All work on local tax policy and administration is being taken forward by a small unit of officials in Local Government Division. The government is committed to produce a fairer system of local taxation based on the ability to pay.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally. However, the Scottish Government has commissioned the production of a database of community and locally owned renewables projects, and findings will be available in the near future.

The copy of the further report is in fact an “addendum” to the initial report. A copy of this report was placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 9 January 2012.

The response to the addendum to this report is contained in a letter which I have sent to the Office of the Convener of the Health and Sport Committee. A copy of this covering letter and the report itself were both placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 9 January 2012.

The Health Workforce and Performance Directorate asked NHS Lothian to quantify exactly the number of patients and the length of time they were waiting. The original report received by Scottish Government did not have these details which required a longer timescale in order to gather such information.

A copy of this report was placed in Scottish Parliament Information Centre on 9 January 2012.

Following Forestry Commission Scotland’s (FCS) competitive negotiation processes six development partners were identified for hydro and wind developments (four for wind and two for hydro). Through that process FCS negotiated market leading rates of community benefit of £5,000 per megawatt installed per year (index linked) to be shared by local communities. Communities also have an opportunity to invest in specific schemes, subject to the proviso that the combined Forestry Commission and community interest in the project does not exceed 49% (exact details vary between developers).

Free support and guidance to communities interested in renewable energy is available from the Scottish Government's Communities and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) managed by Community Energy Scotland (CES). CARES also provides loans to help communities and rural businesses with the high risk, pre-planning consent stages of renewable energy projects which have significant community engagement and benefit. The management contract for the scheme after 1 April 2012 is being tendered and an additional work stream, to provide specific advice and support to communities engaging in the renewable opportunities on the National Forest Estate, has been added.

In addition, Forestry Commission Scotland has been regularly meeting with CES and other national third-sector organisations (namely, the Community Woodland Association, Development Trust Association Scotland and Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) to discuss and develop the opportunities for community involvement and to identify the type of support and advice these organisation can offer interested communities.

Forestry Commission Scotland estimates that there is the potential for approximately 2,000 megawatts installed Renewable Energy capacity on the National Forest Estate, mostly in the form of wind farms.