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The agreement of 24 November 2008 between the Scottish ministers, other devolved administrations and the UK Government under the Joint Ministerial Committee will provide a statutory mechanism for the coordination of policy and actions between the UK administrations.

A UK Marine Policy Statement will be developed by the Scottish ministers, other devolved administrations and the UK Government to set out the high-level objectives for the UK marine area.

When the Scottish ministers adopt the UK Marine Policy Statement, Marine Scotland and other Scottish public authorities will have a duty to have regard to this in carrying out their functions.

The agreement of 24 November 2008 between the Scottish ministers, other devolved administrations and the UK Government under the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) will ensure that policy is coherent between Marine Scotland and other UK administrations.

The full text of the JMC agreement can be viewed on pages 3-7 of the document found at this address:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/rae/lcm/documents/CAbsecletterreRiverESk13feb09formatted.pdf.

The Scottish Marine Bill will not provide for the structure of Marine Scotland.

A senior management/organisational structure for Marine Scotland has been decided, comprising a Director and seven functional heads covering:

Marine Planning and Policy;

Aquaculture and Freshwater Policy and Licensing;

Science;

Sea Fisheries Policy;

Compliance;

Performance, and

Priority Projects.

Lower level structures will follow the senior organisational structure. The structure of the organisation will be kept under review in light of experience and developments.

No responses to the Sustainable Seas for All consultation have been amended by telephone since the consultation closed.

We will be setting out our proposals for marine planning arrangements in the Marine Bill, to be introduced to Parliament shortly.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21890 on 23 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Integrating responsibility for fisheries policy and management alongside other marine management responsibilities within a single organisation will mean that Marine Scotland can bring to bear the necessary range of experience, expertise and policy interests. Consequently, it will be better placed itself to make and to offer consolidated advice to ministers so that they can make, informed and, where appropriate, balanced judgements and decisions about how best to manage our marine assets and resources. Amongst other things, this should help reassure fishing and other interests that appropriate, sustainable decisions have been taken.

Sustainable Seas for All - a consultation on Scotland''s first marine bill included proposals for a marine planning system. It is envisaged that this planning system will have three tiers. One of the proposed tiers will be at the international level involving co-operation with other countries across administrative boundaries. This includes planning of our seas at a regional seas scale in co-operation with neighbouring countries.

The Scottish and UK governments, along with other devolved administrations, plan to work together to develop a UK Marine Policy Statement which will set out high-level marine objectives for our seas.

Marine Scotland will develop and implement Scottish ministers'' policies on marine issues in Scottish seas. SNH is the Scottish Government''s statutory nature conservation adviser and its functions include provision of advice to ministers on the development and implementation of policies for, or affecting, the natural heritage of Scotland, including Scottish territorial waters. The Scottish Government has a duty under the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994 to have regard to any representations made by SNH on proposals for developments that are likely to have a significant effect on Natura 2000 sites in Scotland. We intend to retain SNH''s role as statutory adviser on nature conservation issues in territorial waters.