Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to lighten the regulatory burden on the agricultural industry.

Richard Lochhead: The new integrated delivery service SEARS - Scotland’s Environmental and Rural Services - launched on 20 June 2008 will cut red tape and bureaucratic burdens for farmers and other rural land managers and result in:

almost 2,000 fewer inspections to farms in the first year due to better co-ordination of visits between the nine public organisations involved;

a reduction in the burden of information provision on land managers, as public bodies will share relevant data to avoid information having to be submitted more than once, and

a 24 hour, seven days a week contact centre and web portal to ensure easy access to information.

In addition, a research project looking at the costs and benefits associated with regulation in Scottish agriculture will report later this summer.

Bees

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to investigate the reasons for the sudden decline in bee population in Scotland.

Richard Lochhead: Where higher than normal losses of bees are found after the winter, beekeepers can seek advice from the Scottish Agriculture College apiculture specialist as to the possible causes. In the majority of cases reported to the college, it has been possible to link these to poor management or to Varroa infestation and the secondary viruses associated with the Varroa mite which weakens the colony leaving it more prone to virus attack.

Beekeepers can also send samples to Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture for diagnostic examination.

Both of these services are funded by the Scottish Government and are free to beekeepers.

Enterprise

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is still committed to the SNP’s manifesto commitment to introduce a policy of "one in, one out" for new regulations.

Jim Mather: It is only right and proper that those who are most affected by business regulations should have some say in how they are implemented. The Regulatory Review Group (RRG), which comprises representatives of the main business organisations, unanimously took the view that a "one in one out" approach may not be wholly appropriate or realisable at present. Consequently, since it is our stated intention to listen carefully to business practitioners and act on their considered advice, we will work with the RRG to advance its recommendations.

The RRG’s views on the subject of measuring the numbers and impact of regulations is explained in more detail in their first annual report which will be published in July 2008.

Fisheries

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with the Norwegian and Icelandic governments to determine fisheries management in the North Atlantic.

Richard Lochhead: We engage in the annual consultation process with Norway, Iceland, Faroes and other countries to determine future fishing opportunities for the Scottish fleet. Those consultations are preceded by regular contact between the various governments to exchange views on appropriate management and conservation measures. In particular I and my officials have this year held extensive discussions with our Norwegian counterparts on wider fisheries management issues.

Inter-Governmental Links

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the position it has adopted with the UK Government over a range of issues will affect the influence it can exert on UK Government policy within the United Kingdom.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government will always aim to act in the best interests of the Scottish people, and that includes the way it conducts relations with other administrations. We argued successfully for the re-establishment of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC), at which we, the other devolved administrations and the UK Government can discuss matters of common interest and consider disputes between administrations that may arise. The first plenary meeting of the re-convened JMC took place on 25 June this year. This represents a major step forward in helping to ensure Scotland’s interests are best served in conducting our business with the UK Government.

Livestock

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of the European Commission’s CAP Health Check proposals will have on the budget for the Scottish Beef Calf Scheme.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Beef Calf Scheme (worth about £18 million per year) is funded through the national envelope. The current European Commission Health Check proposals impose a limit of 2.5% of the national ceiling on certain national envelope options - for the UK, 2.5% of the national ceiling is nearly 100 million euros.

The consultation paper Future implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in Scotland seeks views on the use of the national envelope.

Tourism

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13078 by Jim Mather on 27 May 2008, how many new golf courses are required to maintain the benefits of golf tourism and whether any new golf courses are necessary to achieve the benefits from the Ryder Cup, referred to in the answer.

Jim Mather: Scotland already has a fantastic range and number of golf courses, old and new, hidden gems as well as the jewels in the crown like Turnberry, Muirfield and the Old Course. The challenge for those charged with increasing the benefits of golf tourism is to better utilise all of these existing courses. The "Greatest Golf Giveaway", which is part of next year’s Homecoming programme, will aim to do that.

Transport

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will prioritise transport projects with higher cost-benefit ratios over those with lower ratios as part of its strategic transport projects review.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be a sufficiently high cost-benefit ratio to enable a transport project to be prioritised as part of its strategic transport projects review.

Stewart Stevenson: The appraisal and subsequent prioritisation of transport projects within the strategic transport projects review is being carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG).

In terms of the economic criteria within STAG, the cost-benefit ratio is not the sole indicator of the worth of a scheme. Other factors taken into account include impacts on the environment, safety, integration, accessibility and social inclusion. Also, STAG now enables the wider economic benefits to be taken into consideration.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost-benefit ratios were of the transport projects approved since May 2007.

Stewart Stevenson: The following table identifies the benefit to cost Ratio (BCR) for those transport projects committed to by the Scottish Government in the June 2007 statement to the Parliament:

On the basis of "Contracts Let", the following schemes have also been approved since May 2007:

In September 2007, the Scottish Government announced the Edinburgh to Glasgow improvements project, which includes a number of investment packages with BCRs ranging from 0.9 to 3.8.

In September 2007, the Scottish Government also committed a financial contribution to the Edinburgh trams project, with a BCR of 1.68 (excluding the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link), and awarded the contract for the replacement vessel for the Islay ferry services. This vessel has been commissioned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) and will be funded by loans from the Scottish Government to CMAL. The appraisal, completed in 2003, showed the option being pursued to have a BCR of 0.48.

In December 2007 the decision to construct a Forth replacement crossing was announced to the Parliament. The BCR of the preferred option is 4.57.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the upgrade of the Redhouse Roundabout on the A92 is being considered as part of the strategic transport projects review.

Stewart Stevenson: Yes.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what transport projects are being considered by Transport Scotland for recommendation to be prioritised as part of its strategic transport projects review.

Stewart Stevenson: The transport projects being considered by the strategic transport projects review (STPR) include those that have been developed specifically to meet the objectives of the STPR, through internal and external workshops, including the regional transport partnerships, and projects that have been suggested by various external interests which ministers have agreed to include.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13700 by Stewart Stevenson on 11 June 2008, in what month in the summer it expects Transport Scotland to deliver its initial findings from the strategic transport projects review to ministers and whether these findings will be made public.

Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland expects to deliver its initial findings from the strategic transport projects review to ministers in August 2008. Ministers will need to give careful consideration to these findings before being in a position to make any public announcement.