³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

The Scottish Government has no information on further work required to understand the differences in the experience of pain incurred through tail surgery in dogs. The Scottish Government will continue to monitor research on the effects of tail docking in lambs and piglets, which may be relevant to the possible effects of tail shortening in puppies.

No meetings or discussions have taken place in 2017 between the Scottish Government and onshore petroleum exploration and development licence owners regarding its position on unconventional oil and gas.

No fracking or drilling for coal bed methane can take place in Scotland as a result of the moratorium this Government has put in place.

Ministers received the report and recommendations from the reporter on this planning proposal on 22 December 2016. Ministers are currently giving full and proper consideration to it. Every effort is being made to issue the decision as soon as possible.

I can confirm that neither the First Minister nor Scottish Ministers have met formally with Judy Murray since December 2015. No Scottish Government Official has met Judy Murray since December 2015, although she did provide evidence at the Park of Keir inquiry, chaired by a DPEA reporter, which took place from Monday 5 to Wednesday 14 September 2016.

The Scottish Government was unable to provide an answer within the 10 counting day deadline because it was waiting for a third party to provide the necessary information; in this instance the membership of a newly formed working group.

The standard Scottish Government process ensures that if a written parliamentary question is not answered within 10 counting days (20 days during recess) then a holding reply will automatically be issued. The substantive answer reiterated the information on the website, but was delayed going through the drafting and parliamentary process.

It is considered that despite the delay, the process is consistent with the Scottish Ministerial Code, with Ministers and officials acting in good faith and always have regard to the terms of the Scottish Ministerial Code when answering parliamentary questions.

Ministers received the report and recommendations from the reporter on this planning proposal on 1 June 2017. Ministers are currently giving full and proper consideration to it.

The Longannet Task Force brings together key partners to mitigate the economic impacts of the power station’s early closure. Co-chaired by the Scottish Government and Fife Council, its membership is drawn from Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland as well as union, community and elected representatives to ensure those impacted by the closure are represented on the Task Force.

As well as through their elected members, community interests are specifically represented by the Chair of the Valleyfield Ash Liaison Committee, selected due to the long standing lagoon impacts that had been accommodated locally. The Chair of the Committee is also representing other relevant community views.

The Longannet Task Force also agreed that Fife Council should lead on additional engagement with non-member community groups, working closely with Clackmannanshire Council and Falkirk Council in their respective areas, to ensure those groups could engage with Task Force activities.

While regulation of banks is a reserved matter, bank branch closures are a matter of great concern to communities across Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work and I raised the issue of branch closures with representatives of Scotland’s financial sector at the last meeting of the Financial Services Advisory Board on 10 May 2017. I was pleased to see a recognition from those present that consideration of the impact of closures was now necessary and we are keen to engage in that discussion.

I do appreciate that the banks must make savings and efficiencies in delivering their services in a changing world and digital banking is having an impact on footfall in branches, but clearly there is a continuing need for face to face provision of banking for some customers. So while I recognise that, in general, declining branch activity is a driver for banks to change their operating model, I urge the banks to see branch closures as a last resort, and before closing a branch to consider genuine consultation with local stakeholders and communities to explore all practical options.

Given that, the regulation of banking remains reserved to Westminster, the Scottish Government cannot compel banks to maintain a branch presence where they have taken the commercial decision to close. However, I will continue to engage with the banks to ensure that their future strategy for Scotland takes into account the needs of customers, local communities and staff and to ensure that banks concerned are aware of our own concerns and those of the people of Scotland and to identify any actions that can be taken to assist retention of banking facilities in communities affected by current or potential bank closures.

I share your concerns over the closures recently announced by the Royal Bank of Scotland and by other banks. This is a key item I plan to discuss with UK ministers, now that the UK parliamentary election has passed.

S5W-08693 will be answered in due course.