Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,663 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the Biomass Action Plan.
Answer · Jim Mather: The ScottishGovernment continues to work in partnership with stakeholders to pursue theaction plan, which provides a focus for maximising the opportunities forgrowth, jobs and sustainability offered by the expansion of the biomass sectorin Scotland. Good prog…
12 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the development of a renewable heat strategy.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Forum of RenewableEnergy Development in Scotland (FREDS) established a Renewable Heat Sub Group inNovember 2006, to make recommendations to government on the key components of aRenewable Heat Strategy. Good progress has been made. The group has met on fou…
12 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the possibility of setting a higher target for electricity from renewable sources and when there may be an announcement in respect of this.
Answer · Jim Mather: As part of therecent Spending Review we announced a substantial increase in the target forelectricity generated in Scotland from renewable sources, to 50% by 2020,as well as a new interim milestone of 31% to be achieved by 2011. Progresstowards these targets …
12 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on reaching the 40% renewable energy target by 2020.
Answer · Jim Mather: Statisticsrelating to electricity generated and consumed in Scotland are published by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and are available online at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/trends/index.h…
12 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on its strategic overview of energy policy.
Answer · Jim Mather: We plan to place thisoverview on the Scottish Government website within the next two months.</p>
12 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to extend the Wave and Tidal Energy Support Scheme following the final allocation of money in 2008.
Answer · Jim Mather: We are monitoringthe impact of recent awards and funding and assessing the demand and need forfurther support, taking into account other support mechanisms which are or willbe available. Decisions about further grant funding will be taken in the lightof this …
8 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4657 by Michael Russell on 24 October 2007, when it expects to reach a final conclusion on the action to be taken to address the implications for single farm payments of Scottish Natural Heritage management agreements and when farmers and crofters wh…
Answer · Michael Russell: Following extensiveconsideration it is now clear that the terms of the Financial Guidelines formanagement agreements do not provide Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) with any basison which to make payments that compensate for loss of subsidies not linked to pro…
1 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid to farmers and crofters by the (a) Executive and (b) UK Government as a result of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 and what proportion of this was compensation for (i) the culling of livestock and (ii) economic losses.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: All costs were met by the UK Government. Based on the Economic Report on Scottish Agriculture, the total compensation payments made to Scottish farmers and crofters for animals culled during the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak was £189.713 million. No pa…
1 Nov 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid to Scottish businesses other than farmers and crofters by the (a) Executive and (b) UK Government as a result of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 and what proportion of this was compensation for economic losses.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: A breakdown of figuresis not available but the UK Government did pay Scottish businesses, for examplehauliers, vets and valuers, for their work in relation to the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouthdisease. No compensation was paid to businesses for economic loss…
25 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate has been made of the cost of any network reinforcement work to ensure that electricity generated by Scottish renewable sources can be delivered to markets in England.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Governmenthas not undertaken such an estimate. This is a matter for the transmission owners,and any such investment is approved by Ofgem.</p>
25 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government about ensuring that electricity generated by Scottish renewable sources can be delivered to markets in England.
Answer · Jim Mather: The First Ministermet the Chair and Chief Executive of Ofgem on 20 September 2007. He made the case for a fundamental reform of the transmissionaccess and charging regime, to end unfair barriers to Scottish generators. The FirstMinister will put a detailed c…
25 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many undergraduate degree places to study engineering and technology at Scottish universities were accepted by students domiciled in Scotland in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The number of undergraduatedegree places accepted by students domiciled in Scotland, wishing to study engineering and technology at Scottish universities were(a) 1,764 in 2004-05, (b) 1,626 in 2005-06, (c) 1,583 in 2006-07 and (d) 1,510 in2007-08.</p>
25 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many undergraduate degree places to study engineering and technology at Scottish universities were accepted in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The number of undergraduatedegree places accepted by students wishing to study engineering and technology atScottish universities were (a) 2,709 in 2004-05, (b) 2,468 in 2005-06, (c) 2,485in 2006-07 and (d) 2,652 in 2007-08.</p>
25 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many undergraduate degree places to study physics at Scottish universities were accepted by students domiciled in Scotland in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The number of undergraduatedegree places accepted by students domiciled in Scotland, wishing to study physics at Scottish universities were (a) 198 in 2004-05,(b) 181 in 2005-06, (c) 214 in 2006-07 and (d) 231 in 2007-08.</p>
25 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many undergraduate degree places to study physics at Scottish universities were accepted in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The number of undergraduatedegree places accepted by students wishing to study physics at Scottish universitieswere (a) 265 in 2004-05, (b) 247 in 2005-06, (c) 318 in 2006-07 and (d) 332 in 2007-08.</p>
25 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many undergraduate degree places to study chemistry at Scottish universities were accepted by students domiciled in Scotland in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The number of undergraduatedegree places accepted by students domiciled in Scotland, wishing to study chemistry at Scottish universities were (a) 238 in 2004-05,(b) 251 in 2005-06, (c) 297 in 2006-07 and (d) 298 in 2007-08.</p>
25 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many undergraduate degree places to study chemistry at Scottish universities were accepted in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2007-08.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The number of undergraduatedegree places accepted by students wishing to study chemistry at Scottish universitieswere (a) 338 in 2004-05, (b) 395 in 2005-06, (c) 443 in 2006-07 and (d) 476 in 2007-08.</p>
12 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make an announcement on its plans to support the upgrading of the telephone exchange on Eday to allow it to meet the demand for broadband connections on the island.
Answer · Jim Mather: The ScottishGovernment is aware of the unfulfilled broadband demand in Eday due to capacityissues at the telephone exchange. We are aiming to deliver an upgrade with BTto this exchange by the first quarter of 2008, which will resolve the currentcapacity issue…
12 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make an announcement on its plans to support the upgrading of the telephone exchange on Stronsay to allow it to meet the demand for broadband connections on the island.
Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Governmentis aware of the unfulfilled broadband demand in Stronsay due to capacity issuesat the telephone exchange. We are aiming to deliver an upgrade with BT to this exchangeby the first quarter of 2008, which will resolve the current capacity …
10 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3727 by Stewart Stevenson on the 13 September 2007, whether it will list the ferry routes to be considered by the consultants undertaking the study into the benefits of applying a road equivalent tariff to the fares on ferry routes under the (a) firs…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5199 on 25 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4458 by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2007, how it intends to ensure that the science and engineering departments of Scottish universities remain competitive with universities in England if the cap on tuition fees is lifted.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We believe that thereis currently broad parity between funding for Scottish universities and for thoseelsewhere in the UK. Any review of the cap in England will of course be important to Scottish highereducation institutions and the Scottish Government. We wi…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take account of the potential removal of the cap on tuition fees for English universities when considering the funding settlement for Scottish universities in the comprehensive spending review.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There is no clearindication yet of what the UK Government’s intentions are in relation to the feecap. While the timescale for any change is also still unclear, it is unlikely toimpact before our consideration of the next spending review in 2009.</p><p>We beli…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact on the competitiveness of Scottish universities if the cap on tuition fees for English universities is removed and how it intends to respond to the findings of any such assessment.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Governmentis alert to the possibility that the cap on tuition fees for English universitiesmay be removed. It has assessed a range of information, including an internal reportby the Institute for Fiscal Studies commissioned during the previous ad…
5 Oct 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4458 by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2007, how it intends to ensure that the needs of science are fully taken account of in the comprehensive spending review.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Decision-making inthe Spending Review is informed by the Scottish Government’s on-going dialogue witha wide range of stakeholders in the science base. This is supplemented by submissionsfrom the Scottish Funding Council and other partner bodies and by further…
26 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) since 4 May 2007 to discuss the implications for single farm payments of SNH management agreements and what decisions were reached as a result of such meetings.
Answer · Michael Russell: There have beenno meetings between Scottish ministers and Scottish Natural Heritage since 4May 2007 regarding the implications for single farm payments of SNH management agreements. SNH have had anumber of conversations with my officials about this difficult …
26 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment will reply to my letter of 30 May 2007 regarding single farm payments, acknowledged by its correspondence unit on 4 June, reference 2007/0019209.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer MrMcArthur to my letter dated 4 October 2007.</p>
19 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to help meet the future demand for science graduates identified in its Skills Strategy.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Government’sSkills Strategy does identify that the demand for scientists in the futurelooks positive and the total employment for science occupations is projected togrow at a faster rate to 2014 than that expected for non-science occupations.</p><p>Our ap…
19 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support science in Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As we set out in ourProgramme for Government <i>Principles and Priorities</i> document, Scotland needs a healthy science and research base, as our futureeconomy and society will be increasingly dependent on science and technology andscience contributes to all…
19 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on developing a science strategy.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-4458 on 1 October 2007. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…
19 Sep 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish its science strategy.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-4458 on 1 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…