Shiona Baird

16 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the sources are of Forward Scotland's income and what proportion of it is derived from the Executive or its agencies.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24342, answered on 24 March 2006.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website,the search facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/…

16 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who appoints the directors of Forward Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24342 on 24 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be foundat: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

16 Mar 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for the establishment of Forward Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24342 on 24 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be foundat <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…

8 Mar 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the promotion of forest schools.

Answer · Robert Brown: Forest School is cited as one of the delivery mechanisms in Woods forLearning, Forestry Commission Scotland’s Education Strategy launched in January.Forest School has been running in Scotland since 2003; five trainingcourses have been run and 20 forest school…

27 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish a route development fund for ports in order to support their role in helping Scotland to move towards an efficient, low carbon economy.

Answer · Tavish Scott: As part of the forthcoming consultationon Scotland’s National Transport Strategy we will consider developmentsthat can assist ports.</p>

27 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many grants have been awarded under the Waterborne Freight Grant scheme to assist with the operating costs of transferring freight from road to waterborne transport and which ports have benefited as a result of these grant allocations.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We have made two awards of grantunder the Waterborne Freight Grant scheme. Neither award was made to a port.</p><p>Superfast Ferries received grantsupport totalling £519,722 to enable them to continue operating a two vessel ferryservice between Rosyth and Zee…

27 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support might be available to assist trust ports, such as Montrose Port, in attracting international cruise ships.

Answer · Tavish Scott: We recognise the potential roleof the cruise sector in bringing visitors to Scotland, and VisitScotland is commissioningresearch to assess the market for and the potential economic benefits of cruisetourism to Scotland. They expect a summary of the findings f…

27 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance might be available to assist in improving rail and road links to any ports, such as Montrose Port, that are currently affected by lack of transport infrastructure.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Assistance may be available toports to improve rail infrastructure through the Freight Facilities Grant schemewhere additional facilities are required to transfer freight from road to rail orwater.</p><p>Statutory responsibility forthe network of local roads …

27 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to develop a new ports policy to allow for government investment in trust ports, such as Montrose Port, where such support would bring demonstrable benefits to the regional economy and infrastructure.

Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to thequestion S2W-23530 answered on 13 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…

27 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance is available to trust ports, such as Montrose Port, in developing capacity for the benefit of the regional economy and infrastructure.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Trust ports are not publicsector bodies. Under the terms of their specific local legislation they directtheir own commercial strategy and are responsible for funding their owninvestment. We will be considering the development of Scotland’sports as part of the…

22 Feb 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment its Environment and Rural Affairs Department has carried out of the climate change implications of building the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Transport Scotland sharedits analysis of the carbon dioxide emissions associated with options for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route with my department. The preferred route, announced inDecember, was assessed as resulting in lower increases in greenhouse g…

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste was sent to landfill in the second quarter of 2005-06.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) quarterly returns on waste data can be found at SEPA’s website at <a href="http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/returns.htm">http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/returns.htm</a>.</p> <p>In the quarter from July to Sep…

7 Feb 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households would return to fuel poverty as a result of a 25% increase in the price of gas.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The 2002 Scottish House ConditionSurvey (SHCS) is currently the most up-to-date source of information on fuel povertyin Scotland. It does not permit us to establish how many householdswould return to fuel poverty as a result of a 25% increase in the price of …

31 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish planning advice in respect of micro-renewable energy technologies.

Answer · Johann Lamont: An Annex to <i>Planning Advice Note 45: Renewable Energy Technologies</i> covering micro-renewables will be published in the spring.</p>

27 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the sorting under co-mingled recycling schemes takes place in Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Information held by the Scottish Waste Awareness Group indicates that of the 13 local authorities operating co-mingled recycling schemes, 12 of these local authorities are arranging for the materials to be sorted in Scotland.</p>

27 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities operate (a) source-segregated and (b) co-mingled recycling schemes.

Answer · Ross Finnie: For the purposes of this question,we have assumed that “source-segregated” is a system where materials are separatedinto individual types before collection or at the kerbside. We have assumed that“co-mingled” is a system where different material types are col…

27 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the materials collected in Scotland for recycling is exported for processing.

Answer · Ross Finnie: We do not hold this information centrally. However, we sponsor two bodies to help develop markets for recycled products: REMADE Scotland and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). REMADE Scotland, working with WRAP, are preparing a report on Markets…

24 Jan 2006 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body why the recommendation, resulting from the review of child care options for the Scottish Parliament, that there should be an on-site dual function nursery-crèche facility in Holyrood was rejected.

Answer · Nora Radcliffe: At its meeting on 27 February 2001 the SPCB considered options for a nursery-crèche service, noting the need to ensure any facility conformed to the statutory requirements for nursery provision.</p> <p>The SPCB recognised the twin desires of:</p><p>supporting…

20 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its 2006 target date to achieve 25% recycling rates refers to the beginning or the end of 2006.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The target in the National WastePlan is to achieve 25% recycling/composting of municipal solid waste by 2006. Weintend to measure this by taking the average of the recycling/composting ratesachieved throughout 2006.</p>

17 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are available to assist the occupiers of dwellings without loft spaces or cavity walls to improve standards of insulation in their homes.

Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>Under both the ScottishExecutive’s Central Heating and Warm Deal Programmes, occupiers of dwellingswithout a loft space or cavity walls can be…

17 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many dwellings lack cavity walls, thus preventing occupiers from benefiting from the cavity wall insulation initiatives supported by energy suppliers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>The 2002 Scottish HouseCondition Survey estimates that approximately 577,000 (26% of the total housingstock) dwellings in Scotland do not have…

17 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many dwellings lack a loft space, thus preventing occupiers from benefiting from the loft insulation initiatives supported by energy suppliers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>The 2002 Scottish HouseCondition Survey estimates that approximately 605,000 dwellings (28% of thetotal housing stock) do not have a loft spac…

13 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the new arrangements to encourage investment in marine renewables, announced by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 7 September 2005, will come into force.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: We have now commissioned a detailed study which will consider the form, extent and effectiveness of any changes which might be made to the Renewables Obligation (Scotland), the ROS, to deliver support aimed at accelerating the deployment of wave and tidal ene…

13 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the testing points at the European Marine Energy Centre have been occupied in each month since the centre was opened.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: One wave test berth has been reserved by a developer since 1 May 2004, in advance of the official opening in August that year. A number of other wave device developers have expressed a firm interest in testing at the site, and the centre is in regular contact…

13 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many points for testing marine renewable energy devices have been established at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The European Marine Energy Centre has two test sites for marine devices; a wave test site and a tidal test site.</p> <p>Four berths have been established and are available for use at the wave site. Five cables have been installed at the tidal site.</p>

12 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost has been of each unit installed under the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative, also broken down for each of the technologies supported.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative funds both Householder and Community projects. The average cost (based on total project costs) per unit installed under the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative Householder strea…

12 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many units have been installed under the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (a) in total and (b) for each of the technologies supported.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: From its establishment in 2002 to date the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative has supported the installation of 351 units under the householder stream and 184 units under the Community stream. The breakdown by technology is as follows:</…

11 Jan 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is concerned by the 24% drop in the population of Aberdeen by 2024, predicted by the report in October 2005.

Answer · George Lyon: These are projections – and certainlynot any kind of definite statement of what will happen to Aberdeen’s populationin the long-term. Although they are based on recent trends, such projections arenot able to take account of the possible impact of changes in p…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement an independent waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling scheme in Scotland, funded and run through the local authority network, to uphold the proximity principle and safeguard Scottish green jobs, in light of the delay in implementation of the W…

Answer · Ross Finnie: Under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive manufacturers and importers must take responsibility for, and bear the cost of, recycling and recovery of equipment. In these circumstances it would be wholly inappropriate for the Scottish Executi…

9 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that the viability of Scottish companies that have invested heavily in recycling facilities in anticipation of the introduction of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is not compromised, in light of the delay in implementation of the d…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive shall continue to work with the Department of Trade and Industry on an effective implementation of the producer responsibility elements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive and to secure interim funding to l…