Parliamentary questions

Tavish Scott

2,683 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

1 Jun 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the warm homes fund referred to by the First Minister on 26 May 2011 (Official Report, c. 70) is a new fund.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Warm Homes Fund is a new fund that will receive £50 million from the Scottish Futures Fund to deliver renewable energy and energy-efficient homes in those communities worst affected by fuel poverty. This investment will create and protect jobs and deliver…

1 Jun 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the eligibility criteria for access to the warm homes fund referred to by the First Minister on 26 May 2011 (Official Report, c.70) will differ from those for other such schemes.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Warm Homes Fund will deliver renewable energy and energy-efficient homes in those communities worse affected by fuel poverty. We will open the fund to community groups and housing associations to take forward schemes. The operational details of the fund a…

1 Jun 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much new money will be allocated to the warm homes fund referred to by the First Minister on 26 May 2011 (Official Report, c. 70) in relation to that allocated to similar schemes in the 2011-12 budget.

Answer · Alex Neil: £50 million will be invested in our new Warm Homes Fund. The timing of expenditure on the Warm Homes Fund within the lifetime of the Parliament is a matter for the Spending Review, which will report in autumn 2011.

24 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it is providing to farmers and crofters on a replacement for the Single Farm Payment Scheme.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is actively engaging with farming and crofting representatives on the future of the Single Farm Payment Scheme through our CAP Stakeholder Group taking forward the work of the Pack Inquiry. The future of the Single Farm Payment Scheme …

12 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when a draft specification for the next contract to provide lifeline ferry services to the Northern Isles will be put out to consultation and what form it will take.

Answer · Keith Brown: A public consultation exercise on the Northern Isles ferry service was held between 11 June and 30 September 2010. The responses to that consultation are being used to inform drafting of the specification and we will work closely with the appropriate Regional…

12 May 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the proposed dates are for the various (a) pre-tender, (b) tender and (c) contract award stages of the next contract to provide lifeline ferry services to the Northern Isles.

Answer · Keith Brown: (a) Consultation responses are being used to inform drafting of the specification of the next contract for the Northern Isles ferry services. We are currently working with the relevant local Regional Transport Partnerships and Local Authorities as we prepare …

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Less Favourable Area Support Scheme payments to farmers and crofters for 2011 (a) started, or will start and (b) will stop being issued.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The 2011 Less Favoured Area Support Scheme runs from 1 January to 31 December 2011. The Scottish Government plans to start issuing the related payments from January 2012. Payments will be processed after all necessary eligibility checks have been completed an…

8 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates the (a) first and (b) last Less Favourable Area Support Scheme payments to farmers and crofters were issued in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) 2009 and (iv) 2010.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme runs from 1 January to 31 December each year with eligible claims being settled in the following year. Since the 2008 scheme, the aim has been to pay the majority of eligible claims from January and complete settlement of…

7 Mar 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-39728 by Jim Mather on 1 March 2011, how many representations the Section 36 team of its Energy Consents Unit has received (a) in favour of and (b) against the (i) Aikengall II Wester Dod community wind farm, (ii) Allt Duine wind farm, (iii) Arecleoc…

Answer · Jim Mather: Representations made from members of the public and from formal consultees are a material consideration in the determination of section 36 applications by Scottish Ministers. Representations received for the wind farms listed above are set out in the…

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will broaden the eligibility criteria for funding from the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund to allow applications from ports that are not involved in the manufacture of offshore renewable energy installations but wish to be involved in their servicing, maintenance and su…

Answer · Jim Mather: Scottish Enterprise created the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund (N-RIF) to support, where necessary, development of port and near-port manufacturing locations for offshore wind turbines and related developments including test and demonstration activit…

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what public funding has been provided to the Intellectual Assets Centre to run Project VIA Food & Drink; whether further funding is to be provided, and, if not, what the reasons are.

Answer · Jim Mather: The amount of public funding that has been provided to the Intellectual Assets Centre to run Project VIA Food & Drink and whether further funding will be provided for this activity is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise in partnership with Highl…

21 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the issues raised by the two local authorities that suggested, in response to the Consultation on Marine Licensing for Scotland, that the business and regulatory impact assessments should have recognised the option of delegating marine licensing responsibilities to pub…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment carried out by Marine Scotland to inform the incoming fees structure, gives a commitment to review the costs to the Scottish Government of administrating the new licensing regime. Marine Scotland will follow up on…

21 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its reasons are for not acting on the suggestion from two local authorities, in response to the Consultation on Marine Licensing for Scotland, that the business and regulatory impact assessments should have recognised the option of delegating marine licensing responsibilities to publ…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 delivers stakeholders'' requirements for a streamlined and simplified licensing regime that delivers consistent results across Scotland and the UK. The creation of the Marine Scotland Licensing Operations Team (LOT) as a one sto…

21 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many representations the Section 36 team of its Energy Consents Unit has received (a) in favour of and (b) against the development of each onshore wind farm application received since 1 January 2000.

Answer · Jim Mather: This type of aggregate information is not held centrally. The Energy Consents Unit uses a casework method to process applications and has handled in excess of 100 wind farm applications since 2000, details are held separately on each specific case. I…

21 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S3W-38568 by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 January 2011, whether there are circumstances in which satisfactory accommodation under the terms of the Croft House Grant Scheme could be a one-bedroom property, for example where an assignation is made and agreed…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The purpose of the Croft House Grant Scheme is to improve and maintain the standards of croft housing. If there is an existing one bedroom house on the croft, assistance would be available for any necessary refurbishment or enlargement. The Croft Hou…

9 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it provided to NHS Shetland regarding the handling of the two applications to open community pharmacies in Scalloway and when the advice was provided.

Answer · Shona Robison: None. It is not for the Scottish Government to provide legal advice. Should NHS Shetland ever require legal advice on any matters, it should seek that advice from its own solicitors.

1 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken research since 2008 into the impact on bees of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on crops in Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39257 on 24 February 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/A…

1 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received since 2008 regarding the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on crops and what the terms of such representations were.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Since 2008 the Scottish Government has received four parliamentary questions and twenty-two letters about neonicotinoid pesticides on crops. In general, this correspondence expressed concerns over the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, and the potential impact …

1 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken or will undertake research into the beneficial impact on bee populations of the bans imposed on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides that have been introduced in France, Slovenia, Italy and Germany.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government takes issues related to bee populations very seriously and monitors developments in relation to pesticides and insects carefully. To develop an understanding of these issues the Scottish Government has contributed to a £1.8 mi…

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what changes to the guidelines for applicants to the Croft House Grant Scheme it last instructed the Crofters Commission to make and what the reasons for them were.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The last changes to the Croft House Grant Scheme Guidance were definitional in all but one respect. That related to a requirement for assisted new houses to have a minimum of three (previously two) bedrooms and one living area, in addition to the kitchen and …

22 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last instructed the Crofters Commission to amend the guidelines for applicants to the Croft House Grant Scheme; when the guidelines were amended; when the amended guidelines were made available to applicants, and when they were issued to the local area offices of the Scottish Gove…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Croft House Grant Scheme Guidance was last amended in August 2008. The amendment gave effect to a ministerial determination dating from December 2005 (the delay appears to have been an administrative oversight). The revised guidance was issued to the loca…

2 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a post-construction assessment is made of the carbon (a) invested in the construction of wind farms and (b) saved as a result of the energy that they generate in order to check the assessment of the carbon payback period made at each wind farm’s planning stage.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government funded a study in 2007 to scope out the potential carbon impacts of wind farm development on peat. This study developed guidance and a method to calculate carbon emission savings associated with wind farm developments on peat using a f…

2 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what carbon payback periods were assessed by (a) the developer and (b) Scottish Government officials for each wind farm with a rated output of 50MW or more for which consent has been given since the beginning of 2000.

Answer · Jim Mather: The process applied to assess carbon impact of wind farm developments is described in the answer to question S3W-38016 on 22 December 2010. Applications to Scottish ministers for power stations, and those for significant power lines, needs to be acc…

2 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it makes of the carbon payback periods of wind farms before consent is given for construction and whether there is a defined period requirement.

Answer · Jim Mather: The process applied to assess carbon impact of Wind Farm developments is described in the answer to question S3W-38016 on 22 December 2010. The Scottish Government currently seeks advice from Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on the carbo…

2 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on Scotland’s carbon footprint of operational wind farms in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Answer · Jim Mather: No detailed assessment has been made as to the impact of operational wind farms on the carbon footprint. As a matter of good practice, the Scottish Government encourages wind farm developers to note the guidance given by Calculating carbon saving…

30 Nov 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it is making of the need to reassess the single farm payments of farmers and crofters whose stock densities during the payment reference period were reduced as a result of an Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme agreement or another conservation agreement and the outcome …

Answer · Richard Lochhead: My officials are studying the judgement in the case of between The Queen (on the application of TA Gwillim and Sons) and the Welsh Ministers as delivered by the Court of Appeal. Although the overall judgement was in favour of Messrs Gwillim, it also upheld pa…

27 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the impact on rural and remote GP practices of the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government''s recent consultation Review of the Control of Entry Arrangements considered a wide range of issues, including those related to dispensing GP practices. The Summary Report was published on 20 October 2010, and can be found on …

22 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered, is considering or will consider introducing a travel concession scheme offering reduced ferry fares for Scottish students aged 19 and over.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have no current plans to introduce such a ferry travel concession scheme.

22 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the travel concession schemes that reduce the cost of travel for Scottish students aged 19 and over, showing the (a) details of the concession offered, (b) annual cost and (c) funding source.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: There is no such national scheme. This is therefore a matter for commercial bus operators. The information requested is not held centrally.

19 Oct 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the most recent meeting of a project assessment committee to consider applications to the European Fisheries Fund was; when it submitted its recommendations to ministers, and when applicants will be advised of the outcome.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The European Fisheries Fund Project Assessment Committee (PAC) last met on 10 September 2010. Initial advice on the PAC recommendations was put to ministers on 15 September 2010 and, following consideration of a number of issues, an announcement of successful…