Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-28490

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of how abolishing air passenger duty might impact on its ability to meet its climate change targets.

Transport Scotland published analysis in September 2014 which estimated that reducing air passenger duty (APD) in Scotland by 50% would generate a small net annual increase in emissions of between 0.05 and 0.06 mega tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

In recognition of the important environmental issues involved, the Scottish Government is working with environmental groups on its APD stakeholder forum and will be undertaking a strategic environmental assessment alongside the development of legislative proposals for a Scottish replacement tax.

Question reference: S4W-28425

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it sought legal advice to confirm the integrity of its directions to local authorities and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in relation to fracking and underground coal gasification in January and October 2015.

Question reference: S4O-04889

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the president of NUS Scotland's evidence to the Education and Culture Committee that further education student support in Scotland is “not fit for purpose”.

Question reference: S4W-28467

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of respondees to its consultations in each of the last five years has asked for the response not to be published, broken down by directorate.

Question reference: S4W-28287

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm that no test drilling for unconventional gas will be permitted with the involvement or direction of any industry body.

In line with the Scottish Government’s evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas, only boreholes to extract core samples are not included in the moratorium. Core sampling allows analysis of data including stratigraphy and rock properties.

Boreholes for test fracking or hydrocarbon flow testing are not permitted.

Only companies who hold an onshore oil and gas licence can drill a borehole.

A petroleum exploration and development licence has been issued in Scotland under a UK Government licensing regime. The UK Government has confirmed that no further onshore oil and gas licences will be issued in Scotland. In line with the recommendations of the Smith Commission, the Scotland Bill 2015 includes provisions to devolve responsibility for onshore oil and gas licensing to the Scottish Parliament.

A licence holder seeking to drill a borehole to acquire a core sample would need to obtain all necessary regulatory consents, including planning permission from a local planning authority and an environmental permit from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. It will then be for regulators to determine whether the site is acceptable and whether drilling should be allowed.

Any proposal for a borehole would also need to demonstrate that it will be undertaken in collaboration with an independent research body (such as the British Geological Survey) or academic institution.

A prospective operator would also need to reach agreement with the local landowner before bringing forward a proposal for the consideration of regulators.

Question reference: S4W-28284

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) moratorium on fracking that it announced and (b) directions to local authorities and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency that it issued in January 2015 prohibited test drilling including drilling for boreholes solely for the purpose of core sampling.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24473 on 8 October 2015, which confirmed the Scottish Government’s position that boreholes drilled for the purpose of core sampling are not included in the moratorium. Boreholes for test fracking or hydrocarbon flow testing are not permitted. The directions issued on 8 October 2015 to planning authorities and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency established the mechanism by which this policy will take practical effect.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-28283

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how exploration, which is prohibited under the terms of the moratorium on fracking, differs from drilling a borehole solely for the purpose of core sampling, and how it determines when such activity can proceed in its directions to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and local authorities.

Petroleum exploration and development licences have been issued in Scotland under a UK Government licensing regime. This regime divides oil and gas developments into four stages – exploration, appraisal, production and decommissioning.

Under the UK's licensing regime, exploratory drilling can include boreholes to extract core samples, and test fracking and hydrocarbon (oil and gas) flow testing.

However, boreholes for test fracking or hydrocarbon flow testing are prohibited under the terms of the moratorium.

In line with the Scottish Government’s evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas, only boreholes to extract core samples are not included in the moratorium. Core sampling allows analysis of data including stratigraphy and rock properties.

Any proposal for a borehole would also need to demonstrate that it will be undertaken in collaboration with an independent research body (such as the British Geological Survey) or academic institution. A company seeking to drill a borehole to acquire a core sample would also need to obtain all the necessary regulatory consents. These would include planning permission from a local planning authority and an environmental permit from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. It would then be for regulators to determine whether or not the site is acceptable and whether drilling should be allowed.

The Scottish Government is committed to review planning guidance to ensure that borehole applications are subject to appropriate public scrutiny and that proposals satisfactorily address all the likely impacts on local communities and the environment.

Question reference: S4W-28322

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's consultation on whether fracking should take place in such areas, whether it will use the moratorium on unconventional gas extraction to consider whether it should be permitted (a) at surface level in and (b) below (i) national parks, (ii) natura sites and (iii) sites of special scientific interest.

On 8 October 2015 the Scottish Government announced a timetable for a comprehensive programme of research and consultation on unconventional oil and gas. Through this process we will give full and careful consideration to the impact that this technology could have, wherever potential sites might be.

In the meantime, the Scottish Government is clear that no fracking can or will take place whilst the moratorium announced on 28 January 2015 remains in force.

Question reference: S4O-04844

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding EU issues.

Question reference: S4W-28293

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27874 by Richard Lochhead on 28 October 2015, what further action it is taking in light of recent reports that Volkswagen Automobile Group also falsified CO2 emission details.

The Scottish Government is acting in a number of ways to address the Volkswagen scandal and wider air quality issues. We are engaging with other devolved administrations on how best to respond to the Volkswagen scandal. We have supported the UK Government's representations to the EU on Real Driving Emissions testing. And on 4 November 2015 we launched the Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy, which sets out how the Scottish Government and partner organisations propose to deliver further reductions in air pollution. We will continue to explore options to ensure that actions in response to the Volkswagen scandal address broader environmental concerns and the needs of individual consumers.

Chamber and committees