Parliamentary questions
Bruce Crawford
999 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what training it has given its staff in the development of sustainability policies.
Answer · Ross Finnie: A wide range of training opportunities are made available to Scottish Executive staff to ensure that they have the skills to enable them to support ministers in delivering the policy priorities of the Scottish Executive, including sustainable development.
3 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government concerning the public safety, health and environmental implications of the storage of radioactive waste at the Rosyth naval base.
3 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what public safety, health and environmental monitoring it undertakes in connection with radioactive waste stored at the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases and the nuclear installations at Dounreay and Chapelcross and whether any such monitoring varies according to the amount of intermediate …
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive does not undertake monitoring of radioactive waste. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), however, undertakes a programme of environmental monitoring around nuclear sites. The monitoring is undertaken according to the natur…
2 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has had with and what advice it has given Her Majesty's Government on public safety, health and environmental issues relating to the transportation of radioactive waste from the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The regulation of the transport of radioactive material (including waste) is a reserved matter for the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. The regulations are designed to ensure that the transport of radioactive material is carried out…
2 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific monitoring responsibilities the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has in relation to radioactive waste stored at the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases and the nuclear installations at Dounreay and Chapelcross.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has a general responsibility for protecting (and determining general levels of pollution in) the environment. SEPA does not monitor waste stored on site but undertakes a comprehensive environmental monitoring …
2 Aug 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recommendations it has made and what advice it has given to Her Majesty's Government on public safety, health and environmental issues relating to the storing of radioactive waste at the Rosyth and Faslane naval bases and the nuclear installations at Dounreay and Chapelcross.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive contributes fully to the development of UK policy on radioactive waste management. The safe storage of radioactive waste at nuclear sites is a matter for the site operator and the regulatory bodies, operating within that wider policy fr…
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what contracts it has issued for the disposal of fallen cattle; to whom these contacts were awarded; how many tonnes each contractor has been asked to dispose of, and what the means and location of disposal are.
Answer · Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17330 on 30 August 2001.
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how fallen cattle are disposed of; if by incineration, how many licensed incineration sites there currently are, where each is located, and how many carcasses each site is expected to deal with annually.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Animal By-Products Order 1999 prescribes the following options for disposal of fallen cattle; incineration, rendering, knackery yard or hunt kennel or in limited circumstances burning or burial. Since July 1 there has been an EU requirement on all member …
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have been given approval through their capital expenditure plans in each of the last three years to construct new waste incinerators.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive has no role in the approval of local authorities' capital expenditure plans.
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consents local authorities are required to seek from it on the building of new waste incinerators.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Applications for planning permission for waste incinerators are a matter, in the first instance, for the local authority, as planning authority. Where the local authority is the developer or has an interest in the development, the Scottish ministers may becom…
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take in the light of recent safety and environmental issues at the Baldovie incinerator in Dundee.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Environmental and safety regulation of specific sites are matters for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Health and Safety Executive. The Scottish Executive recognises the continuing public concerns over the possible health effects of emission…
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new waste incinerators are currently being planned or built by local authorities, specifying the location in each case.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many waste incinerators it currently licenses; who the operators of these incinerators are; where each is located, and what amount of waste, in tonnes, has been incinerated at each plant in each of the last five years.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency which licenses waste incinerators; information on waste incinerator licences is available on public registers held by the agency.
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities currently dispose of all or part of their waste streams through incineration.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Four local authorities currently dispose of part of their waste streams through incineration - Dundee City, Angus, Shetland Islands and Orkney Islands.
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish detailed responses and action points in relation to any studies that it or any of its agencies or non-departmental public bodies have commissioned on energy use and carbon emission.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-17304, S1W-17305 and S1W-17306.
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any research which it or any of its agencies or non-departmental public bodies have commissioned or undertaken into future energy use or carbon emission; when any such research will be completed, and whether it will publish any extracts, including statistics, from a…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17305. The Executive has not commissioned any other research on future energy use or carbon emission.<P>With regard to the commissioning of research by other agencies or non-departmental public bodies, I …
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any research which it or any of its agencies or non-departmental public bodies have commissioned from AEA Technology on future energy use or carbon emission; when any such research will be completed, and whether it will publish any extracts, including statistics, fr…
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive commissioned AEA Technology in October 2000 to disaggregate the DTI UK energy and carbon dioxide projections to Scotland. The Scottish Executive has received a final report of this study, entitled <I>Climate Change: Projections of Energy and CO<…
31 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any research which it or any of its agencies or non-departmental public bodies have commissioned from AEA Technology and when any such research work will be completed and published.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive has commissioned AEA Technology to undertake two studies:<P>1. <I>Analysis of the Costs and Benefits of a More Stringent AQS Objective for PM10 in Scotland</I>. The Scottish Executive has received a draft final report for this study and…
24 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether hydro-electric power will be classified as renewable energy under the new Renewables Obligation (Scotland) and when the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) will be announced.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Responses to our initial consultation on the Renewables Obligation (Scotland), or ROS, raised concerns about the future of Scotland's existing large hydro stations.<P>We have accepted that additional support was required and have successfully argued that case…
24 Jul 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers represented Scotland at the recent World Climate Change summit in Bonn.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Scotland was represented in Bonn, along with the rest of the UK, by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, and the Minister for the Environment, the Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP. The Deputy Prime Minister …
27 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct those public bodies for which it is responsible to discontinue the use of paper products produced by Asia Pulp and Paper.
Answer · Angus MacKay: No. The purchasing of paper and other supplies is a matter for individual public bodies.
11 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how businesses apply for a grant under the Powershift programme.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Businesses should apply to the Energy Saving Trust, which runs the Powershift programme on a UK-wide basis.
11 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies received grants under the Powershift programme in 2000-01 and to date in 2001-02.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: A total of 49 companies received grants in 2000-01. This year nine companies have so far been awarded grants.
11 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been made available for the Powershift programme in the current financial year.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: In this and each of the next two years, £1 million is available for the Powershift programme in Scotland.
11 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what fee will be paid to the managing agents of its central heating installation programme.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The contract for management of the central heating programme in the private sector has been put out to tender, as required by EC procurement directives. The successful tenderer should be announced in July and will be chosen on the basis of value for money and…
11 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what process and what criteria have been used to appoint the managing agents of its central heating installation programme.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16226.
11 Jun 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce who will be the managing agents of its central heating installation programme.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16226.
14 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of its network study group which examines the electricity grid throughout Scotland, who its members are, whether the group is expected to publish any conclusions and, if so, when.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Network Study Group's remit is to examine the existing electricity network in Scotland; its potential and constraints; the likely impact of planned network investments, and the possible costs involved in strengthening and upgrading the network.<P>The memb…
8 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it is currently undertaking into the upgrading of the capacity of the Scottish electricity grid to support more energy from renewable sources.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: We are about to award a contract to update the report completed in 1993 on Scotland's renewable resource. Running concurrently with that, the two Scottish electricity grid owners are, with external validation, conducting a study of the capacity of the network…
8 May 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are available to make capital grants to organisations and/or electricity companies involved in the development of electricity generation from wave technology.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Currently, there are no capital grants available for the development of wave technology, although the industry has benefited down the years from the Department of Trade and Industry's research and development programme, and will continue to do so as funding i…