Parliamentary questions
Patrick Harvie
1,454 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of (a) carbon emissions and (b) sulphur and other pollutants ministers would regard as acceptable for coal-fired power stations to be considered as clean coal stations.
Answer · Jim Mather: Levels of carbon emissions, sulphur and other pollutants from coal-fired power stations are strictly regulated by EU emissions and air quality legislation. The European Union is currently negotiating its Climate and Energy package, which includes new and revi…
23 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what range of technologies ministers regard as necessary for coal-fired power stations to be considered as clean coal stations.
Answer · Jim Mather: There are a range of potential technologies, some of which are still in development, that can reduce emissions, such as carbon capture, supercritical boilers, or flue gas desulphurisation. The package of energy and climate change directives being negotiated b…
9 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing legislation to protect the status of existing common good assets in perpetuity.
Answer · John Swinney: There is already legal protection for common good assets held in perpetuity. The question of whether the existing legislation is sufficient is being considered by my officials in consultation with local government.</p>
9 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure common good assets are protected and retained for community ownership in any future legislation regarding the conversion of long leases.
Answer · John Swinney: The protection of common good assets and their retention for community ownership will be given careful consideration in any future legislative proposals on the conversion of long leases.</p>
9 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that existing common good assets should remain held in the common good in perpetuity.
Answer · John Swinney: It is the responsibility of each Local Authority to manage its common good assets and funds in accordance with all current statutory requirements and non-statutory guidance.</p>
9 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that implementing the recommendations in the Scottish Law Commission’s Report on Conversion of Long Leases could result in common good assets that are let on a long lease being transferred into private ownership.
Answer · John Swinney: Officials in Constitution, Law and Courts Directorate are currently giving consideration to the Scottish Law Commission’s report and the Scottish Government will take a view in due course about a response to its recommendations and the timing of any bill.</p>…
9 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to implement the recommendations in the Scottish Law Commission’s Report on Conversion of Long Leases, published in 2006.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Officials in Constitution, Law and Courts Directorate are considering the Scottish Law Commission’s <i >Report on Conversion of Long Leases</i> (Scot Law Com 204) and the Scottish Government will take a view in due course about the timing of any bill.</p>
7 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that appropriate standards exist for the assessment of groundwater contamination.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Threshold values, established for various pollutants under the terms of the Groundwater Directive, are used in assessing the chemical status of a groundwater body. The exceedance of a threshold value is used as a trigger for investigations of whether the pres…
7 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve the provision of guidance in relation to the assessment of contaminated land.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: In addition to the statutory guidance which was last revised in 2006, the Scottish Government is working with DEFRA, the other devolved administrations, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Environment Agency to review the current technical guid…
7 Jul 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering the establishment of a brownfield regeneration forum.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government will be a member of the recently established UK National Brownfield Forum, which is being sponsored by the Department of Communities and Local Government and Defra. We will await further developments with the UK National Brownfield For…
25 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on measures to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the existing building stock and whether the results of the consultation will be analysed and published before the commencement of parliamentary scrutiny of the Climate Change Bill.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A two-stage process of consultation on measures to improve the energy performance of existing buildings is proposed. The first consultation will focus on non-domestic buildings and is expected to be launched within the next few weeks. We will endeavour to pro…
25 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains committed to achieving an average 3% reduction in greenhouse gases in each year of the current parliamentary session.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We are committed to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050 which is equivalent to an average reduction of more than 3% per year. Continuous progress to reduce emissions is essential and the Scottish Government believe that reporting an annual measure of progress wit…
25 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13460 by Stewart Stevenson on 9 June 2008, by how much it intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the 2011 target date.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: As outlined in <i >The Government Economic Strategy</i>, whether our emission reduction targets will be based on a basket of greenhouse gases or CO<sub>2</sub> alone, will be decided after the public consultation on the proposals for the Scottish Climate Chan…
4 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what change took place in road traffic levels in 2007 and what impact this change will have on greenhouse gas emission levels.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Road traffic level data for 2007 are produced by the Department for Transport and will not be available until August 2008. Greenhouse gas emission level data from the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory for 2006 and 2007, will not be available until autum…
4 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the capacity expansion at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, as proposed in the national planning framework discussion draft, will have on greenhouse gas emission levels.
Answer · John Swinney: The environmental effects of enhancements at Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports are addressed in the environmental report which accompanied the discussion draft of the national planning framework.</p>
4 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the additional Forth crossing will have on greenhouse gas emission levels.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: An assessment of the emissions from traffic predicted to use the crossing will be undertaken as part of the environmental impact assessment. The findings will be published in an environmental statement in 2009.</p>
4 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact each project listed in the Scottish motorway and trunk road programme will have on greenhouse gas emission levels.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The principal greenhouse gas emitted by traffic using trunk roads and motorways is carbon dioxide. An assessment of the emissions of carbon dioxide from traffic predicted to use new trunk road projects is usually undertaken as part of the environmental impact…
4 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the removal of tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges has had across each bridge on (a) the total number of road journeys, (b) the length of the peak period and (c) greenhouse gas emission levels arising from road journeys.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The new traffic management arrangements at the Forth Road Bridge came into effect on 26 May 2008, and major works are continuing at the Tay Road Bridge which restrict traffic flows southbound. It is therefore too early to make any realistic assessment of the …
4 Jun 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when its carbon balance sheet for transport will be published.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scotland’s National Transport Strategy (NTS) commits us to publishing the carbon balance sheet for transport as part of its first review which will commence in 2010-11. The balance sheet is currently being developed, with a view to having a working draft prio…
28 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial contribution (a) Aberdeen City Council, (b) Aberdeenshire Council and (c) the Executive will make to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project and whether these contributions are based on the original cost estimate for the project or the current final cost estimate.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-2502 on 14 August 2007. 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/webapp/…
28 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the benefit to cost ratio of 5:1 for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Project was calculated and what assumptions and evidence were used as a basis for the calculation.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The benefit to cost ratio has been evaluated over a 60-year period in accordance with current national guidance and methodology.</p>
28 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide clarification on the detail of the remit of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route Project given to Reporters.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13573 on 9 June 2008. 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/webapp/wa…
28 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider delaying the public inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project in order to address significant public concern over the restrictive remit of the inquiry.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No.</p>
28 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the scope of the remit of the public inquiry into the Aberdeen Peripheral Route project is too restrictive.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: No.</p>
28 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why it chose to exclude from the remit of the public inquiry any discussion of the need in principle for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Scottish ministers confirmed in their statement on Transport to Parliament on 27 June 2007 that the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is vital to the north-east and that they were committed to its delivery.</p>
28 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why it chose to exclude any discussion of alternative transport options from the remit of the inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13576 on 9 June 2008. 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/webapp/wa…
28 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why it chose to exclude climate change implications and effects on congestion levels from the remit of the inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route project.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13576 on 9 June 2008. 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/webapp/wa…
28 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the options that were considered for the remit of the public inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Details of the public local inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, including the remit, can be found at the reporter’s website <a href="http://www.awpr-pli.org/">www.awpr-pli.org</a>.</p>
27 May 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what target it has set for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2011, and whether it intends to make this or other interim targets statutory as part of the forthcoming Climate Change Bill.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: <i >The Government Economic Strategy</i> contains a purpose target to reduce emissions over the period to 2011. There are no plans to make this target statutory as part of the forthcoming Scottish Climate Change Bill.</p> <p >We have consulted on whether sta…
8 May 2008 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will mark International Day Against Homophobia on 17 May 2008 by flying a rainbow flag from the Parliament building.
Answer · Tricia Marwick: The request does not fall within the scope of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body''s agreed policy on flag flying. The Parliament routinely flies the Saltire, Union and European Union flags on a daily basis. In addition, the Parliament flies the United …