- 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 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.
- 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 studies on hori'ontal gene flow from GM crops have been carried out and what the results of any such studies were.
Answer
The review of GM scienceexamined the issue of horizontal gene flow and concluded that it is veryinfrequent and could happen whether the plant was transgenic, conventional ororganic. However, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environmentconsiders the potential consequences of horizontal gene flow, as part of theircase-by-case assessment. This approach is endorsed by the Science Review Panel.
The Executive, together withthe other UK Administrations, acknowledges that further research would bebeneficial to improve knowledge and understanding of soil ecosystems.
- 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 discussions have taken place with members of the Welsh Assembly Government in respect of the approval of Chardon LL mai'e; on what dates the discussions took place, and what the outcomes were.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has regular contact with the Welsh Assembly Government and the other UKAdministrations on a range of issues, including 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 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 whether experiences of farmers in North America have informed any decision on the possible future of genetically modified organisms.
Answer
The Executive鈥檚 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 there are any areas of active raised bog or degraded raised bog capable of regeneration proposed for Special Area for Conservation protection within the Dumfries and Galloway bioclimatic 'one.
Answer
There are three designatedraised bog candidate Special Areas of Conservation in Dumfries and Galloway (atCarsegowan Moss, Raeburn Flow and Solway Mosses North) with all three supportingboth active bog and degraded bog still capable of natural 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 whether it has responsibility, under Article 11 of the EC Habitats Directive, for the surveillance of the conservation status of priority habitats and species in Scotland and, if not, where the responsibility lies.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has responsibility for ensuring the requirements of Article 11 areadhered to in Scotland.
- 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.聽 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 what arrangements have been made for environmental groups and others to peer review the farm scale evaluations, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer
The results of the farmscale evaluations were peer reviewed and published in the
PhilosophicalTransactions of The Royal Society: Biological Sciences. They wereimmediately forwarded to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment(ACRE) for advice on the implications for the possible commercialisation ofthese specific GM crops.
In line with the PartnershipAgreement, environmental groups and other interested parties were invited tosubmit their comments on the results to ACRE. 聽In addition ACRE accepted the Executive鈥檚 invitation to hold an openmeeting in Edinburgh, on 4 December 2003, to afford Scottishstakeholders the opportunity to present oral evidence and discuss the results.
All oral and written evidence,including the outcomes of the Edinburgh meeting, were considered by ACRE beforethey gave their advice to government.
