- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits to agriculture it considers are derived from the set-aside scheme.
Answer
Set-aside was introduced in 1992 as a tool for reducing surplus production in the arable sector, to permit better management of the market. Since then the Common Agricultural Policy has undergone significant changes which have largely removed the problem of surplus arable production. In addition to this primary function, set‘aside has also produced environmental benefits.
- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-16043 and S3W-16044 by Richard Lochhead on 19 September 2008, what the difference is between the area claimed as set-aside in the table in the answer to question S3W-16043 and the area designated as set-aside (Ha) in the answer to question S3W-16044.
Answer
The figures shown in S3W-16043 detail the set-aside land claimed on the area aid application 2003 and 2004 to support claims submitted under the arable area payments scheme and the set-aside land claimed on the single application form to claim payment on the set-aside entitlements allocated under the single farm payment scheme.
The figures shown in S3W-16044 are from the June agricultural census (JAC). And are generally higher than the land claimed for subsidy because the JAC figures can include land that has been voluntarily set-aside and is not subject to support scheme rules.
- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of delayed trains reported in each year from 1990 to 2005, broken down by (a) electric and (b) diesel-powered type.
Answer
The Scottish Government took over management of the franchise in October 2005, and therefore Transport Scotland does not hold this information.
- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of reported breakdowns of trains in each year from 1990 to 2005, broken down by (a) electric and (b) diesel-powered type.
Answer
The Scottish Government took over management of the franchise in October 2005, and therefore Transport Scotland does not hold this information.
- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the average output of CO2 emissions is per mile travelled per person travelling by (a) train, (b) bus and (c) private vehicle.
Answer
The UK Government''s Department for Transport''s
Carbon Pathways Analysis: Informing Development of a Carbon Reduction Strategy for the Transport Sector, published in July 2008, provides information on CO
2 emissions per passenger kilometre, by mode across the UK. These figures, found on pages 83 to 84 of the document, can be used to derive average emissions per passenger mile.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/analysis.pdf.
styl
- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of CO2 it estimates are emitted annually by (a) electric trains, (b) diesel trains, (c) public motor vehicles, (d) private motor vehicles and (e) commercial motor vehicles.
Answer
Emissions estimates are not produced for the specific categories requested.
However, carbon emissions from all sources, including road and rail transport, are published annually in Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The most recent publication covers emissions between 1990 and 2006, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46558).
- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much land was newly designated as set-aside in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer
The Rural Payments and Inspection Directorate do not hold details on set-aside land in the format asked for. However, to be as helpful as possible they have provided details of the land claimed as set-aside in Scotland under the Integrated Administration and Control System in the last five years (2003 to 2007 inclusive) to support subsidy claims.
| | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Area Claimed as Set-Aside (Hectares) | 93,590 | 71,706 | 62,021 | 60,657 | 57,922 |
- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much compensation was paid in respect of set-aside land in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer
The following table details the subsidy paid on set-aside land in Scotland in the last five years for which figures are available (2003 to 2007 inclusive).
| | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Set-Aside Paid in £ million* | 22.407 | 15.945 | 11.244 | 10.564 | 10.333 |
Note: *Payment figures before modulation.
- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of arable land was designated as set-aside in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer
The following table shows the area and proportion of arable land designated as set-aside in Scotland in each year from 2003 to 2007.
| Year | Set Aside (Ha) | Arable land (Ha) | Proportion Set Aside |
| 2003 | 90,684 | 959,739 | 9.4% |
| 2004 | 75,117 | 960,849 | 7.8% |
| 2005 | 69,492 | 938,051 | 7.4% |
| 2006 | 67,549 | 921,828 | 7.3% |
| 2007 | 67,933 | 922,194 | 7.4% |
Source: June Agricultural Census.
Notes:
1. Arable land includes tilled area and grass under five years old
2. Set-aside figures from the June agricultural census are higher than set-aside areas claimed under the Single Farm Payments Scheme from 2005.
3. Provisional results from the 2008 June agricultural census are scheduled for release on 24 September 2008.
- Asked by: Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 11 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with Her Majesty’s Government to discuss improvements to the support available to kinship carers.
Answer
There is regular discussion between officials of the Scottish Government and of the UK Government on improvements to the UK benefits and welfare system for all families with children. Specific support for kinship carers is raised as part of these discussions, whenever appropriate.
These matters are also raised regularly at relevant meetings between Scottish and UK Ministers. The most recent meeting was with the UK Government''s Minister for Children, Ms Beverley Hughes, on 15 July 2008.
