- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive who should be liable for any economic damage caused by material from genetically modified crops if they are cultivated in Scotland.
Answer
We will consult allconcerned on the most appropriate co-existence arrangements for Scotland todeliver choice for both consumers and farmers and on possible compensationarrangements for farmers who suffer economic loss. The present presumption isthat any compensation scheme would need to be funded by the GM crops industry,rather than by the Executive or producers of non-GM crops.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ask Scottish Natural Heritage to consider designating Aucheninnes Moss as a Special Area of Conservation, in light of the recent survey report by Richard Lindsay for the Invertebrate Conservation Trust that shows that the area fits the EU Habitats Directive habitat category "degraded raised bog capable of regeneration" and contains areas fitting the priority habitat category "active raised bog".
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritagescientific advice is that the habitat type found at Aucheninnes Moss does notmeet the definition of either “active raised bog” or “degraded raised bogcapable of regeneration”, and that the site therefore does not meet thequalifying criteria for selection as a possible Special Area of Conservation.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is anticipated that the commercial growing conditions of genetically modified crops, such as Chardon LL mai'e, will replicate the conditions of the UK farm scale evaluation trials.
Answer
Yes. We are seeking anamendment to the existing part C consent which will prevent glyphosate ammoniumbeing used in conjunction with conventional herbicides on Chardon LL maize.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the number of sites containing (a) active raised bog and (b) degraded raised bog capable of regeneration is included in currently proposed Special Areas for Conservation.
Answer
Twenty five sites have been designated as candidate SpecialAreas of Conservation for active raised bog in Scotland. This is around 9% of the sites identified as supporting some amount of active bog in the ScottishNatural Heritage report
An inventory of lowland raised bogs in Great Britain (Lindsay, R.A. and Immirzi,P., 1996).
Twenty two sites have beendesignated as candidate Special Areas of Conservation for degraded raised bogstill capable of natural regeneration. This is just over 6% of the sitesidentified as supporting some amount of bog capable of regeneration in the samereport.
Many of the sites describedin the inventory are small remnants of previously larger sites.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a ministerial statement on any decision to place Chardon LL mai'e, or any other GM crop, on the UK national seeds list.
Answer
I set out the position onthe national seed listing of Chardon LL in my ministerial statement on 10 March 2004.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether experiences of farmers in North America have informed any decision on the possible future of genetically modified organisms.
Answer
The Executive’s policy on GMcrops is based on all relevant information.
Farming conditions in North Americaare vastly different to farming conditions in Scotland. As such theexperiences of North American farmers are not directly relevant to the Scottishsituation. However, our expert advisory committees continually monitor all newscientific developments and if necessary update their advice.
Unlike North American governments,we intend to introduce statutory co-existence measures to protect the interestsof non-GM farmers.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult the Parliament before making any decisions on the approval of Chardon LL mai'e.
Answer
As noted in myministerial statement on 10 March 2004, Chardon LL maizereceived EU-wide approval Part C approval in 1998. We are currently seeking anamendment to this consent.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any studies comparing the biodiversity impact of GM crops with organic crops are planned.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is not aware of any planned studies comparing the biodiversity impactof GM crops with organic crops.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many sites containing (a) active raised bog and (b) degraded raised bog capable of regeneration there are in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish NaturalHeritage report An inventory of lowland raised bogs in Great Britain (Lindsay, R.A. and Immirzi, P., 1996) identifies 807 raised bog sitesin Scotland. Of these, 281 are identified as supporting areas ofactive bog, and 344 supporting areas of degraded bog capable of regeneration. Itis important to note that the figures for degraded bog capable of regenerationrefer to sites supporting some area of vegetation capable of restoration to bogvegetation. This does not necessarily imply that each site as a whole iscapable of regeneration.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hectares of (a) active raised bog and (b) degraded raised bog capable of regeneration there are in Scotland.
Answer
It is estimated that approximately3,300 hectares of bog habitat meets the definition of active raised bog, andthat approximately 5,500 hectares meet the definition of degraded raised bogcapable of natural regeneration.
