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-07096

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how it assesses significant impacts of woodland expansion proposals greater than 0.25 hectares on (a) biodiversity and (b) the historic environment.

In deciding whether woodland creation proposals are likely to have a significant effect on the environment of a site, Forestry Commission Scotland seek the views of other relevant organisations to identify potential issues and mitigations early in the application process.

For biodiversity, consideration is given to the sensitivity of the site, for example, whether proposals are within a sensitive site such as a Site of Special Scientific Interest or Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or Special Protection Area (SPA), to the presence of any priority habitats or species as identified within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) and to the potential impacts on soil and water.

For historic environment, consideration is given to the presence of historic features such as Scheduled Ancient Monuments; other features of historic significance such as veteran trees and also the impact of proposals on the wider historic landscape aspects.

Question reference: S4W-07099

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 6 June 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many woodland expansion proposals have been consented without an approved environmental impact assessment by each Forestry Commission Scotland conservancy since 2007 for new woodland planting on (a) sensitive and (b) non-sensitive sites.

The number of woodland creation proposals which were consented without an Environmental Impact Assessment, split by sensitive sites and by non-sensitive sites, since 2007 is set out in the following table.

RPAC Region	Sensitive Sites	Non-Sensitive Sites
Argyll	5	54
Ayrshire	4	26
Borders	28	184
Clyde Valley	3	30
Dumfries and Galloway	18	130
Forth	13	76
Grampian	30	386
Highland	70	218
Northern Isles	3	5
Outer Hebrides	3	1
Tayside	17	100
Total	194	1,210

Note: *Information by conservancy is not available as woodland creation approval figures are compiled by RPAC Region.

Question reference: S4W-06925

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the document, Scottish Government Consultation on the European Commission's proposals for the future Common Agricultural Policy 2014 - 2020, did not provide more space for respondents to qualify their answers to multiple choice questions.

Question reference: S4W-06924

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes to deal with responses to its consultations in which it is considered that multiple choice answers have been interpreted in different ways.

Question reference: S4W-06923

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 April 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the questions in the document, Scottish Government Consultation on the European Commission's proposals for the future Common Agricultural Policy 2014 - 2020, might lead to answers that can be interpreted in different ways.

As with most consultations the interpretation of a question often depends on the individual views and circumstances of the person responding.

The Questback public consultation expressly sought to assess whether there was agreement with the European Commission’s CAP Reform proposals.

The consultation is only one of a wide range of methods being used to ensure we have a good understanding of people’s views on CAP Reform. Other forms of public engagement include a series of 13 public roadshows held across Scotland, an updated CAP website which presents information in an easily accessible form and regular meetings with around 35 stakeholder organisations.

The Questback method proved popular receiving almost four times as many responses than the last CAP consultation. Of those responses, 79% came from individuals, a significant increase on the last CAP consultation where only 7% of responses came from individuals.

Questback also allowed us to gauge public views throughout the consultation period, helping inform our position in the early stages of the CAP negotiations.

Once the future CAP has been agreed, we will conduct a more detailed consultation on exactly how it should be implemented in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-06942

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-06199 by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2012, what progress it has made to ensure that a funding mechanism is in place for rural development programmes if the European Commission’s reformed common agricultural policy is not in place from 1 January 2014.

Setting out transitional arrangements is not an issue simply restricted to Scotland and the rest of the UK but one that has been raised as a concern by a number of member states who are worried about the negative impact that could be caused by a break in funding.

We and others have been pressing the Commission to give details of their plans to ensure a smooth transition between programmes so that crucial funding continues. The Commission has so far shared its initial views with member states in its Rural Development Committee. We are also undertaking work internally to ascertain options for ensuring funding continues for priority areas regardless of what happens with the transitional rules.

Question reference: S4O-01055

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what major events it plans to support in 2017.

Question reference: S4W-07088

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 16 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue a list of wind farm sites that are to be developed on the national forest estate.

A list of wind and hydro developments on the national forest estate is published on the Forestry Commission Scotland website at:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-7stf2a.

This is updated quarterly. It lists developments that are already operational, those under construction, those with planning consent and those under consideration within the planning consent process. Further information on developments that are proposed following the recent commercial negotiation process will also be published on development partners' websites, with links from the Forestry Commission Scotland website.

Question reference: S4W-07089

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when the strategic environmental assessment for its 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland will be complete and when it will be published.

On 5 March 2012 the Scottish Government published an Environmental Report, which sets out the findings of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland and the draft Electricity Generation Policy Statement. These documents are available online at: http://scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/EGPS2012.

The Environmental Report is currently open for consultation, with comments welcome on both the draft policies and the SEA findings. The SEA consultation period closes on 4 June 2012. Thereafter, views will be taken into account, and an SEA Statement will be published following adoption of the finalised policy.

Question reference: S4W-06943

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timeframe is for its investment of £50 million to improve the Caledonian Sleeper service.

The sleeper enhancement is a significant project involving substantial amounts of public money. The overall programme of investment will roll out over a number of years. We have started this process by consulting users of the sleeper on the enhancements they would wish to see and more widely are considering the responses to the Rail2014 consultation, which gave passengers the opportunity to have their say on how our trains operate beyond the current ScotRail franchise which ends in 2014.