Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-19217

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2008
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 January 2009

In the period 2005-08, short-term pieces of gear related research were carried out on the following subjects:

2004-05

The selectivity of commercial fishing gears (including work on predictive models of selectivity).

Nephrops selectivity trials on the west coast using large meshes (90-120mm).

Selectivity of cod ends used by the under 10m fleet.

Seasonal variation in unaccounted mortality.

2005-06

Comparison of single and multiple rig trawls.

The selectivity of whitefish trawls.

2006-07

Selectivity work in Nephrops mixed fisheries, particularly cod selectivity.

Selectivity work in whitefish mixed fisheries, particularly cod selectivity.

2007-08

Selectivity work in Nephrops mixed fisheries, particularly cod selectivity.

Selectivity work in whitefish mixed fisheries, particularly cod selectivity.

In the period 2005-08, the strategic gear-related research projects were:

2000-05	Quantification of trawl survey gear properties
2003-06	Technical solutions to mixed fishery problems
2005-08	Quantification of survey gear selectivity and application to abundance estimation of key commercial species (specifically anglerfish)
2006-09	Quantification of the physical, environmental and ecological impact of towed demersal fishing gears (including demersal gears and scallop dredges)

Since 2007 when the Scottish Industry Science Partnership (SISP) commenced, their gear related projects have been:

Catching performance of the GOV survey trawl

Effectiveness of separator grids in the mackerel fishery (research carried out by the NAFC Marine Centre)

Review of technical measures for Scottish mixed fisheries

Selectivity of North Sea Nephrops gear using 110-120mm square mesh panels

Selectivity of Nephrops gear using square mesh panels (SMPs) on small vessels on North Sea inshore grounds

Effect on selectivity of different mesh sizes and positions of square mesh panels for vessels of large and small horsepower

Cod avoidance using large meshes in the lower wings and belly of a whitefish trawl.

Conclusions

Summaries of research conclusions are reproduced on the Fisheries Research Services website (), along with downloadable copies of papers, reports and leaflets. Annual research highlights are included in the FRS Annual Reports and Accounts available on this site.

Question reference: S3W-19843

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings it had with the Russian Government ahead of the lifting of its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish.

Question reference: S3W-19842

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with the Russian Government ahead of the lifting of its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish.

There were numerous discussions with the Russian Government from April 2008 to lift the restriction. The First Minister met the Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom on a number of occasions and discussed the ban. The Minister for the Environment met the Russian Deputy Ambassador to the European Union in April 2008. Scottish Government and Scottish Development International officials have been in direct and constant contact with the Russian Consul General in Edinburgh and directly with the Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service in Moscow.

Question reference: S3W-19669

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18811 by Liam McArthur on 8 January 2009, which recommendations in A review of the European Union Agricultural Subsidy Appeals Procedure in Scotland it has not accepted and what the reasons were.

I accepted 16 of the 17 recommendations contained in the Report, A review of the European Union Agricultural Subsidy Appeals Procedure in Scotland.

The one recommendation I was not persuaded by was the creation of a farm liaison team made up of government and industry representatives.

I accepted the principle behind the recommendation but rather than incur additional expense by setting up a new team I have agreed that the current procedures for assisting farmers should be enhanced. I shall put a number of measures in place, including increased attendance by officials at local shows, to help the agricultural community deal with the potential difficulties they face.

Question reference: S3W-20153

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2009
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect will be of the withdrawal of direct payments in the Orkney and Argyll and Bute council areas.

Question reference: S3W-19575

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the terms of reference for its review of the Scotland Rural Development Programme.

Question reference: S3W-19574

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the terms of reference are for its review of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP).

Question reference: S3W-19841

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Russian Government having lifted its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish, what level of exports to Russia can be expected by Scottish fish processors.

Question reference: S3W-19844

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive which minister led discussions with the Russian Government ahead of the lifting of its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish.

Question reference: S3W-19753

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 January 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many accident and emergency staff were employed by the Scottish Ambulance Service in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008, broken down by month.

The information is not held in the format requested. However, the numbers of accident and emergency staff in the North Operating Division, covering these NHS board areas, are set out below. Staff numbers are still recorded under the previous structure of two operating divisions.

North East Operating Division

January 2007	230	July 2007	233
February 2007	231	August 2007	233
March 2007	231	September 2007	233
April 2007	231	October 2007	233
May 2007	232	November 2007	233
June 2007	232	December 2007	234

January 2008	236	July 2008	243
February 2008	236	August 2008	244
March 2008	236	September 2008	245
April 2008	238	October 2008	245
May 2008	240	November 2008	245
June 2008	240	December 2008	247

North and West Operating Division

January 2007	212	July 2007	215
February 2007	214	August 2007	216
March 2007	215	September 2007	216
April 2007	215	October 2007	216
May 2007	215	November 2007	217
June 2007	215	December 2007	217

January 2008	217	July 2008	223
February 2008	217	August 2008	223
March 2008	219	September 2008	223
April 2008	219	October 2008	223
May 2008	220	November 2008	223
June 2008	222	December 2008	223

Notes:

*Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

**Accident and emergency staff comprise paramedics, technicians, paramedic team leaders and urgent tier ambulance care assistants.

***Figures are for total staff numbers.