The Scottish Government held a consultation on its draft thermal guidance, which included questions on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture Readiness (CCR), which closed earlier this year. Following the consultation, we have had on-going engagement with stakeholders on the development of CCS through workshops and meetings. We have decided to await the completion of the UK consultation process on clean coal before issuing our final thermal generation guidance. This will ensure that the regulatory framework in broad terms is similar across the UK as a whole, with the overall objective of encouraging CCS deployment and the objective of decarbonisation of the electricity sector by 2030. In the meantime, we have set out our position on CCR for all thermal stations above 300MW.

This was set out in an answer to question S3W-24912 on 17 June 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.

Under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish ministers are obliged to accept and consider all thermal power station applications in excess of 50 megawatts of generating capacity. Each application is subject to statutory consultation with the determination taking into account all material issues, including the thermal guidance applicable at the time the decision is made.

The Scottish Government aims to ensure that the regulatory framework in broad terms is similar across the UK as a whole, with the overall objective of encouraging CCS deployment and the objective of decarbonisation of the electricity sector by 2030. We will await the completion of the UK consultation process before issuing our final thermal generation guidance including what the expected position is on demonstration capacity.

The Scottish Government commissions a programme of veterinary surveillance from the Scottish Agricultural College who hold responsibility for distributing the budget appropriately between veterinary investigation centres across Scotland. The veterinary surveillance element of the support provided to SAC Veterinary Services is just over £3 million in the current financial year.

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0917-01.htm

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26872 on 16 September 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26871 on 16 September 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.

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 demonstrates the Scottish Government''s commitment to tackling climate change. Policy options and public spending decisions are already contributing to reducing emissions. The Scottish Government has made a commitment to carbon assessment of the impact of its spending from 2010-11 and will report annually on emissions attributable to Scottish consumption of goods and services from 2010.

The government supports the decision taken by the EU in 2004 to remove all subsidies linked to the cultivation of tobacco from 2010.

As set out in the Government Economic Strategy we are focussed on giving greater priority to achieving more balanced growth across Scotland, in order to reduce regional disparities. As part of this we are ensuring a more strategic approach to the growth of Scotland''s cities, towns and rural areas across transport, planning, housing and economic development.

Our actions include: working to help address demographic challenges; taking forward the Climate Change agenda; introducing the Scotland Rural Development Programme; implementing the national developments and spatial strategy set out in the second National Planning Framework and delivering planning reform; implementing Scotland''s biodiversity strategy; working to improve access and participation in cultural activities, and we will shortly be publishing a consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan. We are also focusing government and the wider public sector around our national outcomes, including those on the environmental impacts of consumption and production; the built and natural environment, and realising our full economic potential.