- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 13 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce local referenda for onshore wind farm developments and, if so, (a) what the terms of the referenda will be with regard to the minimum size of wind farm for which a referendum is called, the selection of the electorate entitled to participate in a given referendum and the arrangements for voting, (b) whether any consultation has been or will be carried out into the terms of such referenda and (c) what weight will be given to the outcomes of the referenda.
Answer
Scottish Planning Policy 6 (SPP6)on Renewable Energy makes clear public participation in the planning process isimportant. Views of the public, where based on relevant planning matters, will bematerial considerations that should be taken into account when considering proposals.Local communities and their representatives are free to organise referenda to elicitsuch community views, and we encourage them to do so where they feel that the circumstancesmerit such an approach.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 13 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when Shetland Islands Council and Hjaltland Housing Association will be given approval to operate the agreed Tenants Incentive Scheme and what the reasons are for any delay in approval.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
Communities Scotland is assessinga proposal by Hjaltland Housing Association and Shetland Islands Council to operatea tenants incentive scheme. The Scottish Government is currently considering howbest to support those who aspire to home ownership, but who are unable to becomeowner-occupiers with their own resources, and will look at the proposal for Shetlandin that context.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 13 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what investigations and research are being considered into informal mobility, such as car sharing, in respect of demand-responsive transport.
Answer
A number of voluntary carsharing schemes in rural areas are already being assisted under the Executive’srural community transport initiative. It is anticipated that more demandresponsive transport initiatives, including voluntary car schemes, will besupported in urban and rural areas under the enhanced demand responsive transportinitiative, which is to be introduced in April 2008.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will address the complex regulation of the fishing industry.
Answer
We are currently examining arange of national measures that can be simplified and where opportunities exist,removed including amongst others, licensing restrictions and catch composition rules.In addition to this range of national measures, we are actively involved with theEU authorities in a project to simplify the CFP regulatory framework to reduce theburden of complex fisheries legislation on the Scottish industry.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the policy objective is of allowing unused pelagic and demersal pressure stock licences to be cancelled if not used for a period of three years.
Answer
Under the UK fishing vessel licensingregime currently managed jointly by agreement, licences which are not attached toactive vessels can be established as unattached licence entitlements and remainvalid for a period of up to three years. If they are not used within this time periodthe entitlement lapses and the licence capacity is withdrawn from the system. However,my policy objective is to seek to ensure that capacity remains as far as possibleactive within the industry.
The Fishing Vessel LicensingReview Working Group has recommended that the period be extended to five years toallow more time for owners to seek suitable licence entitlements and assist in projectplanning for a new build as well as accounting for actual build time involved. Industrywill be consulted on this shortly and it is hoped that the revised validity periodwill be implemented later this year.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) pelagic and (b) demersal pressure stock licences have been cancelled in each of the last 10 years, also showing the reasons for cancellation.
Answer
The required information in relationto licences administered in Scotland is as follows:
| Year | Pelagic Licences | Demersal Licences |
| 1997 | Nil | 4 (Decommissioned vessels) |
| 1998 | Nil | 15 (Decommissioned vessels) |
| 1999 | Nil | 1 (Licence entitlement expiry) |
| 2000 | Nil | Nil |
| 2001 | Nil | 1 (Licence entitlement expiry) |
| 2002 | Nil | 98 (Decommissioned vessels) 2 (Licence entitlement expiry) |
| 2003 | Nil | 59 (Decommissioned vessels) 1 (Licence entitlement expiry) |
| 2004 | Nil | 8 (Decommissioned vessels) 1 (Licence entitlement expiry) |
| 2005 | Nil | 3 (Licence entitlement expiry) |
| 2006 | Nil | 3 (Licence entitlement expiry) |
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change the current approach to state aid compliance and approval in respect of the fisheries and agricultural sectors.
Answer
The Scottish Executive hasno current plans to change the current approach to state aid compliance andapproval in respect of the fisheries and agricultural sectors.
A review of the state aidregulations used by the fisheries and agriculture sectors took place in 2006with implementation commencing on 1 January 2007. The aim of the review wasto simplify the regulations and to ensure that they reflect the new RuralDevelopment and Fisheries Fund Regulations. These changes have not altered theapproval process.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultations there have been on the flexibility and transferability of pelagic and demersal pressure stock licences and what period has passed since the initial proposals for changes were made.
Answer
To date there have been no formalconsultations.
However, the ability to providefor greater flexibility in the transfer and use of fishing vessel licences has beenconsidered by the Fishing Vessel Licensing Review Working Group, a joint industry/departmentalgroup, at meetings of the Group in April and June 2006. Recommendations were madeto ministers in autumn 2006 and accepted fully by Scottish ministers at that stage.Under the current system licensing is undertaken on a UK-wide basis by agreementand it is only once all ministers have accepted these recommendations that a finaldecision on implementation can be made. Formal agreement from the Northern Ireland administration is awaited.
On this basis, we intend to consultwith the industry on this by late June with implementation by autumn 2007.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made on the flexibility and transferability of pelagic and demersal pressure stock licences and why no decision has been taken to date.
Answer
Recommendations from the FishingVessel Licensing Review Working Group have been put forward stating that greaterflexibility should be introduced in the use of fishing vessel licences. Scottishministers in the previous administration accepted fully this recommendation at thattime and have since been engaged with fellow UK ministers in further dialogue. Underthe current system licensing is undertaken on a UK wide basis by agreement and itis only once all ministers have jointly agreed these recommendations that a finaldecision on implementation can be made. Formal agreement from the Northern Irelandadministration is awaited shortly.
On this basis, we intend to consultwith the industry on this by late June with implementation by autumn 2007.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator has carried out, and with whom, about its current policy in respect of housing associations that operate as registered charities.
Answer
The information requested isnot held centrally. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator is operationallyindependent from Scottish ministers and the member should contact them for thisinformation.
