Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-04664

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what income it expects to receive from companies that it has selected to develop renewables projects on the Forestry Commission estate.

Question reference: S4W-04670

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) type and (b) scale of renewables projects being approved for each of the five lots on the Forestry Commission estate.

Question reference: S4W-04671

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are opportunities for renewables developments on parts of the Forestry Commission estate other than the five lots announced by the Forestry Commission Scotland.

The areas of the national forest estate on which communities can potentially take forward renewable developments are being identified on maps published on Forestry Commission Scotland’s website. The map for community-led hydro generation schemes is already available. A similar map for community wind developments will be added towards the end of January 2012, and will include land within the Scottish Borders and Scottish Lowlands Forest District as well as land within the areas covered by the five Wind Lots.

The maps and guidance for communities are available at:

www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-8f2ez7.

Question reference: S4W-04667

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the timescales for conclusion of agreements on each of the five lots on the Forestry Commission estate allocated for renewables developments.

Question reference: S4W-04668

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what scope there is for communities to bid to establish renewables schemes on each of the five lots on Forestry Commission estate allocated for developments of (a) 5MW or less and (b) more than 5MW.

For both size categories, communities that wish to do so are being encouraged to investigate potential schemes. To assist them, Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) has placed on the FCS website a map of areas which are available for community-led hydro projects, along with a guide on the options for community involvement in projects on the National Forest Estate and will do the same for wind towards the end of January 2012.

The maps and guidance for communities are available at: www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-8f2ez7.

Question reference: S4W-04663

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many expressions of interest have been received by groups interested in pursuing community renewables projects on the Forestry Commission estate following the announcement by the Forestry Commission Scotland on 22 February 2011 of community development opportunities.

Question reference: S4W-04567

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has asked local authorities to provide to indicate whether they expect to meet the 2012 target for eradicating homelessness.

Homelessness statistics are published every six months from quarterly returns provided by local authorities. These provide an indication of progress towards the target that by the end of December 2012 all unintentionally homeless households will be entitled to settled accommodation. The key statistic is the percentage of homelessness assessments that are in priority need; the closer a local authority is to 100%, then the closer it is to meeting the 2012 target. At present, local authorities are assessing 88% of homeless households as being in priority need.

Local authorities, working in partnership within five geographical “Hubs” are preventing homelessness through the introduction of an innovative housing options approach. This approach to homelessness prevention is making the 2012 target more achievable. Scottish Government officials work closely with the Hubs and understand the progress local authorities are making to meet the 2012 target.

Question reference: S4W-04566

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the penalty will be for local authorities that do not meet the 2012 target for eradicating homelessness.

The 2012 target is not about eradicating all homelessness but about ensuring that, by the end of December 2012, all unintentionally homeless households applying to their local authority for assistance will be entitled to settled accommodation.

The terms of the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003 do not provide for any specific penalty to be applied to a local authority that does not meet the 2012 target. Local authorities could face legal action through existing legislation which allows applicant households to utilise their rights to go to the Court of Session for Judicial Review. In addition, the Scottish Housing Regulator may take a view on performance if a local authority is not fulfilling its responsibilities under the homelessness legislation.

Question reference: S4O-00561

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the investigation by NHS Lothian of so-called hidden waiting lists.

Question reference: S4W-04475

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities are implementing its guidance, The right tree in the right place, and have (a) published or (b) are writing a forest and woodland strategy.

The right tree in the right place was published in 2010.

(a) The following local authorities have published a forestry and woodland strategy. Depending on the date of production these may or may not directly follow the right tree in the right place guidance, but all of these strategies are formally linked to or referred to in the development plan:

Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Argyll and Bute

Ayrshire

Cairngorms National Park

Clackmannanshire and Stirling

Dumfries and Galloway

Dundee

Falkirk

Fife

Glasgow and Clyde Valley

Highland

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Moray

Orkney Islands

Scottish Borders

Shetland Islands

Western Isles.

(b) We understand that the following local authorities are in the process of producing or updating their forestry and woodland strategies and are following the Right Tree in the Right Place guidance:

Aberdeen City

Angus

Ayrshire

Clackmannanshire and Stirling

Dumfries and Galloway

Edinburgh and the Lothians

Fife

Glasgow and Clyde Valley

Highland

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Perth and Kinross

Scottish Borders.

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