- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out or plans to carry out an investigation of the impact on island-based voluntary organisations of the exclusion of business travel from the Air Discount Scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not conducted, and has no plans to conduct, an investigation of the impact on voluntary organisations and businesses of the exclusion of business-related claims from the Air Discount Scheme (ADS).
We have not received representations from any voluntary organisations on the impact of the exclusion of business-related claims, although we have received a very small number of direct representations from businesses.
The ADS is designed to facilitate social support for individual scheme members. Although the scheme does not extend to providing voluntary organisations with help in participating in national events on the Scottish mainland, it is available to support individual members attending social type events on the mainland.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 10 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances (a) environmental impact and (b) habitats regulations assessments will be required before legal agreements associated with planning consents can be amended or revoked under the new provisions introduced on 1 February 2011.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39655 on 10 March 2011. 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.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 10 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that interested parties, including statutory bodies, local communities and interest groups, will be (a) made aware of and (b) given an opportunity to comment on applications to amend or revoke legal agreements associated with planning consents.
Answer
Where an application is made to a planning authority for the modification or discharge of a planning obligation, the authority is required to notify any person (other than the applicant) against whom the obligation is enforceable and provide them with details of the application, including how to make any representations. The planning authority must set a date by which representations are to be made which must be a minimum of 21 days from the date notification of the application is served.
There is no requirement to notify any individuals or organisations not party to the obligation.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 10 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the environmental effect of retaining, amending or revoking legal agreements associated with planning consents will be taken into account under the new provisions introduced on 1 February 2011.
Answer
There is no change to existing criteria against which the need for any subsequent obligation would be assessed.
The requirement for a) environmental impact assessment and b) habitats regulations appraisal, is provided by The Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999 (as amended), and The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) respectively. Where an environmental impact assessment or habitats regulations appraisal is required, that assessment or appraisal must be undertaken prior to the grant of planning consent and must consider all significant effects likely to arise from the proposed development.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has an exit strategy for the Knapdale beaver trial should it find that the reintroduction of beavers is not appropriate and, if so, how such a strategy would be implemented
Answer
The licence application by the Scottish Wildlife Trust/Royal Zoological Society of Scotland contains an exit strategy for implementation during, or at the end, of the trial. The exit strategy contains four options for implementation. These are:
Option 1: Repatriation of animals to the country of origin/transfer to other reintroduction programmes;
Option 2: Housing of animals in zoological collections;
Option 3: Capturing, neutering and returning animals to live their life span in the wild; and
Option 4: Humane control of animals.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for beavers to be permitted to become established in the wild
Answer
The licence application by Scottish Wildlife Trust/Royal Zoological Society of Scotland for the Knapdale Trial contains criteria for the success or failure of the beaver trial. If the Knapdale trial is judged successful these criteria could be used to inform the development of wider criteria relating to the possible establishment of beavers in the wild.
Scottish ministers will not only assess the results of the Knapdale Trial, but also take into account other relevant information such as experience from Europe and North America and information from the Beaver-Salmonid Working Group which reports to the National Species Reintroduction Forum.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the beaver captured in the River Ericht is alive and, if so, where it is kept
Answer
No beaver has been trapped by Scottish Natural Heritage in the River Ericht.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many beavers have been captured in Tayside by Scottish Natural Heritage and where each is kept
Answer
One beaver has been captured in Tayside by Scottish Natural Heritage and is currently being kept at Edinburgh Zoo by the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment was made of the impact on otters and other protected species by the trapping of beavers on Tayside.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) staff and volunteer trappers have conducted an informal assessment of the trapping sites and use local knowledge of the presence of otters and other protected species prior to making the decision to proceed with trapping. SNH does not conduct beaver trapping within 30 metres of otter holts.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal basis permits Scottish Natural Heritage to capture beavers on land where landowners are not willing to give them access
Answer
There are no powers which enable Scottish Natural Heritage to gain access to land to capture beavers where landowners are not willing to give them permission.
However, The Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, which was passed on 2 March 2011, introduces a new regime of species control orders that would enable access to land to control invasive non-native animals or plants.
