Parliamentary questions
Sarah Boyack
2,373 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37516 by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 November 2010, how decisions will be made on the future of the Scottish Forestry Commissioners.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Forestry Commission is a cross-border GB body that develops and delivers forestry policy on behalf of the Scottish, English and Welsh administrations. The statutory powers and duties of the commission are vested in the Forestry Commissioners. The future o…
25 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much paper has been used by public sector bodies in each year since 2007.
Answer · John Swinney: Procurement Scotland, part of the Scottish Government''s Procurement Directorate, has in place a national agreement for paper accessible by all public sector bodies. Since the agreement commenced on 1 September 2008 some 8 million reams of paper have been pur…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it will meet its target of planting 100 million trees by 2015, given that the number of trees planted annually since 2007 is estimated at 6.7 million.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: We are only part way through the first year of the Scottish Government pledge to plant 100 million trees by 2015 and we have already approved plans for over 25 million trees.</p>
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to reach its target of planting 100 million trees by 2015, which is equivalent to planting 10,000 hectares of trees per year.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Our woodland creation targets are mainly achieved through grant support under the Scotland Rural Development Programme and some direct planting undertaken by Forestry Commission Scotland. The 2011-12 Draft Budget provides sufficient funding to meet our target…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement of the draft budget for 2011-12, how the planting of extra hectares of trees required to meet the target of 100 million trees by 2015 will be financed.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Our woodland creation targets are mainly achieved through grant support under the Scotland Rural Development Programme and some direct planting undertaken by Forestry Commission Scotland. The 2011-12 Draft Budget provides sufficient funding to meet our target…
22 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will protect funding for new tree planting to meet its target of 7,500 hectares of new trees in the next 12 months, as referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment at the Forestry in the Low Carbon Economy conference on 2 June 2010.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Our woodland creation targets are mainly achieved through grant support under the Scotland Rural Development Programme and some direct planting undertaken by Forestry Commission Scotland. The 2011-12 Draft Budget provides sufficient funding to meet our target…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many residential properties there are in the private rented sector, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government estimates that there are around 250,400 occupied residential properties in the private rented sector and this equates to just over 10% of occupied dwellings in Scotland. A breakdown of this figure by local authority area is shown in th…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how long the boiler scrappage scheme for private landlords will be open for applications.
Answer · Alex Neil: The private sector landlord boiler scrappage scheme will operate on a first come, first served basis until its vouchers have been fully allocated and will be open to those private landlords who can claim their voucher rebate by 28 February 2011.</b></p>
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the number of boilers proposed in unsuccessful applications to the boiler scrappage scheme for private landlords is recorded and broken down by local authority.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37483 on 22 November 2010. 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/Busine…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the number of boilers installed under the boiler scrappage scheme for private landlords is recorded and broken down by local authority.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37483 on 22 November 2010. 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/Busine…
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the numbers of successful and unsuccessful applications to the boiler scrappage scheme for private landlords are recorded and broken down by local authority.
Answer · Alex Neil: The number of successful and unsuccessful applications, and boilers installed, to the private sector landlords boiler scrappage scheme will be recorded and broken down by local authority.</b></p>
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive with what flood prevention schemes it is assisting the City of Edinburgh Council, broken down by (a) financial costs and (b) location.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Funding for flood risk management is no longer ring-fenced to specific schemes but is included within the overall level of capital support provided to local government. This provides local authorities with the flexibility to allocate the financial resources a…
8 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what final energy consumption figure for Scotland was assumed for 2020 under a business-as-usual scenario in determining the target to reduce Scottish final energy consumption by 12% by 2020, as set out in Conserve and Save: A Consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Energy Efficiency Action Plan emphasises the importance of energy efficiency measures and behavioural change in delivering the energy consumption and ultimately emission reduction targets.</b></p> <p >The energy efficiency target was set and will be repo…
8 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the target to reduce Scottish final energy consumption by 12% by 2020 from the average 2005 to 2007 consumption levels, as set out in Conserve and Save: A Consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland, relates to the EU target of reducing energy consumption by 20% aga…
Answer · Jim Mather: The question compares two metrics which are not in fact comparable.</b></p> <p >The EU target relates to a reduction of 20% of annual consumption of primary energy by 2020 (compared to the energy consumption forecasts for 2020). Those 2020 forecasts are actu…
8 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it determined the target to reduce Scottish final energy consumption by 12% by 2020, as set out in Conserve and Save: A Consultation on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland.
Answer · Jim Mather: The responses to the <i >Conserve and Save</i> consultation identified that a consumption based target was preferred to a target based upon both energy efficiency and consumption combined or a target based upon energy efficiency savings in isolation.</b></p> …
8 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to extend the Climate Challenge Fund.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has decided to extend the Climate Challenge Fund into financial year 2011-12 at the enhanced funding level of £10.3 million. Further details will be announced in due course.</b></p>
4 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Supported Employment Workplaces debate on 7 October 2010 (Official Report c. 29383), whether it will provide details of correspondence between it, the City of Edinburgh Council and MSPs regarding the proposed closure of Blindcraft in Edinburgh.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37279 on 16 November 2010. 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/Busine…
4 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Supported Employment Workplaces debate on 7 October 2010 (Official Report c. 29383), whether it has invited all interested parties, including the City of Edinburgh Council, MSPs and MPs, to meet to discuss the future of Blindcraft in Edinburgh and, if so, on what date the …
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37279 on 16 November 2010. 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/Busine…
4 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Supported Employment Workplaces debate on 7 October 2010 (Official Report c. 29383), whether it has convened a meeting with the City of Edinburgh Council and other interested parties regarding the proposed closure of Blindcraft in Edinburgh.
Answer · Jim Mather: Yes. As undertaken during the debate on 7 October 2010, I offered to facilitate a meeting on the future of BlindCraft. The council accepted my offer and the meeting took place on 9 November 2010 at Edinburgh City Chambers.</b></p> <p >A list of those who att…
4 Nov 2010 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it expects a tenancy deposit protection scheme to become operational.
Answer · Alex Neil: A public consultation on draft regulations to set the framework for tenancy deposit schemes in Scotland, and the conditions for their approval, ended on 3 October 2010. We are currently analysing the consultation responses.</b></p> <p >We plan to introduce t…
1 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide further details of what local heat mapping and feasibility projects it has supported, as indicated in Action 6.2 of the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland.
Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Government is funding a heat mapping pilot in the Highland Council area and it is our intention to disseminate the results to other local authorities. We are supporting Sustainable Glasgow through the Central Energy Efficiency Fund and we also fund t…
1 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it will appoint a dedicated officer to develop district heating as a discrete policy area, as indicated in Action 6.2 of the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland.
Answer · Jim Mather: We recently appointed a dedicated officer who will take forward district heating policy and will co-ordinate activity across Scottish Government. The post commenced in August 2010.</b></p>
28 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release of 31 August 2010, Clampdown on ‘party flats’, what correspondence ministers have had with local authorities and agencies regarding the proposed changes to Part 7 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37150 on 2 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p >http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…
28 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release of 31 August 2010, Clampdown on ‘party flats’, what work has been undertaken with local authorities and agencies to prepare for the proposed changes to Part 7 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37150 on 2 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliame…
28 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release of 31 August 2010, Clampdown on ‘party flats’, what form of Scottish Statutory Instrument it will introduce to strengthen legislation aimed at addressing problems with such flats.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37150 on 2 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliame…
28 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release of 31 August 2010, Clampdown on ‘party flats’, on what date it will introduce a Scottish Statutory Instrument to strengthen legislation aimed at addressing problems with such flats.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37150 on 2 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliame…
28 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release of 31 August 2010, Clampdown on ‘party flats’, what steps have been taken to introduce a Scottish Statutory Instrument to make it easier for local authorities to issue antisocial behaviour notices to owners of such flats.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) by the end of this Parliament that will amend Part 7 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 (the Act), making it easier for local authorities to issue anti…
12 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on basing the awarding of public procurement contracts on the environmental sustainability credentials of applicants.
Answer · John Swinney: Good procurement strikes a balance between delivering savings, delivering quality and buying sustainably. Contracts are normally awarded on the basis of the characteristics, including environmental characteristics where relevant, of the goods or services to b…
12 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to include environmental clauses in all public procurement contracts to promote the sustainable use of resources as well as reduced carbon emissions.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, published in October 2009, provides detailed guidance on embedding sustainability into public procurement activity. The Plan describes the various ways, including the use of environmental contract clauses wher…
12 Oct 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on using planning regulations to require supermarkets to source locally a proportion of their goods.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There is currently no provision in primary legislation that would permit the making of such regulations.</b></p>