Shirley-Anne Somerville

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon · 17 Mar 2011

This administration has put in place a comprehensive framework of over 40 actions which, taken together, will help reduce consumption and harm and help rebalance our relationship with alcohol. However, I am clear - and this is a view shared by alcohol experts around the world including the World Health Organization - that our efforts will be hampered if some colleagues in the chamber continue to oppose minimum pricing while failing to suggest any alternative measures that would be equally effective.</p>

Answer · Jim Mather · 9 Mar 2011

The following table shows Scottish Government expenditure on renewable energy by year. It does not include investment in renewable energy by the enterprise agencies. </p> <p >Scottish Government Expenditure on Renewable Energy</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=center >Year</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=center >&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left >2002-3</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=right >£230,319</p> </td> </tr> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left >2003-4</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=right >£2,669,069</p> </td> </tr> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left >2004-5</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=right >£3,871,157</p> </td> </tr> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left >2005-6</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=right >£3,950,828</p> </td> </tr> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left >2006-7</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=right >£8,653,021</p> </td> </tr> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left >2007-8</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=right >£16,017,256</p> </td> </tr> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left >2008-9</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=right >£15,157,616</p> </td> </tr> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left >2009-10</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=right >£24,560,404</p> </td> </tr> <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=left >2010-11</p> <p align=left >(forecast to end</p> <p align=left >of financial year)</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=right >£30,296,501</p> </td> </tr> </table> <p >&nbsp;</p>

Answer · John Swinney · 24 Feb 2011

The Low Carbon Economic Strategy highlights the massive potential that renewable, environmental and emerging low carbon sectors have in Scotland. In considering the evidence base underpinning the Strategy we estimate that employment in the Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services (LCEGS) sector could support an additional 22,000 additional jobs by 2014-15. This would increase employment in the sector to 95,000 by 2014-15 from its 2008-09 base of 73,000.</p>

Answer · Stewart Stevenson · 17 Nov 2010

The draft Report on Proposals and Policies has been published today (laying number SG/2010/251) and a copy will be placed in Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52063). A final report will be published following a 60-day period for Parliamentary consideration, as required by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act.</p>

Answer · Michael Russell · 13 May 2010

Edinburgh Napier University is an autonomous institution and is therefore responsible for managing its own course provision. The information requested could only be obtained from Edinburgh Napier University.</p>

Answer · Shona Robison · 29 Apr 2010

The first stage of the Review of Scottish Football, which Henry McLeish has been chairing, was published by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) on Friday 23 April 2010 and is in the public domain.</p> <p >I welcome the publication of this comprehensive review which provides both the Government and the SFA with a number of recommendations. The report gives us the opportunity to sit down with our key partners and look at the type of support we can offer to ensure we are best placed to secure maximum benefit for football and other sports in the future.</p>
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Answer · Jim Mather · 6 May 2010

The transition to a low carbon economy presents major opportunities for Scotland to develop new industries, skills and jobs, and the Scottish Government works through the enterprise agencies to realise those opportunities.</p> <p >For instance, this year, in conjunction with the Crown Estate, we have hosted three very well attended offshore wind supply chain share fair events in Scotland. These events highlighted both the range and scale of the market opportunity to Scottish firms associated with the planned expansion of the offshore wind sector.</p> <p >In addition, the Scottish Government is developing a Low Carbon Strategy to maximise Scotland''s economic potential in the global low carbon market.</p> <p >More generally, The Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust are funded by the Scottish Government to provide energy efficiency advice to all sizes of business. This advice ranges from site surveys to identify where energy savings can be implemented, to training events which raise awareness of the business benefits from introducing low carbon practices in the workplace.</p> <p >Through our Energy Saving Scotland small business loans scheme, SMEs can access interest-free loans for a range of energy efficiency and renewables measures, offering business opportunities through mechanisms such as the Feed-in Tariff for electricity generation.</p>

Answer · Jim Mather · 6 May 2010

Later this spring we will publish a refreshed skills strategy with a renewed focus on the skills needed to support a strong recovery for Scotland as well as longer-term sustainable economic growth.</p> <p >This will build on the Skills Framework for Action under the Scottish Government''s Renewables Action Plan, and will be supplemented by the development of our Low Carbon Strategy which highlights the identification, articulation and development of appropriate skills for the low carbon economy as a priority.</p>