Parliamentary questions

Shiona Baird

294 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

18 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) recorded cases of, (b) prosecutions for and (c) convictions for (i) rape and (ii) attempted rape took place in each year since 1996, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information isgiven in the tables. All prosecutions for rape take place in the High Court andas the data held centrally on these does not enable a breakdown below police forcearea that is the information given in the relevant tables.Numbe…

18 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Aberdeen City Council will be required to assume full financial responsibility for the maintenance of North Anderson Drive when its current trunk road status transfers to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Responsibility for any road thatis de-trunked passes from the Scottish ministers to the local roads authority. Plansfor the existing A90 have yet to be finalised.

18 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will abandon plans to build the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route if it is demonstrated that the project will cost considerably more than the £400 million that has been estimated.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We expect that the cost of thescheme will lie between £295 million and £395 million. As with all our infrastructureinvestment projects we will keep costs, affordability and value for money underreview.

18 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications will meet members of the public and interested organisations who have written to him in order that he might directly address their concerns about how he reached his decision on the route for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I have explained my reasons whythe route was chosen in reply to correspondence and this has been widely reported.I met a group of local residents on 25 May and representatives of “Road-Sense” on1 June.

18 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when members of the public and interested organisations will receive a direct response from the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications to their individual written representations and requests for information on how his decision was made about the route for the Aberdeen Western Peri…

Answer · Tavish Scott: My officials have beensupplying responses to such communications.

12 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on the findings of the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) hydrogen energy sub-group.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Hydrogen Energy Group(HEG) reported its final draft findings at the FREDS meeting of 30 January 2006.Since then, representatives from HEG have been discussing the implementation of the report with the Executive.We are currently makingarrangements t…

12 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24893 by Nicol Stephen on 2 May 2006, which groups are eligible to apply directly for funding from the Scottish Community and Householders Renewables Initiative Energy Efficiency Fund to assist them in improving the energy efficiency of their buildi…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Any group that has receivedfunding from the main SCHRI scheme can apply for funding from the ScottishCommunity and Householders Renewables Initiative Energy Efficiency Fund.

12 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24893 by Nicol Stephen on 2 May 2006, what percentage of applications from religious and charitable organisations for grant assistance from the Scottish Community and Householders Renewables Initiative have been successful.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: In the lowlands, 66% ofapplications from registered charities (including religious organisations) havebeen successful in obtaining general SCHRI funding and 94% of those who appliedfor SCHRI Energy Efficiency Funding were also successful. This information isn…

12 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24893 by Nicol Stephen on 2 May 2006, how many applications have been received from religious and charitable organisations for grant assistance from the Scottish Community and Householders Renewables Initiative to assist them in improving the energy …

Answer · Nicol Stephen: In the lowlands, the Executive has received 18 applications from registered charities (includingreligious organisations) for SCHRI Energy Effciency Funding. However, this informationis not held centrally for the Highlands region.

12 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24893 by Nicol Stephen on 2 May 2006, what assistance is available to religious and charitable organisations keen to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings but which are not in receipt of a grant from the Scottish Community and Householders…

Answer · Nicol Stephen: General assistance to religiousand charitable organisations by means of an energy efficiency audit, or advice,is available from either the Carbon Trust or the Energy Saving Trust dependingon the organisation’s size and type of premises.

11 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether consents require to be issued to allow genetically modified plants to be grown in controlled environments.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Yes. The use of genetically modified organisms in controlled environmentsis covered by the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2000and subsequent (amendment) Regulations 2002 and (amendment) Regulations 2005.

11 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any genetically modified trees being grown in Scotland and, if so, what functionality any modifications have been designed to provide.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Genetically modified elm treesare being grown under contained conditions by scientists at the University of Abertay.These elms have been genetically modified for fungal resistance which the aim ofproviding protection against Dutch elm disease.

11 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any consents have been issued to permit genetically modified trees to be grown in Scotland.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: No consents have been issuedto permit genetically modified trees to be grown in the open environment in Scotland.

5 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish amended criteria for the allocation of funding under the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: On 16 May I announced anadditional £3 million of funding for the Scottish Community and HouseholderRenewables Initiative, with no change in the criteria for allocation offunding.

27 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has incorporated into Scots law all the requirements of EU Directive 2001/77/EC that are applicable to Scotland.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Directive in question, whichdeals with the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources,imposes a number of requirements on member states. Some of these are administrativein nature, and some have been implemented through the introductio…

27 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether objectors to the Lewis Wind Power and Eisgen wind farm proposals will be required to withdraw their objections in order to indicate that their concerns have been addressed by the revised proposals.

Answer · Allan Wilson: There is and will be no suchrequirement on objectors. If the proposal objected to is referred to Public LocalInquiry and they do not withdraw their objection, they will continue to have theopportunity to make their case to the Inquiry.

27 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the outstanding objections in relation to the Lewis Wind Power and Eisgein wind farm proposals will be treated in the event of the planning applications being modified and re-advertised.

Answer · Allan Wilson: All objections will be fullyconsidered before any decision is made on these applications. In the event thateither proposal is referred to public local inquiry, objectors will be given theopportunity to make their case to such an inquiry.

25 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to mitigate the economic consequences of any forthcoming oil shortage.

Answer · Allan Wilson: In the light of a range offactors – including increased worldwide demand for oil and internationalconcern about the security of energy supplies - the UKgovernment is currently taking forward the UK energy review. This reviewhas the objective of ensuring the U…

25 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects to meet the 2010 and 2020 household waste recycling targets set out in National Waste Plan 2003.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The National Waste Planoutlines our aim to achieve 25% recycling and composting of municipal waste by2006 and 55% by 2020 (35% recycling and 20% composting). A further target of30% recycling and composting by 2008 was introduced in spending review 2004.<p…

6 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking encourage the widespread adoption of micro-renewables, particularly in relation to addressing administrative and financial issues.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We are committed to fundingthe Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI), whichpromotes the development of new community and household micro-renewable energyprojects in Scotland.We are also taking forward anumber of initiatives t…

6 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available for householders wishing to install home micro-renewables.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Support is available fromthe Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI). Thesupport includes advice, guidance, and the provision of capital grants forindividuals interested in developing renewable energy projects.

6 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a microgeneration strategy analogous to that recently published by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive recognises theimportance of micro-generation, and the role that this can play in meetingclimate change targets. Linked to the Scottish Energy Efficiency Strategy, adraft of which will be published later this year, the Executive will set out aran…

6 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its draft energy efficiency strategy.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive will publish itsdraft energy efficiency strategy later this year.

30 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what grant assistance is available to religious and charitable organisations that wish to better insulate their properties in order to improve the energy efficiency of buildings which are regularly used by local communities.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Community groups, including religiousand charitable organisations, who are in receipt of a grant from the Scottish Communityand Householders Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) can also receive funding from theSCHRI Energy Efficiency Fund.