- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 25 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Deputy Minister for Rural Development on 23 November 2000 regarding the latest scientific advice from the special committee on seal population si'es (Official Report, col. 335), whether this information has been received; if so, when and whether it will place the information in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
I understand that a copy of the latest advice from the Special Committee on Seals has now been received and I will be considering its contents very carefully. I will ensure that a copy of this advice is placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 25 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the methods of controlling the seal population provided for by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 are sufficient.
Answer
The Conservation of Seals Act 1970 provides a flexible framework for control of the seal population.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 25 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the use of non-lethal methods of control of seal populations; if so, what conclusions have been reached and, if not, whether it will now consider the issue.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has considered the use of non-lethal methods of seal population control. In 1998 the Executive asked the Special Committee on Seals (SCOS) of the Natural Environment Research Council to assess whether a recently developed Canadian method of contraceptive sterilisation of seals might be a feasible way to stabilise or reduce Scottish grey seal numbers.
On the basis of SCOS' advice it was concluded that there would be considerable practical and financial problems involved in attempting a successful sterilisation programme using this method in Scotland. In Scotland seal populations are more scattered and more wary of humans than in Canada and hence cannot easily be approached for effective sterilisation using this method. In order to stabilise the grey seal population at its 1997 level of 95,000 it was estimated that a total of 14,000 adult females would need to be sterilised in the first year with gradually reducing annual numbers thereafter reaching 3,000 after some seven years. In order to reduce the seal population below the 1997 level, much greater numbers of seals would need to be sterilised.There are no current plans to introduce contraceptive measures to control the Scottish seal population but the Executive will continue to assess the potential of any future non-lethal control measures.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 June 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 24 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will classify petrol stations in rural areas as "essential services" as recommended by Highland Council.
Answer
The Executive fully recognises the importance of petrol stations in rural areas and is providing financial support through the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme which is aimed at maintaining a network of petrol stations and safeguarding locally available fuel supplies.At the launch of Rural Scotland: A New Approach in May 2000, Ministers asked the Scottish National Rural Partnership to bring together service providers to identify innovative approaches to providing services in rural areas, to consider how these examples might benefit and be replicated in other parts of Scotland and to report back to Ministers. The group's report was published on 15 January. Among the services that the group concluded were important for rural areas were petrol stations. Ministers are giving the report careful consideration and an Executive response will be published in due course.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 24 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions a direction has been issued to a non-departmental public body and the direction has not been complied with.
Answer
No directions have been given which have not been complied with.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 24 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the negotiating position used by the Deputy Minister for Rural Development at the recent EU Fisheries Council and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
No. The UK negotiating position was evolved in discussions before and during the Council meeting in order to secure the best possible deal for Scottish fishermen while ensuring a sustainable fishing industry.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 24 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to change the working title of the First Minister to "Prime Minister".
Answer
There are no plans to change the title of the First Minister.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 23 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-6883 and S1W-6884 by Angus MacKay on 1 December 2000, whether it can obtain the information regarding the number of contracts it or the Scottish Office had with external consultants from 1995 to 1999 and, if so, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre details of the nature of work or services provided in each case, and the amount paid.
Answer
The information requested could only be collated at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 17 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S1W-8957, S1W-8958 and S1W-8959 by Susan Deacon on 21 August 2000, why it does not collect at a central level information on (a) the number of osteoporosis sufferers receiving treatment to monitor further bone loss, (b) programmes to reduce the incidence of falls amongst those with low bone density and (c) the measures in place at health board area level to collect information on osteoporosis; how it monitors the effectiveness of advice such as that given in the Scottish Needs Assessment without such information, and whether it will review its policy of not holding this information centrally.
Answer
The answer to your own question S1W-6102 explained why the Executive did not collect information centrally on a wide variety of conditions, including osteoporosis, and the position set out in that answer has not changed. While Scottish Needs Assessment Programmes are effectively endorsed by the Executive, which sponsors the programme, they are intended as tools for health boards to use in preparing their individual strategies for their areas, rather than mandatory policy documents.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 12 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend the Invergarry-Kyle of Lochalsh Trunk Road (A87) Extension (Skye Bridge Crossing) Toll Order (Variation) Order 1999, in particular as regards the classification of vehicles based on vehicle length.
Answer
No. Details of the classification of vehicles for tolling purposes at the Skye Bridge are set out in my letter of 27 November to the member.
