Proposals for minimum energy efficiency standards for private sector housing are still under development with stakeholders for proposed public consultation in spring 2015. The public consultation will include proposals on the level at which regulations may be set and what homes may be affected by the standard.

The key financial mechanism that will unlock island grid upgrades is the extension of the Scottish island strike price beyond the first Electricity Market Reform Delivery Plan period, which ends in 2018-19. The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change have the power to make that happen now.

Working together with the island councils, the Scottish Government has argued strongly for the UK Government to recognise the additional support needed to enable the delivery of island renewables projects, given the higher costs they face. As a result of our representations to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, a delivery forum to facilitate connections between the Scottish islands and the Great Britain transmission grid has been established.

At a meeting of the delivery forum on 26 June 2014, the UK Secretary of State agreed to consider what reassurances could be given regarding the longer term future Scottish island strike price. Progress on the actions agreed will be reported at the next meeting of the delivery forum which is due in September 2014.

Independence will create a more democratic Scotland that will always get the government it votes for and have a strong voice for Scotland’s islands at the heart of government. Island communities already benefit from direct engagement from Scottish Ministers on devolved issues, for example at recent visits by the Scottish Cabinet to the Shetland Islands and the Western Isles, and from a higher level of parliamentary representation with an MSP for each Island local authority area. The Scottish Government’s proposals in ‘Empowering Scotland’s Island Communities’, such as designating a ‘minister for island communities’, protecting the position of island MSPs and bringing forward a bill for an islands Act upon independence, will ensure island communities have full access to ministers on all issues.

The benefit of island-proofing, and of making it a binding duty in an Islands Act in the event of independence, is that the needs and circumstances of island communities will be considered throughout the legislative process, including before a proposed Bill reaches Parliament. Where, as a consequence of the island-proofing process, it is considered appropriate to vary the application of legislation by geographical area, this will be decided upon through discussion between the islands communities and the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government’s preference will always be to have a fair and equitable settlement for all councils that is based on local needs and gives the maximum opportunity to deliver strong local services for local people and we will continue to work closely with COSLA to ensure that is achieved.

The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water is not currently in force, although the Scottish Government would advise all harbour authorities to take it into account in developing or revising their ballast water management policies where applicable.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on which harbour authorities have adopted ballast water management plans as this is a matter for individual authorities to consider and implement if appropriate.

It is unlikely that a harbour authority would be consulted on another authorities plan unless they were directly affected by its introduction or amendment.

As set out in Scotland’s Future, Scotland will inherit the prevailing UK tax code at the point of independence, including tax rates, reliefs and allowances. These will remain in place until changes are made by future Scottish Governments.

During the ferries review, Transport Scotland carried out some basic modelling of RET fares for Orkney Islands Council’s, and Shetland Islands Council’s, inter-island ferry services.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21881 on 16 July 2014. 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