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No meetings with Yes.scot campaign employees have taken place with the First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, or Special Advisors.

For all woodland creation proposals, applicants are required to undertake land surveys as part of their due diligence. This due diligence includes surveying for peat soils, including deep peat. Where peat soils are found, further more intensive surveys are required, to produce a detailed soil survey map which is submitted to Scottish Forestry for approval. Depending upon the distribution of peat and peat depths across the proposal area, further peat surveys may be required before a contract for woodland creation is approved and a final detailed peat and soil survey map is accepted. At this time, a species and constraints map is also agreed and areas of deep peat are excluded from the agreed contract. We have released new cultivation guidance on 26 July and this will prevent the use of high impact cultivation techniques on peat and organo-mineral soils over 10cm.

Applicants and agents use existing soil survey maps for Scotland as a baseline ahead of beginning on site land surveys. Subsequently areas of deep peat are demarcated on site and cultivation contractors are provided with soil and species maps to ensure cultivation is undertaken in line with the agreed contract.

Collective bargaining agreements are a matter for CalMac Ferries Ltd, its employees and the recognised trades unions. The crew of the MV Arrow are employed by the vessel owner, Seatruck Ferries Ltd. During discussion to “time charter” the MV Arrow, it was established that the crew will be paid the UK National Living Wage.

I refer the member to the question S6W-01283 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Sufficient funding was available to carry out the electrification of the routes referred to. The works at Milngavie were not included in Network Rail’s delivery plans for Control Period 6 therefore no funding was previously allocated to carry out these works.

The crew of the MV Arrow, whilst on a time charter with CalMac Ferries Ltd, will be employed by the vessel owner Seatruck Ferries Ltd.

The Scottish Government is committed to a Scottish public inquiry, and will begin to take the necessary steps during our first 100 Days in office to establish such an inquiry. Since the UK inquiry was announced we have been considering how the Scottish inquiry would interact with that. Detailed work will be done on the terms of reference and the timescale, and we are clear that we expect the inquiry to begin its work by the end of this year.

Arran ferry services were not impacted by the fire at Troon rail station. Rail connections between Glasgow and Ardrossan were maintained throughout the period of closure at Troon and temporary bus replacement links were put in place for passengers making journeys to and from the south.

Following repairs undertaken by Network Rail, the Glasgow Central to Ayr services were re-instated on Monday 26th July from platform two, with Northbound services to Glasgow set to call at the station from Friday 30 July when platform one reopens.

In preparation for the temporary move of the Ardrossan-Brodick/Campbeltown ferry services to Troon for a period of up to 21 months; CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) will as part of service continuity planning engage with Transport Scotland and ScotRail to take cognisance of integrated travel with other modes for onward travel connections.

Ferrymuir Gait is a ‘private’ road, as defined by the Roads (Scotland ) Act 1984 and serves land owned by Scottish Ministers and infrastructure required for the safe operation and maintenance of the Forth Bridges. Ferrymuir Gait housing development shall not be accessed from this road and shall instead takes access from the local road network, which is the responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council.

Consequently, and as this is a planning issue, it would be for the City of Edinburgh Council as local Planning authority to consider the access arrangements to the Ferrymuir Gait housing development and resultant impact of road traffic on the environment and the health / quality of life of residents.

The Scottish Government works with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), NatureScot, fisheries boards and trusts, and other stakeholders to protect the natural environment and wildlife from water shortages.

Our River Basin Management Plans identify areas in Scotland already impacted by abstractions and set out objectives to improve those watercourses. SEPA licences and regulates abstractions to ensure that water use does not exceed the available capacity. At times of water scarcity, SEPA has the powers to temporarily stop abstraction, to protect the environment.

The National Water Scarcity Plan sets out how SEPA and other key stakeholders will prepare and respond to water shortages. SEPA works closely with NatureScot and other environmental organisations to provide advice and information on water scarcity so they can act to protect wildlife.