Liam McArthur

27 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on farmers and veterinary practices in Orkney and Caithness of the decision by the Scottish Agricultural College not to appoint a successor to the manager of the Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre and what the outcome was of any such assessment.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Agricultural College review the work done at Thurso Disease Surveillance Centre on a quarterly basis. There have been significant year to year fluctuations that are related to market prices for cattle and sheep, the weather and the decline in livesto…

27 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult farmers and veterinary practices in Orkney and Caithness when it undertakes a review of the veterinary surveillance network.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: A formal review of veterinary surveillance in Scotland has not yet begun. Once the review is underway a wide range of interested parties including the farmers and veterinary practices in Orkney and Caithness will have the opportunity of making their views kno…

27 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to carry out a review of the veterinary surveillance network.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: A formal review of veterinary surveillance in Scotland has not yet begun. We are in the process of actively recruiting an independent person of suitable stature to chair a review panel.</p>

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many public sector staff, excluding local authority staff, work in each local authority area.

Answer · John Swinney: The official public sector employment series is only available at Scotland level. An alternative source is the Annual Population Survey (APS), however there are some quality issues with the data. The APS is a household survey and individuals self-classify whe…

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many public sector staff work in (a) Central Scotland, (b) Glasgow, (c) Highlands and Islands, (d) Lothians, (e) Mid Scotland and Fife, (f) North East Scotland, (g) South of Scotland and (h) West of Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: The official public sector employment series is only available at Scotland level. An alternative source is the Annual Population Survey (APS), however there are some quality issues with the data. The APS is a household survey and individuals self-classify whe…

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding potential public sector relocation opportunities.

Answer · John Swinney: We have received a number of representations from private and public sector organisations, local authorities and MSP''s regarding potential public sector relocation opportunities.</p>

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review its public sector relocation policy within the next two years.

Answer · John Swinney: There are currently no plans to review the policy on asset management and relocation.</p>

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take with local authorities to explore potential public sector relocation opportunities.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28227 on 10 November 2009. 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…

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking with local authorities to explore potential public sector relocation opportunities.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28225 on 6 November 2009. 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/Apps…

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many public sector staff have been relocated in the last two years, broken down by organisation.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28225 on 6 November 2009. 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/Apps…

15 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what public sector relocation opportunities it has assessed in the last two years; what decisions were reached, and for what reasons.

Answer · John Swinney: In 2008, the Scottish Government announced its approach to considering the effective management of property assets and the location of public bodies. This approach puts decisions about the location of public bodies in the context of the need to seek maximum e…

14 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake to recoup Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme funds that are not spent in 2009-10 and make them available to wave and tidal developers with firm plans to use them.

Answer · Jim Mather: We are holding discussions with developers of the outstanding Wave and Tidal Energy Support (WATES) projects regarding progress being made on their projects, to ensure that they are able to claim allocated funds by March 2011. If the developers are unable to …

14 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the funding available from the previous administration for the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme (a) has been allocated and (b) remains unallocated.

Answer · Jim Mather: All funding under the scheme has been allocated to projects. The response to S3W-28206 on 4 November 2009, outlines the payments that have been issued to projects. The answers to all written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, …

14 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it has received that the companies that have received funding under the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme will be able to use the funds in 2009-10.

Answer · Jim Mather: All payments made to companies under the Wave and Tidal Energy Support (WATES) Scheme are made retrospectively based on legitimate evidence that eligible costs have been incurred. The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that WATES grants allocat…

14 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which projects that have received funds under the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme have spent the funds allocated.

Answer · Jim Mather: All payments of funds to companies under the Wave and Tidal Energy Support (WATES) Scheme are issued in arrears, and on the evidence that the costs in question have actually been incurred. Based on this criteria, the following payments have been issued:</p> …

14 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what projects have received grants under the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme and how much they have (a) received or (b) been allocated in each year of the scheme.

Answer · Jim Mather: The following developers were successful in being offered a grant under the Wave and Tidal Energy Support (WATES) Scheme:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=314 valign=top > <p align=center >Name of Develope…

6 Oct 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27342 by Stewart Stevenson on 2 October 2009, whether it will list the combined weight of freight and freight vehicles or trailers carried and the metres of deck space allocated to them on each route operated by (a) Calmac Ferries Limited, (b) Cowal …

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Further to the answer to question S3W-27342 on 2 October 2009, only part of the information requested is available. Although each company monitors the overall weight of freight vehicles and trailers for loading and space allocation purposes, this data is not …

1 Oct 2009 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government is content with the rate of progress on the Home Insulation Scheme.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon : <i >This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1001-01.htm">http://www.scot…

21 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26578 by Richard Lochhead on 18 September 2009, whether it will ask the Scottish Agriculture College to provide information on how many post-mortem examinations were carried out at the veterinary laboratory in Thurso in each year since 2000 and what …

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is content to ask the Scottish Agriculture College to provide this information, and has indeed already done so. The information shall be shared with you when it is available.</p>

16 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the number of (a) passengers and (b) cars carried on each route operated by (i) CalMac Ferries Limited, (ii) Cowal Ferries Limited and (iii) NorthLink Ferries Limited in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The carrying statistics are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The Bib. numbers are as follows:</p> <p >Northern Isles carrying statistics - 49274</p> <p >Clyde and Hebrides carrying statistics - 49275</p> <p >Gourock to Dunoon carr…

16 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the quantity of freight carried on each route operated by Calmac Ferries Limited, (b) Cowal Ferries Limited and (c) NorthLink Ferries Limited in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The quantity of freight carried on a route-by-route basis is not available.</p> <p >CalMac Ferries and Cowal Ferries record the number of commercial vehicles carried and the tariff is based on a lane metre charge, i.e. on the amount of deck space taken up by…

9 Sep 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the provision of a Kirkwall-based aircraft providing air ambulance cover as well as inter-island transport for other health services.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon : <i >This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:</i></p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0917-01.htm">http://www.scott…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, given that it has yet to produce its thermal generation guidance, on what basis it will consider the planning application for the Hunterston power plant.

Answer · Jim Mather: All thermal power station applications over 50 megawatts in generating capacity will be considered by Scottish ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Following a request from Ayrshire Power Limited, Scottish Ministers provided a scoping opini…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to produce its thermal generation guidance.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government will issue its final thermal guidance later this year following consideration of responses to our own consultation and the subsequent UK consultation which closed on 9 September 2009.</p>

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it good practice to consider a planning application for a coal-fired power station before it has produced its thermal generation guidance.

Answer · Jim Mather: Under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish ministers are obliged to accept and consider all thermal power station applications in excess of 50 megawatts of generating capacity. Each application is subject to statutory consultation with the determi…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it premature to consider a planning application for a development, for the basis of which it has not formulated policy.

Answer · Jim Mather: Under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, the building of any new thermal power station in excess of 50 megawatts in generating capacity would require consent from Scottish ministers. The Scottish Government published draft thermal guidance in late 2008 f…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what definition it uses of a carbon capture-ready power station.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government considers that a carbon capture ready power station will demonstrate consideration of the following criteria:</p> <p >demonstrate that there is sufficient space on or near the site to accommodate carbon capture equipment in the future…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how its plans for the development of carbon capture and storage and emissions performance standards for power stations take into account the emission reduction targets in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Answer · Jim Mather: The climate change delivery plan sets out four transformational outcomes which the Scottish Government is working towards. The first of these is a largely de-carbonised electricity generation sector by 2030, primarily using renewable sources for electricity g…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it was decided to include Hunterston power station in the second National Planning Framework and what consultation has been carried out on its inclusion.

Answer · Jim Mather: A new clean coal power station and a transhipment hub at Hunterston were among the projects proposed by stakeholders as additional national developments in representations on the NPF Discussion Draft. These projects were assessed against the criteria for nati…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason proposals for a coal-fired power station at Hunterston were not included in the public consultation on the second National Planning Framework.

Answer · Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27009 on 18 September 2009. 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/Ap…