Chamber and committees

Scottish Government is funding a heat mapping pilot in the Highland Council area and it is our intention to disseminate the results to other local authorities. We are supporting Sustainable Glasgow through the Central Energy Efficiency Fund and we also fund the Energy Saving Trust work programme for Scotland, which includes their recently published Scottish Planner Support Pack Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment: Best Practice for Scottish Planners. This provides supportive information to planning authorities on heat mapping.

There is currently no provision in primary legislation that would permit the making of such regulations.

Through a concerted drive to maximise community benefits from renewables and increase local ownership of energy, we already help communities to identify their own local renewable energy needs, and to realise their ambitions.

Our Climate Challenge Fund is about helping communities identify how much they can reduce their own carbon footprint, including identifying local renewable energy needs. It has funded 203 projects which include energy efficiency or renewables options in communities.

We have provided some £13.5 million over the last two years to fund our Community and Renewable Energy scheme which provides grants and free bespoke independent advice for communities to take forward their own energy projects. 600 projects are set to benefit by March 2011.

We are currently considering future funding options for community renewables, including the scope for a loan fund to de-risk the pre-planning costs of local renewable energy projects.

The Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society to promote and support co-operatives. We have also supported five co-operation projects totalling £1.5 million under the Scottish Rural Development Programme Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation grant scheme.

A public consultation on draft regulations to set the framework for tenancy deposit schemes in Scotland, and the conditions for their approval, ended on 3 October 2010. We are currently analysing the consultation responses.

We plan to introduce the regulations to the Parliament by the end of 2010. This will enable proposals for national tenancy deposit schemes to be submitted to ministers in early 2011.

Until we receive proposals, it is not possible to predict the exact date on which a tenancy deposit scheme will become operational.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37150 on 2 November 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37150 on 2 November 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) by the end of this Parliament that will amend Part 7 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 (the Act), making it easier for local authorities to issue antisocial behaviour notices to owners of party flats and bring a case to court with the improved prospect of a successful verdict. Development of this approach is being assisted by ongoing dialogue with City of Edinburgh Council officials.

Once a draft SSI has been prepared, the proposed approach will be shared with Lothian and Borders Police, and City of Edinburgh Council. The SSI will be laid under the order making power within section 68(6) of the Act, which allows the provisions of the Act to be modified to suit the circumstances of holiday lets. This order making power is subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.

Local authorities are only expected to apply this legislation in a small number of cases, and to date reaction from stakeholders has been positive. In view of the limited and technical nature of the proposals it is not intended to carry out a full public consultation. However, Community Safety Partnerships, the Scottish Tourism Forum, and Visitscotland will be advised of the proposed change to the legislation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37150 on 2 November 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37150 on 2 November 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.