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The Scottish Government does not provide any direct financial support to the International Technology and Renewable Energy Zone. The zone does however receive financial support from Scottish Enterprise.

The question of when the zone will be fully operational is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise, which is leading the project.

I will ask Scottish Enterprise’s Chief Executive to write to you with that information.

The Scottish Government aims to support the creation of Green Skills Academies and will be working and consulting with relevant stakeholders, including those from the business community, colleges, universities and local authorities, in due course to take forward the development of the skills hubs and academies for the energy and low-carbon industry.

The Scottish Government aims to support the creation of Green Skills Academies and will be working and consulting with relevant stakeholders, including those from the business community, colleges, universities and local authorities, in due course to take forward the development of the skills hubs and academies for the energy and low-carbon industry.

The Scottish Government does not provide direct financial support to the Scottish Energy Laboratory. The laboratory does however receive some financial support from Scotland’s enterprise agencies.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. Scottish Enterprise leads on this program providing staff, marketing and other support.

I will ask Scottish Enterprise’s Chief Executive to write to you with the information.

The Scottish Government is currently considering how best to introduce enterprise zones in Scotland, including exploring the creation of one or more low carbon enterprise zones, so as to maximise their economic impact. These considerations include the criteria against which to assess that impact. We expect to make decisions about the introduction of enterprise zones towards the autumn.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. Scottish Enterprise leads on this program providing staff, marketing and other support.

I will ask Scottish Enterprise’s chief executive to write to you with the information.

In the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland, the Scottish Government has set a target of 500 megawatts of community and locally-owned renewable energy by 2020. The Routemap is published on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/RoutemapforRenewableEnergy.

The Community and Renewable Energy Scheme provides loans of up to £150,000 to farmers, land managers, rural businesses, cooperatives and communities to help meet the pre-planning consent costs of developing a proposal. It is a requirement of the loan scheme to have in place a binding legal agreement on community benefit, with payments to begin when a project becomes operational, and continue for a period of 20 years.

The Scottish Government is also committed to securing the establishment of a Green Equity Fund for community renewables for the post-planning phase of development. More detailed proposals for supporting community renewables from the next financial year onwards will be set out in the spending review later this year.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. Scottish Enterprise leads on this program providing staff, marketing and other support.

I will ask Scottish Enterprise’s Chief Executive to write to you with the information.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01735 on 11 August 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.