- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all the information that it
holds on the market value testing of Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind sales
process, which launched in June 2020 with the pre-defined option fee levels of
£2,000/km2, £6,000/km2 or £10,000km2.
Answer
Crown Estate Scotland have not sold seabed through the ScotWind leasing process. Option Agreements and ultimately leases to use areas of the seabed for offshore wind energy generation have been provided, raising around £700 million in initial fees and potentially many millions more in rent, once these projects are operational. If projects do not proceed to full lease, the option agreements expire. Furthermore, through the Supply Chain Development Statements, ScotWind developers will invest an average of £1.5 billion in Scotland for each project – across the 17 different sites, that could lead to more than £25 billion of investment.
As per S6W-08314 on 7 June 2022, Crown Estate Scotland conducted market testing and evidence gathering to inform option fee levels and this is not information held by Scottish Government. Following the announcement of The Crown Estate’s Round 4 results and a very clear change in the market, Crown Estate Scotland paused and reviewed the ScotWind option fee levels accordingly.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the reasons for Crown Estate Scotland’s position, as stated in the ScotWind Pre-Launch Summary, published in July 2019, that it was “currently minded” that applicants should not pay more than £10,000 per km2 of seabed.
Answer
Crown Estate Scotland is responsible for the ScotWind seabed leasing process, including setting Option Agreement fees and rent prices. Crown Estate Scotland informed Scottish Government of its pricing structure based on its own evidence gathering and information available at the time. Once projects are under seabed leases and wind farms are generating energy, rental payments are annual – these are separate from the Option Agreement payments.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ScotWind Offshore Wind Leasing: Advisory Note, produced for it by the University of Strathclyde Centre for Energy Policy, in April 2020, other than the three pre-defined option fee levels, what, if any, other levels of option fees were considered at that time, and whether it will provide a copy of any information that it (a) holds and (b) published at that time in relation to the recommendation in the Advisory Note “that all levels be fully justified and explained, with consideration and clarity given on why there are no higher increments”.
Answer
The Scottish Government did not set the ScotWind seabed lease Option Agreement fees. The advisory note prepared for the Scottish Government recommends that any new, higher, levels be appropriately justified. Crown Estate Scotland (“CES”) proceeded to satisfy those requirements through, in this case, appropriate consideration of externally procured advice. CES explained to SG the rationale for the pricing structure adopted. No further information is held relating to that recommendation.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 7 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to support airshows in Scotland in the future.
Answer
In 2022, the National Events Programme, which has now closed for applications, would allow an eligible airshow to apply for EventScotland funding of up to £25,000. EventScotland are supporting the Largs Viking Festival (27 Aug – 4 Sept) and the Making Waves festival in Irvine (22-24 July). Both festivals include an air display as part of their event and are receiving funding via the National Events Programme.
For future years, the Resource Spending Review (RSR) published on 31 May provides a high level direction of travel and sets out Scottish Government priorities. The RSR delivers what certainty the Scottish Government can against the challenging context of the spiralling cost of living, Covid recovery and the Ukraine crisis and within the limits of the fiscal framework. The Scottish Government will work with the events sector and our public bodies on the detail of the spending review and what this means for budgets for individual programmes and projects.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can request the consent of Crown Estate Scotland (CES) to disclose the two reports commissioned by and received from CES that discuss the net present value analysis and/or any other value for money analysis of the ScotWind auction, as referred to in the response to freedom of information request FOI/202200277291 of 14 April 2022.
Answer
As per the FOI (FOI/202200277291) referred to in the question, CES have already been asked about disclosure of the document and at that time did not consent to it due to the ScotWind clearing process still being underway. Publications of those documents at this time may, unduly, influence the application process. Once the process of granting option agreements is over, CES’s assessment of what can and cannot be released may change .
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take to inform any NHS patients who are unable to access the new waiting times website about indicative waiting times for their procedures.
Answer
The Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland to develop an online platform for members of the public to access information on the average waiting times for a range of treatments within their health board area. We expect the platform to be available this summer.
Patients will continue to receive communication from their Health Boards when they are added to a waiting list which will provide details of their point of contact for updated wait times should they be unable to access the online platform.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government who is building the new website to provide NHS patients with indicative waiting times, and how much it estimates this process will cost.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08571 on 30 May 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it anticipates the new website to provide NHS patients with indicative waiting times will go live.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08571 on 30 May 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the new website to provide NHS patients with indicative waiting times, whether details of all NHS procedures and their indicative waiting times will be made available, and if this will not be the case, whether it can provide details of the procedures that will be included.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08571 on 30 May 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the website that is being designed with Public Health Scotland to give patients indicative waiting times, how it will work; how specific the date ranges provided will be, and whether it will provide patients with (a) average and (b) longest waiting times.
Answer
The Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland to develop an online platform for members of the public to access information on the average waiting times for a range of treatments within their health board area. We expect the platform to be available this summer.