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Varroa is now endemicin Scotland. Beekeepers, as with all other keepers oflivestock, have a duty of care to treat their hives should they discover varroainfestation. Scottish Government funds the Scottish Agricultural Science Agencyto provide a free diagnostic service to beekeepers and the Scottish Agriculture College to provide free advice, training and education to beekeepers throughoutScotland on all aspects of integrated pest managementand good bee husbandry in the control of varroa.

The number of apiariesinfected with varroa during the last five years by region is as follows:

Region	Number of Positive Apiaries
	2003	2004	2005	2006
Highland	27	6	32	26
Strathclyde (including Islay)	18	21	14	24
Lothian	10	16	20	15
Borders	12	11	18	17
Dumfries and Galloway	37	17	12	11
Grampian	14	16	11	7
Tayside	29	24	12	6
Central	2	1	5	6
Fife	15	7	4	4
Orkney	0	0	0	0
Total	164	119	128	116

 

In 2007, up to 8 June,there have been 44 apiaries diagnosed with varroa. Unfortunately this informationhas not yet been broken down by region. All figures may include an element of doublecounting as a number of beekeepers submit samples on a regular basis, some of whichmay have already been diagnosed earlier in the year or in a previous year.

Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH) and the Forestry Commission Scotland have the lead responsibilities for deliveringmeasures to promote conservation of red squirrel populations in Scotland.

SNH currently employstwo grey squirrel controllers in the affected area in south Scotland. These wereimmediately re-deployed to intensify removal of grey squirrels in and around theaffected location near Lockerbie when the first infected red squirrel was found.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-399 on 13 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-399 on 13 June 2007. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-399 on 13 June 2007. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

We are committed to planningfor the dualling of the A9. Options will emerge from the Strategic Transport ProjectsReview, which is due to report next summer. We will consider these options and takean informed decision on all the evidence including costs and benefits. More detailedplanning would follow that decision-making process.

The information requested isnot held centrally.

The Renewables Obligation (Scotland) (ROS)is administered by Ofgem, whose website, has information about the number of Scottish Renewables Obligation Certificatesissued and statistics on the number and types of generating stations accreditedunder the ROS.

The following eight hydropower schemes reduced their capacity from above 20 megawatts to below 20megawatts before 1 April 2002, when the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) cameinto force.

Hydro Station	Owner
Culligran	Scottish and Southern Energy
Finlarig	Scottish and Southern Energy
Grudie Bridge	Scottish and Southern Energy
Kinlochleven	Alcan
Mossford	Scottish and Southern Energy
Quoich	Scottish and Southern Energy
Shin	Scottish and Southern Energy
St Fillans	Scottish and Southern Energy

 

We are committed toencouraging modal shift of freight from roads to rail across Scotland andoperate three rail freight grant schemes to achieve this aim. Since 1999, thispolicy has removed over 5 million lorry miles from the A9 corridor.

Our project to deliver gaugeenhancement from Mossend to Elgin via Perth will allow for larger freight containers to betransported by rail. We estimate that this will remove 19.8 million vehiclemiles from the roads per year.