Parliamentary questions
Sarah Boyack
2,373 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1057 by Michael Russell on 27 June 2007, when it intends to transpose the EU environmental liability directive; whether it plans to consult on legislative proposals for this transposition, and when it intends this legislation to be introduced to the …
Answer · Michael Russell: We intend to carry out a second public consultation exercise shortly and subject to issues arising during the consultation, introduce legislation with the aim of transposing the directive later this year.</p>
6 Mar 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1056 by Michael Russell on 27 June 2007, what progress has been made on analysing the responses to the consultation exercise, Strengthening and Streamlining: The Way Forward for the Enforcement of Environmental Law in Scotland; when such an analysis …
Answer · Michael Russell: An exercise was completed to collate the responses received on the consultation document issued by the previous administration but it was decided not to proceed with a formal analysis of the responses. Any identified issues requiring attention in relation to …
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish its renewable heat strategy.
Answer · Jim Mather: A report by the Renewable Heat Group of the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) was presented to Scottish Government and made available on our website on 5 February 2008. The report makes a number of recommendations on how to develop a…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, as referred to in paragraph 7.25 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer · John Swinney: The proposed content of the Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan is with the cross-sectoral Public Procurement Policy Forum for comments. Their views are being considered at present.</p>
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it intends to set for domestic energy efficiency improvements, as referred to in paragraph 6.4 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer · Jim Mather: We are already proposing a challenging target of 80% emissions reductions by 2050. The Scottish Climate Change Bill consultation seeks views on sectoral targets, including in relation to energy demand. The government is also considering the role for standards…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the review of energy efficiency and microgeneration support, as referred to in paragraph 3.18 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer · Jim Mather: The independent Review of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration Support was commissioned in April 2007 and completed in December. We are aiming to publish the report before the end of March 2008.</p> <p >We are already considering the results and recommendat…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing a renewable heat strategy, as referred to in paragraph 1.31 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government welcomed a report, published on 5 February, from the Renewable Heat Group of the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland. Ministers will consider its recommendations carefully in developing an action plan for renewable heat,…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on taking forward the findings of the joint Ofgem and Department of Trade and Industry review of distributed generation, as referred to in paragraph 1.23 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft fo…
Answer · Jim Mather: The Energy White Paper and the Review of Distributed Generation published alongside it, contained a number of proposals and measures to assist more widespread deployment of electricity and heat generation in the UK.</p> <p >One of the key barriers identified…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the commitment to invest in microgeneration and investigate which of the buildings on its own estate are most suitable, as referred to in paragraph 7.9 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft f…
Answer · Jim Mather: During 2007, the Scottish Government carried out work, in partnership with the Carbon Trust, to establish the feasibility of installing microgeneration at selected buildings on the core estate. Initial surveys have been completed for Saughton House in Edinbur…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth will make a statement about progress with regard to the effectiveness of the Central Energy Efficiency Fund, in particular its extension to the further and higher education sector, as referred to in paragraph 7.7 of Energy E…
Answer · John Swinney: The Central Energy Efficiency Fund continues to be an effective way of delivering financial savings and carbon emission reductions across the public sector. Over 900 discrete projects have been implemented to date by Scottish local authorities, the NHS and Sc…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the investigation into barriers to the take-up of home energy efficiency and consideration of options to help householders improve the energy efficiency of their homes, as referred to in paragraph 6.13 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Lo…
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9279 on 25 February 2008. A recently completed independent review of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration Support has provided evidence into some of the barriers impeding the take-up of actions to improve home…
31 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on assessing the potential for microgeneration targets, as referred to in Annex 1, paragraph 5.1 of Energy Efficiency and Microgeneration: Achieving a Low Carbon Future: A Strategy for Scotland - draft for consultation, March 2007.
Answer · Jim Mather: We already have challenging targets in this area “ 50% renewable electricity by 2050 and our proposed target of 80% emissions reductions by 2050. The Scottish Climate Change Bill consultation also seeks views on sectoral targets, particularly in the area of r…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement on 24 January 2008, whether it intends to agree specific targets on waste with each local authority.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Yes the Scottish Government does intend to agree specific targets on waste with each local authority, principally to ensure that each local authority diverts sufficient biodegradable municipal waste from landfill in order for Scotland to meet its EU Landfill …
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement on 24 January 2008, whether it intends to set specific levels for composting.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The targets announced in my statement on 24 January 2008 were combined targets for both recycling and composting of municipal waste. The review of the National Waste Plan will consider the case for separate composting targets.</p>
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement on 24 January 2008, whether it will clarify what exactly will be counted as recycling in respect of meeting waste targets.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The previous administration, in Technical Notes relating to spending reviews, used a definition of recycling, including organic waste which is composted, contained in the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997. This definition …
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency will be expected to give local authorities specific advice in achieving the proximity principle, whereby there is a presumption that all schemes will be located close to the source of the waste and will be of an appropriate scale.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: It is not for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to advise local authorities on the proximity principle. Instead, it is for the land-use planning system to determine the location of plants. SEPA is a statutory consultee on planning applications…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to set detailed specifications in order to guide local authorities about the safety and capability of new waste management and treatment technologies, as refered to by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment on 24 January 2008 (Official Report c. 459…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As indicated in the parliamentary statement on waste policy on 24 January, the government will include material in the National Planning Framework to reflect the government''s priorities on waste. In addition, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to update planning guidance on waste in order to reflect the new waste targets and, if so, when.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As the Government indicated in the Parliamentary statement on waste on 24 January 2008, we will ensure that the new National Planning Framework reflects the government''s key objectives on waste.</p>
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proximity principle will be a material issue for determining planning applications for new waste facilities.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Although priority must initially be given to the development plan in determining a planning application, other relevant issues may also be considered depending on the facts and circumstances of each case. The proximity principle may therefore be a material co…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its interpretation is of the proximity principle.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Paragraph 2.1.2 of the current National Waste Plan says: The proximity and self-sufficiency principles require waste to be dealt with as close as possible to where it is produced. It is European Union policy that individual Member States should deal with thei…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the 60% efficiency targets for waste-to-energy plants, referred to in the ministerial statement on 24 January 2008, will be enforced from day one of the operation of the plants or whether the targets relate to the theoretical ability of such plants to achieve high efficiency level…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The government''s intention is that energy from waste plants should have efficiency levels of at least 60%. However, the government recognises that in some cases developments such as planned housing or factories to take the heat generated by the energy from w…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Audit Scotland’s analysis of the greater cost of delivering higher waste recycling targets, what additional resources will be available to meet the higher targets in the Scottish Government’s new waste strategy (a) across Scotland and (b) in each local authority area in each …
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government will provide local authorities with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11. The vast majority of the funding, including the former ring-fenced Strategic Waste Fund<i>,</i> will be provided by me…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in respect of its targets on waste, it will pay the fines of local authorities that now have to change their plans for dealing with waste, following the ministerial statement on 24 January 2008.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: No. The Landfill Allowance Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2005 set maximum amounts of biodegradable municipal waste that can be disposed of by local authorities to landfill each year and any penalty liabilities that are notified by the Scottish ministers under…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in respect of its new targets on waste, it will pay the fines of local authorities that have submitted plans to it which the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment has not approved.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9129 on 20 February 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/weba…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to set targets for the recycling and reduction of (a) commercial and industrial, (b) construction and demolition and (c) agricultural waste.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government intends to consider setting targets for waste in these sectors as part of the review of the National Waste Plan.</p>
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why its new waste targets only include waste collected by local authorities.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The parliamentary statement on waste policy in January announced the Scottish Government's intention to review the National Waste Plan. The statement also indicated that as part of this review the government would consult on new targets to reduce the amount o…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why, following the recommendations of the Sustainable Development Commission, it has not extended its waste strategy to include commercial waste.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Parliamentary Statement on waste policy on 24 January announced the government''s intention to review the National Waste Plan. The review will consider commercial and industrial waste and, as indicated in the statement, the government will consult on new …
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek to develop a carbon assessment tool that will be capable of operation across central and local government in the United Kingdom or whether it will use a separate methodology for Scotland.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is developing a tool to assess the carbon impact of all government spending in Scotland. This tool will be based on the guidance recently issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on how to value greenhou…
29 Jan 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations are providing advice to the Scottish Government on the development of the carbon assessment tool referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 23 January 2008 (Official Report, c. 5290).
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Work on the development of a carbon impact assessment tool is at an early stage. We are in discussion with the Sustainable Development Commission and considering what other organisations can assist us in this work.</p>
19 Dec 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since May 2007 in dealing with the sewerage odour nuisance from the Seafield sewage works in Edinburgh.
Answer · Michael Russell: Good progress has been made.Scottish Water and Stirling Water (the PFI company responsible for theoperations at Seafield Waste Water Treatment Works) are complying with theStatutory Code of Practice, as determined by the regulators, the City of Edinburgh Coun…