Chamber and committees

The total estimated and reported actual carbon savings from projects in receipt of grant awards from the Climate Challenge Fund since 2008 are 1,080,411 tCO₂e and 281,597 tCO₂e respectively.

These figures are not directly comparable. Of the 266 projects funded since 2012 many are still underway or have not yet started. Consequently, only 34 final project reports with estimates of actual carbon savings have been received. Additionally, when the fund was first introduced there was not the same requirement, as now, to submit carbon reduction figures in final project reports and a standard methodology for doing so was not introduced until 2012.

As part of their local air quality management responsibilities under the Environment Act 1995 and associated regulations and guidance, all local authorities are required to submit an annual report to the Scottish Government summarising their work on air quality during the previous year. Where an air quality management area is in place, this report should also describe progress with implementing the measures in the air quality action plan.

These reports are formally appraised by the government and feedback is provided to each authority, especially focusing on aspects where it is considered that insufficient progress is being made.

All reports are publically available on the Scottish air quality website:www.scottishairquality.co.uk In addition, many local authorities make the reports available on their own websites.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-24030 on 30 January 2015. 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.

In 2015-16, £1.2 million in capital funding has been allocated to the National Theatre of Scotland towards the cost of its new headquarters. In addition the Draft Budget 2015-16 provides for £2 million in financial transactions (loans) for this project.

No capital grant is currently planned for the other four National Performing Companies in 2015-16. In 2014-15 we completed our capital funding commitment for major projects undertaken by Scottish Opera (Theatre Royal Glasgow) and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Glasgow Royal Concert Hall).

Grant funding for the National Performing Companies is based on their delivering an agreed programme of artistic and educational activity and on meeting criteria for designation as National Performing Companies. The companies budget for routine maintenance and refurbishment from within the totality of Scottish Government and other income.

Capital grant funding allocated to the companies for investment in property is shown in the following table. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra does not own any buildings. It should be noted that prior to 2007-08, the companies received their core grant funding from the Scottish Arts Council.

The Scottish Government is taking necessary steps to ensure that Scotland benefits by engaging with the Scottish transmission owners, to encourage them to develop proposals for submission to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), to ensure that any opportunities to benefit Scotland are realised.

As part of its price control review for the period 2013 to 2021, Ofgem has allowed up to £500 million for the three UK transmission owners (National Grid in England and Wales and Scottish Power Energy Networks and Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission in Scotland). This is to allow these companies to reduce the visual impact of existing transmission lines in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales and National Scenic Areas in Scotland. This does not need to be limited to undergrounding and there is strong argument that undergrounding would be an expensive option which severely limits the amount of lines whose visual impact could be mitigated.

Opportunities in Scotland are restricted to the 4% of the network within the eligible designated area. Scottish Government officials have engaged with the two Scottish transmission owners to encourage participation and to promote Scotland’s interests in this regard. The companies are in the process of developing a methodology for providing an assessment of the areas concerned. It is envisaged that this methodology will include stakeholder engagement, a technical impact assessment of all relevant infrastructure and a schedule of potential mitigation options. Consultation with communities and other stakeholders will also feature in any proposals going forward.

Ofgem has published factsheet 109 which provides background and explanation of the available funding. This factsheet is available from its website at:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/82593/visualamenityfactsheetfinalenglish.pdf

NHS Lothian along with all other boards have an agreed financial plan to deliver a balanced outturn in 2014-15 and the board have indicated they will achieve this position in 2014-15.

The Scottish Government work with NHS boards to help them achieve financial balance through long-term financial planning.

In 2015-16, NHS Lothian’s resource budget is planned to increase by £37.7 million (3.2%) to £1,225.7 million. This is an above inflation increase in 2015-16 and includes £7.0 million of additional NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding. This follows a previous increase of £46.8 million (4.1%) in 2014-15, which included NRAC parity funding of £17.521 million.

The NHS Lothian financial plan for 2014-15 was approved by the Scottish Government in March 2014 as part of the board’s 2014-15 local delivery plan. The NHS Lothian plan forecasts that the board will remain in financial balance over the five-year planning period. Boards have a statutory obligation to meet their financial targets and are expected to submit plans which reflect this.

The Lothian Partnership has used additional funding to extend a range of intermediate care services, the majority of which are not bed based. An additional seven step-down beds are planned for Midlothian. In addition the Edinburgh Partnership has leased the old Pentland Hills care home from BUPA to create 60 interim care home beds.

All health and social care partnerships will be required under the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 to produce a strategic commissioning plan from April 2015 which should identify the present and future care needs for their populations, including intermediate care beds, and develop these accordingly.

As I indicated to Parliament during portfolio questions on 7 January 2015, we are taking a number of steps to ensure that Scotland is on track to meet its climate change ambitions. We intend that the second report on proposals and policies will be delivered in full. Where policies and proposals are not being delivered, we will seek to bring forward new policies to achieve the same, if not a greater, level of emissions abatement. Preparatory work for producing the next report on proposals and policies (RPP), which is due for publication in 2016, has already commenced, and we aim to lay RPP3 as soon as reasonably practicable. In addition, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy has agreed to fund new modelling capability to help in preparing RPP3 and procurement of the model is underway. We are also exploring how the UK Committee on Climate Change can help us address the challenges we face in delivering on our annual as well as longer term targets.

The strategic objectives and General Policies of the National Marine Plan set the context for development in Scotland's marine area and seek to ensure development and use of the marine environment is undertaken sustainably. Where appropriate, specific sectoral policies provide additional direction regarding environmental considerations to be taken into account in decision making.

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