Sarah Boyack

29 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to take to speed up the reporting of aggregate greenhouse gases.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15879 on 24 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…

29 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to incentivise energy efficiency at (a) domestic level and (b) utility level for generation and transmission.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is taking a number of steps to incentivise energy efficiency.</p> <p >At a domestic level:</p> <p >We recently launched the Energy Saving Scotland advice network - a one-stop shop for advice on energy including energy efficiency, ren…

29 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to reduce the current time-lag in aggregate reporting of greenhouse gas emissions.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Together with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations, we are planning to commission a review of the current disaggregated greenhouse gas inventory that will include investigating whether data can be published earlier.</p>

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how high a percentage of electricity supply from renewable sources a bidder will need to offer in order to be considered for the contract currently out to tender for the supply of electricity to the public sector.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15736 on 10 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set a minimum percentage for electricity supply from renewable sources below which it will not accept a bid for the contract currently out to tender for the supply of electricity to the public sector.

Answer · Jim Mather: Information gathered from market sources has indicated that specifying specific quantities of renewable electricity can lead to reduced competition. The upturn in demand for renewable electricity has resulted in reduced quantities being readily available lead…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the incidence of Crohn’s disease and what conclusions it has drawn from any such research.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland collects data on Crohn''s disease relating to the number of people who are discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of Crohn''s disease. As these data do not include people with the co…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it is investing in research into the incidence of Crohn’s disease. 

Answer · Shona Robison: Crohn''s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is currently funding three projects relating to IBD at a total cost of £492,000. The Scottish Government is not, however, currently funding research looking s…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that Network Rail is given sufficient resources, such as trackside pumps and drains, to cope with heavy or prolonged rainfall so that normal train services can continue despite severe rainfall.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish ministers'' high level output specification (HLOS) was published in July 2007 and specified ministers'' requirements for the rail network from April 2009 to March 2014. The HLOS makes clear that Network Rail require to pursue continued improvemen…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide sufficient revenue to fund the increasing maintenance required in the transport networks to cope with heavy or prolonged rainfall.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland will continue to ensure that suitable adaptation measures are built into its annual trunk road maintenance programme within the constraints of the current Scottish Government financial settlement.</p> <p >As the owner of Great Britain''s …

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure that the transport networks are of a sufficient standard to withstand heavy or prolonged rainfall to prevent further disruption from flooding.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15712 on 8 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s web site, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that road drainage systems are improved to cope with current and future heavy or prolonged rainfall.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15712 on 8 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/web…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct an assessment of the resilience of the transport networks to heavy or prolonged rainfall and what the timescale and funding will be for such an assessment.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In June 2005, the Scottish Government published the <i >Scottish Road Network Climate Change Study</i>. This examined the potential impact of future predicted climate conditions on the operation of the Scottish road network. Rainfall was one of the six broad …

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) steps it is taking and (b) funding it is providing to map and address pluvial flooding.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The forthcoming Flooding Bill will make provision for all types of flooding to be mapped by 2013 as required by the EC Directive on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risks. Funding to map and address these types of flooding will be considered at the next…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates have been carried out to ascertain what financial difference will be made by not specifying the requirement for 100% renewable energy in the contract currently out for tender for supply of electricity to the public sector as compared with its current electricity supply cont…

Answer · Jim Mather: It has been estimated that the impact of renewable premiums on the electricity contract currently out to tender could be as high as 10%. Renewable premiums are subject to the balance of supply and demand at any particular time and the position will only becom…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of savings are expected to come from the economies of scale of the contract currently out for tender for the supply of electricity to the public sector.

Answer · Jim Mather: The likely savings arising from the contract will reflect the Scottish public sector working collaboratively within the framework of the procurement reform agenda. The estimated £5 million savings per annum will therefore be a direct result of combining publi…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to clarify what it means by “The contract will provide public bodies with access to energy management measures” in its news release of 18 August 2008 and whether it means consultancy, or retrofitting, provided free of charge across every public sector building.

Answer · Jim Mather: The tender for the national contract has requested details from prospective suppliers for the energy management measures which they could provide to support the Scottish public sector. Examples given in the invitation to tender are:</p> <p >Access to energy …

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meters will be installed as a result of the contract currently out to tender for the supply of electricity to the public sector and by what date.

Answer · Jim Mather: The tender requests suppliers to provide details of their Automatic Meter Reading Offer and seeks to leverage the demand from the Scottish public sector to reduce the cost of implementation of such solutions. Installation of meters will remain within the cont…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific energy reduction targets are set out in the tender for the supply of electricity to the public sector and how they will be (a) monitored and (b) achieved.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15704 on 10 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its reference to “small scale renewables initiatives and opportunities to sell electricity into the grid”, in its news release of 18 August 2008, means that it will ensure that the SNP manifesto commitment that all public buildings benefit from renewable energy is delivered.

Answer · Jim Mather: Progress is being made on realising the renewable capability across the public sector in a number of ways:</p> <p >Through the Scottish Government''s Leading By Example programme we are ensuring all parts of the public sector play an exemplary role in pione…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what energy reductions will be achieved with the contract currently out for tender for the supply of electricity to the public sector.

Answer · Jim Mather: The tender is focused on selecting the electricity supplier(s) for the national contract in accordance with the most economically advantageous tender. Energy reduction initiatives are defined, developed and monitored by individual public bodies and are carrie…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it asked in its request for information from prospective electricity suppliers for information on premiums associated with green energy.

Answer · Jim Mather: Market indicators have suggested that electricity generated from renewable sources often attract price premiums in excess of the Climate Change Levy. The request for information exercise was a structured process to gather information from the market to ascert…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the supply of a portion of green energy was last in the list of objectives in the request for information from prospective electricity suppliers.

Answer · Jim Mather: Market participants were requested to provide information on a number of issues. The list was in no specific order.</p>

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it specified in its request for information from prospective electricity suppliers only that one objective for suppliers was to secure the supply of a portion of green energy.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15700 on 10 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why it has not specified in its request for information from prospective electricity suppliers that 100% of the electricity must come from renewable sources.

Answer · Jim Mather: Market indicators have suggested that the demand for renewable electricity has significantly increased as both public and private sector organisations have sought to demonstrate green credentials. This has resulted in supplies of renewable electricity being c…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the electricity bought for the public sector under the contract currently out to tender will come from renewable sources.

Answer · Jim Mather: The national contract will give public sector organisations the option to buy renewable electricity dependant on availability and payment of appropriate premiums.</p> <p >The overall portion of renewable electricity purchased will therefore depend on the qu…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the renewable energy industry by continuing to purchase 100% of its electricity from renewable sources.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is already providing a tremendous incentive for the renewables industry to build new renewable generating capacity via our renewables obligation on all Scottish electricity suppliers. Recent information has highlighted that renewable o…

21 Aug 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is committed to reducing carbon emissions across government in Scotland and, if so, by what amount, also expressed as a percentage.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is committed to reducing carbon emissions across government. In respect of the buildings on the core estate of the Scottish Government, the information requested is provided in <i >Scottish Government Environmental Performance Annual R…

30 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the European Court of Justice decision C-418/04 (Commission v Ireland), what steps it is taking to ensure that Scotland’s network of Special Protection Areas is large enough to meet the requirements of the EU Birds Directive, in particular in respect of coverage (a) for wide-…

Answer · Michael Russell: A substantial UK-wide review of the sufficiency of the network of special protection areas was completed in 2001. Following on from that review, work relating to additional areas in Scotland for golden eagle, for bean goose and for species in inshore waters i…

25 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what quality monitoring it intends to introduce to ensure that energy performance certificates are accurate.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Energy performance certificates (EPCs) for new buildings form a part of the building warrant completion certificate process and the local authorities have responsibility for carrying out the verification work. EPCs for existing buildings will be produced by m…

25 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the data from the Scottish House Condition Survey will be compatible with that from the Home Energy Efficiency Database and what steps it is taking to ensure that both data sets will assist in delivery of its targets on abolishing fuel poverty.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The two data sources have different purposes but both provide data which can be used to help alleviate fuel poverty.</p> <p >The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) is a two phase survey - with a social survey interview with the householder followed by a…