Chamber and committees

Environmental monitoring carried out following incidents on offshore installations is proportionate to the severity of the incident and the possible risks posed to the environment. The Tern incident related to oil released within a produced water discharge (currently estimated at approximately 13 tonnes of oil) rather than an oil spill. Due to weather conditions at the time, no samples could be taken. However, strong winds and wave heights of approximately 4 metres were conducive to rapidly dispersed the oil. Aerial surveillance flights were undertaken on 21 and 22 March and there was no sign of a sheen approximately 36 hours after the incident.

The Total gas leak, which was directly from the Elgin wellhead platform, and not the Shearwater platform, has resulted in a significant amount of gas being released to the atmosphere; and liquid condensate or waxy condensate also being released or washed into the sea. An Environment Group, chaired by Marine Scotland and comprising representatives from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Health and Safety Executive, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Health Protection Scotland and Total, has been formed for this incident. The Environment Group provides environmental advice to the Government Interest Group following review of all relevant data. Activity by Total includes daily surveillance flights, atmospheric surveys and ongoing sampling of the release and condensate “slick”. Activity by Marine Scotland includes the collection and analysis of seawater, sediment and fish samples. The Environment Group’s review of the current situation has been published on the Scottish Government and DECC websites.

Marine Scotland is a Directorate of the Scottish Government. It is copied into all formal notifications from oil and gas operators of an oil/chemical release in Scottish waters. In these cases these formal notifications were received on the afternoon of 20 March in relation to the Tern incident and the evening of 25 March in relation to the Elgin incident. Given the significance of the Elgin incident, Marine Scotland were also informed via the Emergency Response Team based in Aberdeen earlier on the same day. Other bodies, such as Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, are routinely notified if the nature and location of the incident warrants wider circulation of the information. These incidents took place outside 12 nautical miles and are therefore outwith the remit of Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

The UK Government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change has overall responsibility for any incidents relating to offshore oil and gas operations that result in marine pollution. The Offshore Installations (Emergency Pollution Control) Regulations 2002 provide powers for the UK Government to give directions and take such other actions as may be necessary in respect of an offshore incident to prevent or minimise pollution or the threat of pollution. The Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP) may become formally involved and instigate an Operational Control Unit if this is warranted by the significance of the incident.

In the case of incidents in waters adjacent to Scotland, the Scottish Government, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Health Protection Scotland and the Food Standards Agency may also have responsibilities to provide advice and analysis depending on the nature and location of the polluting event. Primary responsibility for responding to any spill rests with the offshore operator, with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible for implementing the National Contingency Plan if necessary to supplement the operator’s response.

Work on the third internal inspection of the main cables has already begun. Preparatory work began in November 2011 and work on site began on schedule in March 2012. Initial findings are expected to be published in early 2013.

The need for any remedial works will be assessed as appropriate in light of the results of the dehumidification of the main cables. Any requirement for future closures of the Forth Road Bridge after the Forth Replacement Crossing is complete will be considered at that time.

Specific consultants were engaged by Forth Estuary Transport Authority as part of the 2007 feasibility study to estimate the likely costs and economic impacts of cable replacement. These specialists determined the methodologies used and carried out the calculations.

In order to assess the likely economic impact of such a project, transport planners carried out traffic modelling and analysed this in conjunction with data provided by Transport Scotland and the Department for Transport. This indicated that the cost of a weekday carriageway closure in terms of travel delays was in the order of £650,000 per day. Based on these figures, the total estimated “travel time disbenefit” costs were £335 million.

Economic development consultants were engaged to assess the wider effects of bridge restrictions on business and employment. To achieve this, they carried out a survey of the business and employment community in Fife, Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Forth Valley. They concluded that major maintenance works on the Forth Road Bridge over a sustained period, involving lane and carriageway closures, would potentially result in economic output falling by around £1 billion, a drop in turnover in excess of £1.3 billion and a loss of around 3,200 jobs, some of which may turn out to be permanent.

This government firmly believes sport needs to be open to all.

We and sportscotland, our national agency for sport, and a number of organisations within NHS Health Scotland have identified women and girls as a group that are under-represented in sport and need more opportunities and targeted work in order to address their levels of fitness and general health.

We are investing over £3 million on physical activity projects including those aimed at groups furthest away from meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines to become more active through activities such as walking, jogging and swimming.

We are also keen to build on the success of projects that we have funded to date for teenage girls through the Active Schools programme which is delivering increased participation of girls through sport and dance.

Surveillance of Scotland’s seas is continuously carried out by satellite monitoring techniques. Specific issues of concern can be looked at by Marine Scotland’s aircraft if physical observation is needed. Aerial surveillance, satellite monitoring and risk based inspection have all reduced the requirement for Protection Vessels to patrol the sea. Protection Vessels, however, remain the only means of intervening or boarding at sea if this is required.

From April 2000 to the end of March 2001 six Scottish Fishery Protection vessels travelled 205,000nm. From April 2010 to the end of March 2011 the distance travelled by Scottish Fishery Protection vessels was 139,000nm. In April 2010 the fishery protection fleet consisted of four vessels and this reduced to three vessels in September 2010.

Scottish Government funding of £5,000 to Sustrans, matched by Midlothian and Scottish Borders Councils (£15,000 in total) allowed the completion of a feasibility study into this project in 2009. This showed a very sparsely populated area and the study could not justify funding for such a route for the carbon savings it would generate. In addition, complex land ownership issues also ruled out the most cost-effective route planned. However, Sustrans has identified that a route from Eddleston to Peebles would be more viable and will look at the feasibility of this route in due course.

Sustrans has been working towards this development for a number of years in partnership with Transport Scotland, which has invested around £50,000 in the project to date. However, land-ownership issues have delayed completion. Stirling Council and Sustrans are now looking to progress negotiations and utilise the new capital funding awarded to Sustrans, which will attract 50% match funding from local authorities.