- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 7 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate the percentage of non-domestic buildings being built, or built within the last 36 months, that fall into each energy performance certificate rating.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold sufficient information on which to base an accurate estimate.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 3 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will work with Orkney Islands Council to find an acceptable alternative site for the Stromness Ferry Terminal lorry parking and marshalling area if a new school is built on the existing site.
Answer
This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 18 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding each local authority in the Highlands and Islands area has allocated to Business Gateway since the scheme’s introduction.
Answer
Local authority budget allocation spend is a matter for individual councils, and I would suggest that you contact the relevant Highlands and Islands local authorities to obtain this data.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding it estimates it will provide to the Scottish Agricultural College to undertake research into the suitability of agricultural crops for Scottish environments in 2010-11.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26214 on 17 August 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding it has provided to the Scottish Agricultural College to undertake research into the suitability of agricultural crops for Scottish environments in each of the last four years.
Answer
The Scottish Government commissioned a research programme on Profitable and Sustainable Agriculture “ Plants in 2006, from which the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) is receiving an annual grant for strategic research of approximately £1.5 million for the period 2006-07 to 2010-11. The Scottish Government is currently in discussion with stakeholders regarding the priority questions for strategic research which will be commissioned from 2011. SAC, as one of the Scottish Government''s main research providers, is aware of and fully involved in this process.
In addition, the Scottish Government contracts SAC to undertake crop variety trialling and associated activities. The funding for this is as follows:
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Actual (£m) | Actual (£m) | Actual (£m) | Budget (£m) | Plan (£m) |
| 0.261 | 0.336 | 0.292 | 0.260 | 0.230 |
The reduction in contract funding for 2010-11 is due to the constant search for best value and need to find sums for the pressing issue of climate change. The contract funding for 2011-12 will be determined nearer the time.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to reduce the level of funding for the Scottish Agricultural College to undertake research into the suitability of agricultural crops for Scottish environments in the next two years and, if so, for what reasons.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26214 on 17 August 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 14 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what budget it has allocated to Highlands and Islands Enterprise in each year since 2002-03 and what budget it will allocate in each year to 2012-13.
Answer
The budget allocated to Highlands and Islands Enterprise since 2002-03 is shown in the following table:
| 2002-03 (£000) | 2003-04 (£000) | 2004-05 (£000) | 2005-06 (£000) | 2006-07 (£000) | 2007-08 (£000) | 2008-09 (£000) | 2009-10 (£000) | 2010-11 (£000) |
| 79,700 | 95,300 | 104,300 | 99,000 | 114,400 | 114,700 | 74,000 | 73,100 | 73,200 |
The budget for 2002-03 was prior to the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting, arising from which a non-cash budget of £14 million per annum is included in each year''s figure above, from 2003-04 onwards. From 2008-09, Highlands and Islands Enterprise''s budget was reduced to reflect the refocusing of the organisation as part of this government''s reform of the enterprise networks, hence for that and subsequent years the figures are stated after budget transfers to Skills Development Scotland. Budget figures are not available beyond the spending review 2007, which allocated budgets up to 2010-11.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise should not be viewed in isolation however, as it is only one arm of the very significant package of funding we have in place to support and stimulate economic growth in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
Skills Development Scotland, the newly established business gateway for the area, the Road Equivalent Tariff Scheme and the Town Centre Regeneration Fund together bring a funding investment of £26.7 million this year, in addition to that allocated to Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Businesses in the area also benefit from a range of non-domestic rates reliefs including the Small Business Bonus Scheme, which alone amounts to an estimated £14.4 million in 2009-10, Rural Rate Relief and Empty Property Relief.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on the Highlands and Islands economy of the reduction in the budget for Highlands and Islands Enterprise over the course of the current spending review.
Answer
Highlands and Islands Enterprise''s budget was reduced to reflect the refocusing of the organisation as part of this government''s reform of the enterprise networks.
Rather than having a negative impact on the economy, the reforms will enable it to maximise its contribution to economic recovery and growth by focusing more clearly on those activities likely to have the greatest economic impact on economic recovery and increased sustainable economic growth.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how the reduction in Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s budget over the spending review will impact on the creation of replacement high quality jobs as Dounreay continues to decommission.
Answer
Highlands and Islands Enterprise''s budget was reduced to reflect the refocusing of the organisation as part of this government''s reform of the enterprise networks.
Rather than having a negative impact on the economy, the reforms will enable it to maximise its contribution to economic recovery and growth by focusing more clearly on those activities likely to have the greatest economic impact on economic recovery and increased sustainable economic growth.
The Caithness and North Sutherland action plan, in which Highlands and Islands Enterprise is an active partner, is one such transformational project which focuses on the future of the area, post decommissioning.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 5 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many considers it believes fall into the category of significant and high growth businesses, as referred to in Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s operating plan.
Answer
This information is not collated or routinely held by the Scottish Government. However, Highlands and Islands Enterprise has advised the Scottish Government that it is currently developing relationships, or has agreed growth plans, with around 250 businesses and 80 social enterprises in the Highlands and Islands area which it believes have growth potential.
