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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.

Marine Scotland will lead on measures to achieve good environmental status in Scottish waters and we believe there are benefits in integrating within the same organisation lead responsibility relating to policy, science and delivery arrangements for marine nature conservation across Scotland''s seas. That will allow informed and, where appropriate, balanced decisions to be taken on marine nature conservation alongside other issues.

Marine Scotland will continue to consider advice from Scottish Natural Heritage and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee on marine nature conservation issues, as appropriate.

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.

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.

The Scottish Government is responsible, on behalf of Scottish ministers, for the administration of fishing vessel licences in Scotland and Marine Scotland will be part of the Scottish Government. There is therefore effectively no substantive change in the planned responsibilities under Marine Scotland compared with the current position.

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

The government is committed to this objective but a decision on removing the need for planning permission for micro-turbines will depend on the recommendations of the study, which will look at all the relevant issues.

The drafting of recommendations will take place as part of the study and any timescale for implementation will depend on the content of those recommendations.

Recommendations are expected before the end of 2009, with the intention that, if applicable, a further Amendment Order could be laid within 12 months of the original coming into force.

Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6, Renewable Energy (March 2007) is a non-statutory document. It is for planning authorities to apply the policy as they deem appropriate.

The Scottish Government has put in place a number of measures to assist planning authorities with this including:

providing consultancy support and advice to local authorities on the preparation of Supplementary Planning Guidance for windfarms.

issuing PAN 45 Annex 2, Spatial Frameworks and Supplementary Planning Guidance for Windfarms.

issuing PAN 84, Reducing Carbon Emissions in New Development.