Chamber and committees

On a global level, there has been considerable debate about whether peak oil has occurred. It is the case that significant reserves remain in the North Sea and that the Scottish oil and gas industry, which is of enormous economic importance to Scotland, will remain a vital sector of our economy for decades to come.

However, we are also clear that Scotland needs to make a transition to a low carbon economy, with an energy supply that is diverse and sustainable and which contributes to Scotland''s wealth. The National Planning Framework is a strategy for Scotland''s long term spatial development and the recent discussion draft sets out our ambitions for Scotland''s development over the next quarter century including our commitment to tackling climate change and the introduction of new technologies.

The draft NPF2 recognises that a growing long-term imbalance between supply and demand for oil and gas products would have profound implications for the global economy in a whole range of areas including transport and economic development. We therefore recognise the need to reduce dependency on fossil fuels over time. Such a strategy is consistent with our approach to reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 to help tackle climate change.

The Council of Economic Advisers considers a wide range of issue of relevance to the Scottish Economy. The minutes of all meetings are published within two weeks of the meetings taking place and can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Council-Economic-Advisers/Meetings/2008.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3F-751 on 8 May 2008. All answers to oral parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-08/sor0508-02.htm#Col8434.

On a global level, there has been considerable debate about whether peak oil has occurred. It is the case that significant reserves remain in the North Sea and that the Scottish oil and gas industry, which is of enormous economic importance to Scotland, will remain a vital sector of our economy for decades to come.

However, we are also clear that Scotland needs to make a transition to a low carbon economy, with an energy supply that is diverse and sustainable and which contributes to Scotland''s wealth. Supporting and developing our food production capacity is in our national interests and will help build a sustainable economy. Whilst the Scottish Government is conscious that our generation has not experienced food shortages, we should never take food for granted and that is why we are currently developing the nation''s first ever strategic food policy, to ensure we have a fully joined up, consistent and coherent approach to food production and consumption.

In responding to the challenge of making the transition to a low carbon economy, we must put our intellect and entrepreneurial skills to use to cultivate better and more environmentally friendly ways of producing food.

The Council of Economic Advisers discusses a wide range of issue of relevance to the Scottish economy. The minutes of the meeting can be viewed at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Council-Economic-Advisers/Meetings/2008.

(a) The Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland Regulations 2002 state that the convener and at least half of the total number of the committee, including the convener, be disabled persons according to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

(b) We propose to prescribe that at least three of the 15 members of the Passenger View Scotland (PVS) be disabled persons according to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

We propose to prescribe that at least three members of Passengers' View Scotland (PVS) will be disabled persons as determined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. We will shortly be inviting members of Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) and their stakeholders to apply for the three new posts within the PVS. These appointments will be carried out in line with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland's code of practice.

The addition of three members to PVS to represent disabled passengers will mainstream the issue and increase the profile of disability issues across a winder range of transport modes.

Any transfer of Scottish registration data held by the General Register Office for Scotland to the Home Office would be covered by Section 56 of the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006. Section 56 enables the Registrar General for Scotland to provide Scottish registration information to any public body or office holder, including Government departments in the UK. The information in the Scottish registers is publicly available.

In addition, under section 9 of the Identity Cards Act 2006, the Registrar General for Scotland could be obliged to provide information to the Home Office for the specific purpose of verifying an individual's entry on the National Identity Register. This would require an Order to be made under the affirmative procedure by both Houses of the UK Parliament.

The UK Identity and Passport Service at present has no access to the registers held by the General Register Office for Scotland.

The Registrar General has had preliminary discussions with the UK Identity and Passport Service (IPS) on how Scottish registration data might be provided to the IPS using the powers of section 56 of the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006. It is not yet possible to say who in the IPS would need access to the data. The purpose being discussed is the prevention and detection of identity fraud. The only information that could be provided to IPS would be publicly available information contained in the Scottish registers of births, still-births, marriages, civil partnerships, deaths, divorces and dissolutions of civil partnerships.