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: S4O-00246

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of Stevenson College and Jewel and Esk College.

Question reference: S4W-02246

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it was first notified of the oil spill from Shell's Gannet Alpha platform and how this notification was given.

Scottish Government officials based at the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen, who are the Marine Scotland on call Duty Officers, were first notified of the spill via a telephone call from Shell at 1pm on 11 August 2011. As is routinely the case in relation to the hundreds of offshore oil and chemical spills notified each year, a watching brief was maintained at that stage, as the volume and nature of the spill was not clear. Ministers were notified the following day after Shell provided information on the scale and extent of the incident.

Question reference: S4W-02777

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 27 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what issues will be addressed in the new waste guidelines due to be published in autumn 2011.

Question reference: S4W-02655

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is incentivising the private sector to tackle climate change and improve the energy efficiency of (a) buildings and (b) estates.

The Scottish Government supports business and industry through a number of avenues to help business and the public sector in Scotland to reduce carbon emissions, improve business efficiency and with carbon management planning. The Carbon Trust have indicated the latest results for 2010-11 show annual savings of at least 284kt CO₂ and £31.8 million in reduced annual energy costs. Our Energy Saving Scotland small business loans scheme offers small and medium enterprises interest-free loans for renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures. This scheme paid out over £2.4 million through more than 80 loans during 2010-11.

The Scottish Government is committed to simplifying the landscape for energy and resource efficiency advice to business. We have established a single Scottish Energy and Resource Efficiency Service for business, bringing together key delivery bodies (including Carbon Trust, Energy Saving Trust, Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA), our enterprise agencies and Business Gateway. The new service will provide greater cross-referral, encouraging businesses to consider taking action on energy and wider resource efficiency at the same time.

Question reference: S4W-02659

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Energy Bill 2011.

Scottish Government has been working closely with Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on the UK Energy Bill. Mr Neil is also a member of the Ministerial Oversight Group set up to facilitate cross government working on the Bill. We have worked to ensure that the UK Bill reflects Scottish interests and that it recognises Scottish devolved areas of responsibility. The UK Energy Bill sets out the framework for the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation policies and we have been working with DECC to ensure that Scotland can implement these in a manner that meets Scotland’s specific circumstances e.g. location, climate, house types etc. A particular priority for us is to ensure that the Green Deal acts to support the Scottish Government's Energy Efficiency Action Plan. We have a member of Scottish Government staff working in DECC to assist with this process.

Question reference: S4W-02660

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which recommendations from the report, A Low Carbon Building Standards Strategy for Scotland, have yet to be implemented.

Question reference: S4W-02657

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to enhance energy performance certificates.

Question reference: S4W-02656

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is working with external stakeholders to develop climate change standards for (a) domestic and (b) business properties.

We are working with external stakeholders to develop climate change standards as follows:

(a) Domestic Properties

We are discussing with stakeholders the development of a draft climate change standard for social housing beyond the requirements of the current Scottish Housing Quality Standard. We will also develop guidance on appropriate technical measures to be installed in relevant housing types and provide advice on cost implications as well as links to relevant funding streams. A working group, including representatives from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, COSLA and individual social landlords is taking this work forward. The working group is expected to draft a standard for public consultation by early 2012 with the new standard to be finalised later that year.

Scottish ministers set out their approach in March 2011 to setting minimum standards for private sector housing and we are developing an action plan to take regulation forward after 2015. This will involve working in partnership with stakeholders.

(b) Business Properties

To assist with the development of the consultation on regulations for existing non-domestic buildings (including business properties), a departmental Working Group made up of representatives from across industry was formed and has met six times. There are both public and private sector members, with a knowledge base covering, technical, legal and operational aspects. The public consultation is intended to be issued in autumn 2011.

Question reference: S4W-02782

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in relation to allocating contracts to community organisations under the Forestry Commission Scotland renewables scheme.

Forestry Commission Scotland is currently working with its development partners for the national forest estate to agree the location of wind and hydro schemes that should be investigated in more detail. As these potential sites are agreed, the commission will expect the development partners to engage with local communities in order to determine community preferences for receiving benefits. These leading edge community benefits will include an annual payment of £5,000 per megawatt installed, together with opportunities for communities to invest directly in the schemes.

Question reference: S4W-02661

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how long the boiler scrappage scheme will be open for applications.