Parliamentary questions
Lewis Macdonald
2,224 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it was informed by Scottish Natural Heritage that it could not fund the pilot project to develop a national data-sharing centre.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Natural Heritage informed Scottish Government officials on 2 September 2010 that it would not be able to fund the data sharing project submitted by Aberdeen University.</b></p>
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it initially planned to establish a pilot project to develop a national data-sharing centre to improve the co-ordination of scientific work in relation to consents and planning for renewable energy projects and what the timetable for this was.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has not planned to establish such a pilot project.</b></p>
26 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its commitment to develop National Occupational Standards (NOS) to support the range of renewable technologies via Sector Skills Council’s NOS development plans, whether the safety competences developed by OPITO for the offshore oil and gas industry should be applied to the o…
Answer · Jim Mather: As the lead trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries, RenewableUK have held initial discussions with OPITO regarding safety competencies.</b></p> <p >Following on from those discussions RenewableUK have taken responsibilit…
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area it expects to receive rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in 2010-11.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35882 on 7 October 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Ap…
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area are eligible for rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in 2010-11.
Answer · John Swinney: Latest figures show that 74,000 business properties in Scotland received a discount on their bill through Small Business Bonus, and 64,000 of those paid no rates at all.</p> <p >However, there are a number of properties which are eligible, but have not claim…
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area received rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.
Answer · John Swinney: Take-up of relief among eligible small business properties in 2008-09 is published at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/TakeUpofBusinessRates0809">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/TakeUpo…
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses in each local authority area were eligible for rates relief of (a) 100%, (b) 50% and (c) 25% under the small business bonus scheme in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.
Answer · John Swinney: An estimate of the number of properties eligible for Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) in each local authority area for 2009-10 is shown in the following table. Equivalent data for 2008-09 is not held centrally.</p> <p >The Scheme has been widely promoted a…
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses in each local authority area have faced a decrease in their business rate because of rates revaluation from 1 April 2010.
Answer · John Swinney: The following table shows the number and percentage of ratepayers who saw bills fall or stay the same and those who saw bills rise in each local authority area, following the 2010 revaluation.</b></p> <p >These figures are before the impact of relief or appe…
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses in each local authority area have faced an increase in their business rate because of rates revaluation from 1 April 2010.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35879 on 6 September 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/…
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many rates revaluation appeals since 1 April 2010 have been concluded and how many have been successful.
Answer · John Swinney: Businesses have until 30 September to lodge an appeal against the rateable value determined by the assessor at the 2010 revaluation and final numbers of appeals will not be known until after that date.</p> <p >As at 30 June 2010, 9,744 appeals had been lodge…
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses successfully appealed their business rate revaluation in each year since 2005-06.
Answer · John Swinney: Information on the number of successful appeals is not held centrally.</p>
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses have appealed their business rate revaluation since 1 April 2010.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35877 on 7 October 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Ap…
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses appealed their business rate valuation in each year since 2005-06.
Answer · John Swinney: In total 57,752 appeals were lodged in relation to rateable values for business properties following the 2005 business rates revaluation (covering the period between then and the latest 2010 revaluation).</p>
25 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses have appealed their business rates revaluation since 1 April 2010.
19 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to enter into discussions with the relevant UK bodies to review the threshold for installed capacity for applications for offshore wind farms and generating stations wholly or mainly driven by water, such as hydroelectric, wave or tidal generating stations, as laid out un…
Answer · Jim Mather: On 8 September 2010 the Scottish Government launched a consultation seeking views on its proposal to raise the Section 36 Consents threshold for onshore hydropower schemes from over 1 Megawatt (MW) to over 50 MW. The consultation welcomes views from a wide ra…
19 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the commitment to publish the Energy Storage Study in summer 2010 as detailed in the renewables action plan update of 28 July 2010, when it expects the study to be published.
Answer · Jim Mather: We expect the Energy Storage and Management Study to be published during October 2010.</b></p>
19 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the disbanding of the Marine Energy Group of the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland, what external body will provide ministers with advice on marine energy outwith the Pentland Forth and Orkney Waters.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Issues related to offshore and marine energy developments are discussed at the Offshore Energy Programme Board, the Marine Strategy Forum, the Scottish Coastal Forum and the Offshore Wind Industry Group. The Marine Energy Group has completed its remit, althou…
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for new renewable energy developments received since 7 December 2007, other than wind, hydro and marine, which have been neither referred to a public local inquiry nor determined, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the m…
Answer · Jim Mather: Applications for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for new renewable energy developments other that wind, hydro and marine, received since 7 December 2007, that have been neither referred to a public local inquiry nor determined are:</p> <…
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for new renewable energy developments received since 7 December 2007, other than wind, hydro and marine, which have been referred to a public local inquiry, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of th…
Answer · Jim Mather: No applications received since 7 December 2007 for consent to develop new renewable energy developments other than wind, hydro and marine under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, have been referred to a public local inquiry.</p>
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for new renewable energy developments received since 7 December 2007, other than wind, hydro and marine, which have been determined under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the meg…
Answer · Jim Mather: No applications received since 7 December 2007 for consent to develop new renewable energy developments other than wind, hydro and marine, have been determined under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.</p>
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for new wave and tidal energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been neither referred to a public local inquiry nor determined, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of the develo…
Answer · Jim Mather: No applications have been received since 7 December 2007, for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, for new wave and tidal energy developments that have neither been referred to a local public inquiry nor determined.</p> <p >From April 2010, …
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for new wave and tidal energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been referred to a public local inquiry, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of the development.
Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35755 on 6 September 2010. 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/App…
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for new wave and tidal energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been referred to a public local inquiry, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of the development.
Answer · Jim Mather: No applications for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for new wave and tidal energy developments received since 7 December 2007 have been referred to a public local inquiry.</p> <p >Since April 2010, all new Section 36 applications for off…
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for new wave and tidal energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been determined under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of the developm…
Answer · Jim Mather: Since 7 December 2007, applications were received and determined by Scottish Ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for the following wave and tidal energy developments:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=2…
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for extensions to existing wind energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been neither referred to a public local inquiry nor determined, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of t…
Answer · Jim Mather: Applications for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 received for extensions to existing wind energy developments since 7 December 2007, that have been neither referred to a public local inquiry nor determined by Scottish ministers are:</p> …
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for extensions to existing wind energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been referred to a public local inquiry, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of the development.
Answer · Jim Mather: No applications received after 7 December 2007 for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to extend existing wind energy developments have been referred to a public local inquiry.</p>
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for extensions to existing wind energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been determined under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of the…
Answer · Jim Mather: Applications that have been received since 7 December 2007 for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity act 1989, to extend existing wind energy developments and that have been determined by Scottish ministers are:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellp…
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for new wind energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been neither referred to a public local inquiry nor determined, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of the development.
Answer · Jim Mather: Applications for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 received for new wind energy developments since 7 December 2007 that have been neither referred to a public local inquiry nor determined by Scottish ministers are:</p> <table border=1 cel…
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for new wind energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been determined under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of the development.
Answer · Jim Mather: No applications for new wind energy developments received since 7 December 2007 have been determined under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.</b></p>
16 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those applications for extensions to existing hydro energy developments received since 7 December 2007 which have been neither referred to a public local inquiry nor determined, giving the name of the project, the date of the application and the mega watt capacity of …
Answer · Jim Mather: One application which has not been referred to public local inquiry and is yet to be determined has been received since 7 December 2007 for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity act. This application is for:</b></p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellp…