- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that government should seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing salaries and jobs.
Answer
High labour market participation and increased solidarity and cohesion, as well as environmental sustainability, are key targets for achieving the Government Purpose of sustainable economic growth. Reducing salaries has unpredictable impacts and could, through lowering the cost of production as a result of lower labour costs, encourage higher production and consumption, and hence emissions. The Climate Change Delivery Plan, published in June, sets out how we intend to reduce Scotland''s emissions and in doing so, develop more sustainable ways of living and working in Scotland.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it took to ensure that its carbon assessment of the draft budget 2010-11 was calculated in such a way as to encourage reduction of emissions through improved sustainability rather than by reducing job numbers.
Answer
In addition to direct emissions associated with expenditure by the public sector, the assessment also includes the emissions associated with related increases in private consumption spending, termed induced emissions. Outputs from the assessment methodology do not suggest that emission reductions should be achieved by reducing job numbers, but rather through the reduction in carbon intensity of the goods and services we all use.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue guidance to local authorities and others on the application of section 68 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
Answer
We are currently considering what guidance can be provided on this. There is existing guidance available on improving the environmental performance of buildings. This includes the Net Waste Tool, by the Waste and Resources Action Programme,
www.wrap.org.uk/nwtool, which enables project teams to estimate the carbon savings associated with implementing the top opportunities for waste reduction and recovery on a construction project; information from the Carbon Trust, on low carbon buildings,
www.carbontrust.co.uk/technology/technologyaccelerator/lcba.htm, and information from SUST on sustainable design in architecture and the built environment,
www.sust.org/.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what its implementation plan is for section 68 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
Answer
Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2009 (SSI 2009/341), section 68 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 will come into force on 1 April 2010.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2009/ssi_20090341_en_1.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether section 68 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 would be applied to the disposal of property in Scotland owned by the UK Government.
Answer
Section 68 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 inserts section 46A into the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003. Section 46A lays down that on and after the day on which this section comes into force, it shall be competent to create a real burden in relation to climate change. Section 6(1)(a) of the 2003 act lays down that a real burden is created by registering against the land which is to be the burdened property a deed which is granted by or on behalf of the owner of that land. Therefore, once section 68 is commenced, any owner of land, including the UK Government, may create a climate change burden. However, it is not mandatory for them to do so.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service has stipulated the need for interpreting qualifications for those it employs to provide such services.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27780 on 21 October 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 21 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions interpreters without specific interpreting qualifications have been provided by (a) the Scottish Prison Service or (b) its contractors.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:
The SPS''s normal service provider''s interpreters have either a formal qualification or can evidence a minimum 1,000 hours of interpreting experience.
On rare occasions, in order to meet urgent needs, individuals who may not meet these criteria have provided these services.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has put in place to bring about the substantial reinforcements of the electricity transmission system needed to realise the potential of renewable energy sources, as identified in the National Planning Framework for Scotland 2.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27792 on 6 October 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspxI.
In addition, the Second National Planning Framework is supported by a high-level action programme identifying key elements of the spatial strategy, key milestones in their implementation, lead partners and other delivery bodies. The Scottish Government will be engaging with lead partners and delivery bodies on the implementation of the action programme later in the autumn. Annual reviews of the action programme will provide a means of assessing progress.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the European Union regarding transmission charges, given that the Renewables Directive states that “Member States shall ensure that the charging of transmission and distribution tariffs does not discriminate against electricity from renewable energy sources, including in particular electricity from renewable energy sources produced in peripheral regions, such as island regions, and in regions of low population density.”
Answer
We have made a number of representations to National Grid, Ofgem and the UK Government on Article 16 of the EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC. We are challenging how the existing locational charging approach for electricity grid access and use, which results in energy generators in Scotland paying higher transmission charges than elsewhere in Britain, fits with the requirement to comply with Article 16. We will continue to make those representations with the aim of delivering a charging methodology for generators in Scotland that is equitable, compliant with EU law and encourages, rather than discriminates against energy from renewable sources.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has considered to enable Scottish Hydro-Electric Transmission Ltd to commence building a new 132 kv line from the (a) north Caithness coast to Dounreay and (b) Orkney islands to Dounreay.
Answer
Our
Second National Planning Framework was published in June this year. Within this national framework, the development of individual electricity grid reinforcement and upgrade projects is for transmission system owners, and subject to detailed planning permission from the relevant authorities.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/07/02105627/0.
