- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 29 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-04367 by Fergus Ewing on 10 November 2016, how many vessels will be participating in the remote electronic monitoring fully documented fisheries schemes operated by Marine Scotland in 2017.
Answer
Up to 4 trawlers are anticipated to participate in the 2017 Saithe and Monkfish FDF scheme, which will run between April 2017 and December 2017. Up to 10 scallop boats may also participate in a separate FDF scheme scheduled to run between June and December.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what consultations it has carried out with relevant stakeholders regarding the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division holding joint planning appeals, and what steps were taken to ensure public engagement in such consultations.
Answer
The vast majority of planning appeals are delegated to a Scottish Government reporter who is appointed by Scottish Ministers to make a decision on their behalf. It is at the appointed person’s discretion to decide whether further procedure is needed to obtain further information and if so, the most effective and efficient method of obtaining it. All interested parties who have made representations in respect of each appeal are given the opportunity to confirm their objection or support to each proposal in writing or to participate at hearing or inquiry sessions where relevant.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division to establish criteria for holding joint planning appeals.
Answer
The vast majority of planning appeals are delegated to a Scottish Government reporter who is appointed by Scottish Ministers to make a decision on their behalf. It is at the appointed person’s discretion to decide whether further procedure is needed to obtain further information and if so, the most effective and efficient method of obtaining it.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the impact that reductions in street cleanliness have on the (a) environment and (b) tourism industry.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.
Litter and flytipping have no place within the circular economy that we want to move towards. It is also important for tourism that Scotland is always presented at its best.
Our National Litter Strategy sets out how Scotland can significantly reduce litter and flytipping, and support cleaner, safer communities. Its focus is on encouraging personal responsibility to prevent the problems in the first place.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent findings by the Accounts Commission regarding declining local authority budgets for street cleaning, what support it will offer to local authorities that have also seen declining levels of street cleanliness.
Answer
The Scottish Government is already revising guidance that will help local authorities and others to fulfil their duties to keep land clear of litter and refuse, and roads clean.
This guidance, which will be laid in Parliament in the coming months, will support duty holders in taking action which prevents litter from arising in the first place - aiming to reduce the amount of resources being spent on cleaning up other people’s mess.
Scottish Government revenue funding for local authorities is provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities. Local authorities are expected to use resources as efficiently and effectively as possible to ensure taxpayers get the best possible services and value for money.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the scheme, Zero Waste Zones, and whether it will publish any reports regarding this.
Answer
The Zero Waste Zones initiative was a pilot developed by Zero Waste Scotland in 2011-12 to provide an award framework for communities, schools or workplaces taking action to reduce waste. Sixteen pilot projects were developed.
Learning from the pilots was taken forward into the business-focused Resource Efficiency Pledge scheme, launched in 2014. Around 200 organisations have progressed through the Resource Efficiency Pledge scheme.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on supporting "design" within a circular economy, and whether it will publish any reports regarding this.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s circular economy strategy, ‘Making Things Last’ sets out our priorities for supporting circular economy design, bringing together specialist circular economy support from Zero Waste Scotland, and mainstream business and design support from the enterprise agencies.
The Scottish Government does not hold detailed information on delivery of this support.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Zero Waste Scotland has provided for (a) reuse education and awareness campaigns and organisations involved in reuse, (b) circular economy education, (c) circular economy skills and training and (d) circular economy design in each year since 2011.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information in this format.
The Scottish Government takes a strategic and integrated approach to delivering a more circular economy, and turning the concept into meaningful, mainstreamed action. Zero Waste Scotland’s activities therefore span all the different elements of the circular economy, and are specifically designed to bring together activities and organisations from across sectors in a holistic way, and integrate them into day-to-day business.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure there is financial support for rhododendron control in sites designated under the EU Habitats Directive for Scotland's Celtic Rainforest and, if so, how.
Answer
Responsibility for the removal of invasive non-native species such as rhododendron lies with landowners. The Scottish Government makes funding available to private woodland owners for rhododendron control projects under the Scottish Rural Development Programme.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 March 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that sites designated under the EU Habitats Directive for Scotland's Celtic Rainforest have favourable conservation status.
Answer
The term Celtic Rainforest has no official designated status. The Scottish Government has established the Delivering Favourable Condition Partnership to target resources, through an Action Plan, to improve the condition of designated areas, including designated Sessile Oak Woods. The aim is that improvements will be achieved within 3 years of an area’s inclusion in the Action Plan. The partnership is led by Scottish Natural Heritage and includes involvement from the public and private sector.