Parliamentary questions

Sarah Boyack

2,373 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

25 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure compliance with the requirement to display energy performance certificates where the building in question is owned or leased by a local authority.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Responsibility for compliance for all buildings lies with the local authority. Where cases of non-compliance occur, an authority will be in a position to serve a notice in order to address contraventions.

25 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether energy performance certificates will give information on (a) the asset rating of a building, (b) the operational rating of a building or (c) both and what the reasons were for its decision on this matter.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: All energy performance certificates will be produced using an asset based rating that follows the methodology framework set out in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The principal benefit of an Asset Rating is that it has the power to influence th…

25 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the data collected for the Home Energy Efficiency Database will assist in efforts towards achieving the Scottish Government’s target of abolishing fuel poverty, so far as reasonably practicable, by 2016.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum is considering how best the target can be achieved, and we expect their recommendations may cover data collection requirements to assist in targeting action and monitoring its impact.

12 Jun 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reverse its decision not to follow the example of the Department for Transport in England and increase the Bus Services Operators Grant in line with any increase in fuel duty.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government will provide substantial funds to the bus industry of around £260 million each year. Each increase in fuel duty and its effect on the rate of Bus Service Operators Grant has to be looked at on an individual basis. Ministers are current…

6 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13505 by Michael Russell on 4 June 2008, whether the working group to develop the detail of new legislation to regulate the use of snares will be the same group as the PAW (Scotland) Legislation, Regulation and Guidance sub-group referred to in Natur…

Answer · Michael Russell: The PAW Scotland sub-group which “Natural Justice” recommended should be established would be an appropriate group for examining detailed issues relating to the laws regulating snaring as envisaged in the answer to S3W-13505. The membership and remit…

30 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the scope of the five-yearly reviews of Scotland’s national parks will be and whether the reviews will include an evaluation of the impact of the national parks in relation to their objectives as set out in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000.

Answer · Michael Russell: The national parks review remit provides information on the scope and the provisional timetable of the review and is available on the Scottish Government’s website at: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Countryside/16131">http://w…

30 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the anticipated completion dates are for the five-yearly reviews of Scotland’s national parks.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13733 on 6 June 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/webapp/wa…

29 May 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing or the Minister for Communities and Sport last met local authorities to discuss poverty and social justice.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Both I and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing have met with representatives of COSLA on a number of occasions to discuss matters relevant to poverty and social justice, including housing, health inequalities and the new Fairer Scotland Fund. …

21 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in delivering the SNP manifesto commitment to ensure that there is renewable generation in every school.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Under the terms of the historic concordat signed between COSLA and the Scottish Government last year, we are committed to working with local authorities to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. We have recently widened the Central Energy Efficiency…

21 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in delivering the SNP manifesto commitment to ensure that there is a renewable capability in each public building.

Answer · John Swinney: Progress is being made on realising the renewable capability across the public sector in a number of ways: Through the Scottish Government''s Leading By Example programme we are ensuring all parts of the public sector play an exemplary role in pionee…

20 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the final report of the Sustainable Seas Task Force.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The work of the Sustainable Seas Task Force is now complete, having fulfilled its remit to input into the development of Scottish Government’s consultation proposals for a Scottish marine bill. There is no final report of the task force’s work but the papers …

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out research to estimate the impact of climate change in relation to coastal inundation and erosion to the year 2050.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has published its research reports on Climate Change: Flooding Occurrences Review (2002), available at: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/156664/0042098.pdf">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/156664/00420…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce and publish a flood guide online.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has published online guidance on flooding available to the public at <a href="http://www.sepa.org.uk/flooding/index.htm">http://www.sepa.org.uk/flooding/index.htm</a>. Local authorities produce flood-specific informa…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce and distribute a flood guide booklet to homes and businesses in those areas at high risk of flooding.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) provides advice to the public on flood risk as part of its Floodline campaign, which is available online at: <a href="http://www.sepa.org.uk/publications/leaflets/flood/index.htm">http://www.sepa.org…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what communication strategies are in place to co-ordinate local recovery groups and focus on appropriate advice and support in the event of a major flood incident.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Contingency planning is primarily a matter for local responders, as defined under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. The responsibility for warning and informing the public, as well as co-ordinating the response, lies with those responders. In the eve…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place for the establishment of local recovery co-ordinating groups to ensure that health and wellbeing support is readily available to those affected by flooding and whether there are specific recommendations for people with disabilities.

Answer · Shona Robison: Planning for emergencies, including recovery from such incidents, is primarily a matter for local responders, as defined under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, to whom the Scottish Government will provide appropriate support. Scottish Resilience has sponsore…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who would co-ordinate voluntary sector and community assistance in the event of a major flood incident.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Contingency Planning (Scotland) Regulations 2005 place a duty upon Category 1 responders, as defined by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, to have regard to the activities of voluntary organisations. Guidance advises responders to integrate those …

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place with the voluntary sector to cope with any major flood emergency.

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the flood risk status of areas in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has published indicative maps showing land at risk of flooding, where the risk is judged to be 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year at <a href="http://www.sepa.org.uk/flooding/mapping…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescales and cost have been of repairing sites where coastal erosion has taken place in each of the last five years.

Answer · Michael Russell: Coast protection schemes have been carried out at the following sites in the last five years: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=120 valign=top > Site </td> <td width=96 valign=top…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what coastal sites have been designated as being at a high risk of flooding.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency indicative flood maps show land which is at high risk of coastal flooding (where risk is equal to or greater than 0.5% annual probability) or might become so with climate change. These maps are available at: <p…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be made available to citizens where a decision to grant planning approval by a Scottish Government reporter results in a major flooding event and consequential damage to homes.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The responsibility for insuring homes against flood damage rests with the owners and tenants. The Scottish Government can in certain circumstances also offer financial support under the Bellwin Scheme to a council or councils incurring eligible costs in deali…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met emergency planning officers to review and ensure co-ordination for emergency planning provision in the event of a major flooding event.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government works closely with the eight Strategic Co-ordinating Groups (SCGs) in each of the police force areas in Scotland, to ensure that they are prepared for the risks that might be faced in their area, including flooding. Scottish Government…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure that it is fully equipped to deal with any flood emergency in the event of any major flood event.

Answer · Michael Russell: Contingency planning is primarily a matter for local responders, as defined under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, to whom the Scottish Government will provide appropriate support. After the flooding in parts of England during the summer of 2007, t…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure from its budget will directly support research aimed at preventing coastal erosion.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government is providing £200,000 to Western Isles Council for research in the hydrodynamics of the South Ford area in South Uist, and in addition is supporting Angus Council with £70,000 to consider intervention strategies seeking to slow the rat…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure from its budget will directly support research aimed at preventing flood risk.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not maintain a specific budget to support research aimed at preventing flood risk. Expenditure is made from a £1.6 million per annum resource that provides research and evidence in support of flooding policy, including the floodin…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what new developments it has initiated in the last year to protect Scotland against flood risks.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has requested the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to extend its current flood warning service by the introduction of an active flood warning dissemination programme, similar to the system which has been in operation for a…

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the North Sea Commission on the prevention of flooding and developing policy to manage coastal erosion.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has had no discussions with the North Sea Commission on this matter.

9 May 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to promote in planning guidance a presumption against planning approvals where the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has designated an area as being at high risk of flooding.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency flood map shows an estimate of the areas in Scotland with a 0.5% or greater probability of being flooded in any given year. Scottish Planning Policy (SPP)7 “ Planning and Flooding characterises areas within this rang…

1 May 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will pass on Her Majesty’s Government’s Fuel Duty Rebate to bus operators in Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: The decision by the Department for Transport to uprate Bus Service Operators Grant in line with the fuel duty rise does not affect the amount of money coming to Scotland. As such, no extra money was made available by the UK Government in relation to Bus Servi…