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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-03561

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time is for approval of a new woodland creation scheme from submission.

Question reference: S5W-03556

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason grant support for native woodland (a) management and (b) expansion has been reduced.

The Forestry Grant Scheme continues to offer support for native woodland management and expansion. Overall the grants available for the management of existing native woodland have not decreased.

However, changes to different elements, including the standard costs, of the Forestry Grant Scheme means that the total grant support available for individual schemes may now differ from that which would have been available under the previous Scottish Rural Development Programme.

Question reference: S5W-03550

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for reviewing and updating the Scottish Forestry Strategy.

Question reference: S5W-03562

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of tree felling licenses are issued with a condition to restock.

Question reference: S5W-03545

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to determine whether proposed activities are likely to have a significant effect and require screening in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999.

The selection criteria for projects having significant effects on the environment are detailed in Schedule 3 of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. These criteria include the characteristics and location of the project and the characteristics of the potential impact on the environment, such as probability, duration and reversibility of the impact.

Question reference: S5W-03558

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what checks are in place to ensure that land use balance in regions is prioritised for woodland expansion.

The Scottish Government, through planning policy, encourages planning authorities to prepare forestry and woodland strategies, in consultation with stakeholders, to inform the development of forests and woodlands in relation to other land uses within their area. In 2010, Forestry Commission Scotland published The Right Tree in the Right Place, providing guidance on the development of forestry and woodland strategies. These regional forestry and woodland strategies are used to inform the suitability of applications to the Scotland Rural Development Programme Forestry Grant Scheme.

In addition, Forestry Commission Scotland published guidance in 2013 that requires specific measures to be taken when considering ‘larger or more sensitive’ woodland creation proposals on farmland. These measures include informing those managing neighbouring land of the proposal and requesting advice from the local Rural Payments and Inspections Division office on the local patterns of agriculture.

Question reference: S5W-03551

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for updating the forestry consultation process.

Question reference: S5W-03557

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how suitable areas for woodland expansion are (a) identified and (b) prioritised.

Question reference: S5W-03559

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of land approved for woodland expansion is (a) agricultural, (b) BAP priority open habitat and (c) an other category of land.

Between 2007 – 2014 the Scotland Rural Development Programme Rural Priorities Grant Scheme, approved 37,718 hectares for woodland creation, of which 33,808 hectares were eligible for farmland premium. Therefore approximately 90% of woodland expansion was on agricultural land.

The Scottish Government does not collate information on the proportion of woodland expansion taking place on BAP priority open habitats. Woodland expansion applications are considered on a site by site basis and information is therefore contained in each individual case file. BAP priority open habitats are a major consideration in assessing woodland expansion cases.

The Scottish Government does not collate information on other categories of land which has been approved for woodland expansion.

Question reference: S5W-03548

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Forestry Commission Scotland staff involved in determining screening applications under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 are required to hold chartered forester status and, if not, how their competence to assess such applications is assured.

Forestry Commission Scotland does not require staff involved in determining screening applications under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 to hold chartered forester status.

Forestry Commission Scotland staff are appointed on merit through fair and open competition. They are assessed against the essential criteria for a specific job. For woodland officers, this includes a forestry or equivalent environmental qualification. In addition, Environment Impact Assessment determinations are reviewed and countersigned by a senior member of the Conservancy team to ensure consistency, and to ensure that expert advice has been used where needed.