chamber and committees