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.

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Question reference: S4W-09894

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to the Rosyth-Zeebrugge freight ferry service following the expiry of its Waterborne Freight Grant.

We awarded Norfolkline/DFDS a Waterborne Freight Grant of 2 million (payable over three years) in May 2009. The purpose of the grant is to encourage the transfer of freight from road to sea, and funds the additional freight costs of shipping over that of the road alternative. EU state aid regulations limit grant awards to 2 million.

We continue to work closely with the operator of the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route to discuss the future of the service and continuing efforts to increase freight traffic to help make the route sustainable.

Question reference: S4O-01420

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2012

To ask the Scottish Government when an agreement will be in place appointing Network Rail as the authorised undertaker of the Edinburgh to Tweedbank railway project.

Question reference: S4W-09981

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the strategic environmental assessment for the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland provides a sufficiently detailed assessment of the likely environmental effects of the programme of wind energy development on the national forest estate, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The strategic environmental assessment for the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland included consideration of the environmental implications of increasing renewable electricity generation from onshore wind in Scotland. The Environmental Report noted that environmental effects will depend on local factors including the location, siting, design, layout and construction processes, and cannot therefore be fully predicted at this stage; and that, notwithstanding this uncertainty, it is anticipated that most effects can be mitigated through appropriate planning, assessment design and construction of developments.

Additionally, the National Forest Estate Strategic Plan 2009-13 was subject to strategic environmental assessment. The plan states that the installation of renewable energy infrastructure on the national forest estate will have to comply with planning legislation, and that Forest Enterprise Scotland will seek to ensure that best practice is followed as regards the design, construction and operation of any wind farms and their associated infrastructure on the national forest estate.

Question reference: S4W-09982

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether the programme of wind energy developments on the national forest estate could be a material consideration in the determination of applications for planning or other regulatory consent, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S4W-09979

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether its control of woodland removal policy is applicable to wind farm developments on the national forest estate and, if so, how it will ensure that this is implemented.

The Scottish Government’s control of woodland removal policy is applicable to wind farm developments on the national forest estate, all of which are subject to normal planning/consent procedures. Paragraph 148 of Scottish Planning Policy states that:

“The Scottish Government's control of woodland removal policy includes a presumption in favour of protecting woodland resources. Woodland removal should only be allowed where it would achieve significant and clearly defined additional public benefits. In appropriate cases compensatory planting may form part of the balance. The criteria for determining the acceptability of woodland removal and further information on the implementation of the policy is explained in the Control of Woodland Removal Policy and this should be taken into account when preparing development plans and deciding planning applications.”

Furthermore, the lease conditions for wind farm developments on the national forest estate will require compliance with planning/consent conditions and the control of woodland policy.

Question reference: S4W-09978

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances the (a) planning authority, (b) Scottish Government and (c) Forestry Commission Scotland would be the competent authority for consenting woodland removal or planting proposals associated with wind farm developments on the national forest estate.

The planning authority is the competent authority for consenting woodland removal associated with wind farm developments of 50 megawatts or less on the national forest estate.

The Scottish Government is the competent authority for consenting woodland removal or planting proposals associated with wind farm developments in excess of 50 megawatts on the national forest estate.

Forestry Commission Scotland is normally the competent authority for consents that may be necessary for planting proposals subject to the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999, as amended. However, where these planting proposals are associated with a wind farm development and have been considered as part of the environmental impact assessment of that development, then (depending on the size of the development) the competent authority will be the local authority or the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4W-09980

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers its programme for wind energy developments on the national forest estate to be a "plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the management of [a Natura 2000] site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects", and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S4W-09984

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that potential community wind farm sites on the national forest estate do not include sites designated for their conservation value and areas identified by Scottish Natural Heritage as highly sensitive for natural heritage.

Question reference: S4W-09983

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the identification of potential wind farm sites in areas of the national forest estate that are designated for their conservation value is compatible with the estate's statutory duties to further biodiversity, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S4W-09893

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 September 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 October 2012

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the Rosyth-Zeebrugge freight ferry service an important means of transport for hauliers in Scotland.