- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 May 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how may new housing association properties it expects to be built in each year of the current parliamentary session, broken down by region.
Answer
We said in our Strategy and Action Plan Homes Fit for the 21st Century that we aim to deliver 18,000 new affordable homes over the next three years through housing associations, councils and other developers. The breakdown by year and by region will be decided in the light of the proposals we receive.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 May 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the impact that the Housing Association Grant benchmark of £40,000 per house for new properties will have on the number of new houses that will be built in each year of the current parliamentary session.
Answer
We consulted with a range of representative bodies on the detail of the 2011-12 Innovation and Investment Fund and received comments from the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum before finalising guidance on the benchmarks.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 May 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 31 May 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that, at the current level of subsidy available, Orkney Housing Association Ltd does not plan to start building new houses in 2011-12 and whether it will take steps to address this situation.
Answer
We have not been advised by Orkney Housing Association Ltd whether they will submit a bid to the Innovation and Investment Fund (2011-12) which is making £50 million available across Scotland.
We said in our Strategy and Action Plan Homes Fit for the 21st Century that we would make a decisive change in the way we support new developments, using government funding to lever in the maximum possible investment from other sources. Developments will also need to tie in with local authority local housing strategies. While all projects will be assessed against this benchmark (and we will encourage proposals requiring less grant), we will retain flexibility to consider higher subsidy, e.g. in remote rural areas or where projects require additional features to meet particular needs.
As a result of project approvals from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2010-11 Orkney Housing Association Ltd will have 32 properties start on site in 2011-12 and there will be 120 properties complete during the financial year.
- 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 how many beavers are resident in the Knapdale trial area and, of these, how many (a) are the original beavers introduced, (b) have been born, (c) have died and (d) have gone missing during the trial.
Answer
There are 12 animals resident in the Knapdale trial area as of 18 February 2011.
Specifically:
(a) Six beavers of the original release and four from subsequent releases since June 2009 are currently resident in the Knapdale trial area.
(b) Two beavers have been born within the site.
(c) Two beavers died at the trial site (one of the original animals and one released since June 2009), and one animal (one of the original animals) was removed due to welfare reasons and later died at Edinburgh Zoo.
(d) Three beavers have gone missing from the trial area and are now assumed to have died.
- 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 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.
- 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.
