- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any minister raised issues with any public agency which had a locus in the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest, following representations received from Mr Macdonald, his representatives or others to the First Minister and, if so, which agencies these were.
Answer
I met the Convenor and the Chief Executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority on 5 December 2007 to discuss their plans for taking forward the business of the authority over the coming year. In the course of this meeting the convenor referred to the significant media and local interest, including local MSP interest, in the Aviemore planning applications and informed me how the matter was being handled by the authority.
On 7 December I discussed with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency the process and timescales for SEPA''s work assessment with the Aviemore planning applications.
The Minister for Community Safety, acting in his capacity as constituency MSP, has raised issues with different public agencies concerning the Aviemore planning applications on a number of occasions.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment raised issues with his officials in the light of correspondence from the constituency MSP on 29 November 2007. Officials were subsequently in touch with SEPA.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister met any objectors to the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest and, if so, on what dates.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has specific statutory responsibilities that it carries out in relation to planning matters and, if so, what these responsibilities are.
Answer
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is a statutory consultee for developments identified under the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Scotland) Order 1992, as amended, and for planning applications requiring environmental impact assessments under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999. SEPA also provides advice to planning authorities on environmental aspects which are material planning considerations. In addition, SEPA has a statutory duty under the Environment Act 1995, if requested by a planning authority, to provide advice on the risk of flooding in any part of the authority''s area.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures ministers would normally be expected to follow before considering any direction to an independent non-departmental public body or other agency.
Answer
The procedures to be followed prior to ministers issuing any direction to a non-departmental public body or other public agency, including any requirement to consult affected parties or publish the direction, are normally set out in the relevant legislation. Different procedures apply depending on the statutory powers under which the direction is being made.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the conversation between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Minister for Environment regarding the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest was arranged by the minister’s private secretary.
Answer
My initial discussions with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency concerning the Aviemore planning applications were arranged by my Private Secretary.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what matters were discussed by the Minister for Environment with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency regarding the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest and what action the minister requested.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9048 on 25 February 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chief Planner involved himself or any of his staff in discussions on, or raised issues with any of the statutory agencies involved in, the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest, prior to the First Minister receiving any representations on the issues and, if so, on how many occasions.
Answer
No.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the conversation between the Minister for Environment and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in relation to the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest was a formal conversation by the minister in the conduct of his duties and who was present at or listening to that conversation.
Answer
My discussions with the Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on 7 December 2007 in relation to the Aviemore planning applications were undertaken in the normal conduct of my duties. Nobody was present or listened in to these conversations.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive on what day and at approximately what time of day the First Minister spoke to the Minister for Environment regarding the planning application in Aviemore in which Mr Donald Macdonald had an interest; whether any others were present during that conversation and, if so, which individuals, and what the First Minister invited the minister to do as a result of the conversation.
Answer
The First Minister discussed the Aviemore planning applications with me on 7 December 2007, at approximately 12.40 hours. The Principal Private Secretary to the First Minister was present during this conversation. The discussion centred on the representations submitted by cross-party Parliamentarians expressing concern over the Aviemore applications which suggested that Scottish Government agencies might be responsible for delaying matters. I told the First Minister that, as minister responsible for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), and in the light of representations made to me on the previous evening by Rhoda Grant MSP, Mary Scanlon MSP, John Farquhar Munro MSP and Fergus Ewing MSP, I had already checked with SEPA that morning in order to ascertain if there were any misunderstandings or matters of process that were unnecessarily holding up the Agency''s proper consideration of the applications and that I was awaiting an update on those issues from the Chief Executive of SEPA. When he provided that at approximately 13.30 that day I then spoke to the First Minister again to inform him of my conclusions.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 28 January 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister has had any discussions with special advisers following and concerning any issues raised by Mr Donald Macdonald or his representatives or others on his behalf; with which special advisers such discussions took place, and on what dates.
Answer
The First Minister has had discussions on a number of occasions with special adviser Kevin Pringle on various dates since 25 January 2008 in relation to media enquiries concerning the Aviemore planning applications.
